Near Chattanooga? @visitlookoutmtn is a MUST for all ages!

(With all pictures, you can click on them to enlarge)

With Marc's job, he goes to Chattanooga and he always talks about how beautiful it is there.

So, when the boys were here, we drove up for the day to look around.

Of course, I had to Google to see what was there and I was surprised to see so many great attractions so close to home!

I was happy to see that Rock City was there, as I remembered going as a child.

We rode around and looked at everything in the area with all intentions of coming back one day and actually exploring the attractions that looked so fun.

With 4 kids and 2 adults, you can imagine that nothing ends up being super cheap.
Luckily for Marc and I, we were later offered the chance to come back up and check things out.

No...

The boys didn't go, as school has started, but at least we know what to check out next time they are here!!!!

So, for the next couple of days, I am going to highlight on different attractions that we had the chance to explore!!!!

Day One:

Rock City.

Now, I am not going to go into the history and how they came to be...

If you want to read that, just click on over to their site and read all of that, after my post :)
I want to tell you about our trip!

First of all, we got there pretty much right after it opened.

It was supposed to be pretty hot (and I do NOT like HOT) so we wanted to try and go when it was cooler.

We got there and were immediately greeted by friendly staff members!

Once you enter, they have a photographer there ready to take your picture.

I liked that, as most of our pictures are of Broxton and Marc (and if I am lucky, Broxton with me every now and then.)
Sometimes we try the one armed family photo, but that never really works out!
This way, you do have a picture of your family (if you choose to buy the photo package.)

Then, it started.
Absolute beauty.

Granted, it is "Rock City" so there are rocks every where you look...

BUT, it is so beautiful.

You walk on this path and literally, you are mesmerized by the awesomeness of it all!
It is really a rock city!!!!
They have different markers listed so you know the name of where you are.

Here we are at Mushroom Rock:

(They also have markers by the different plants so that you can know what they are as well!)

Spunky even had to come on the trip with us.

It was cute, for the most part, whenever we wanted to get a picture of Broxton, he would hold up Spunky! We eventually had to put Spunky up so that we could have Broxton's face in the pictures!

Although it was getting warmer by the second, the beauty of it all totally takes your mind away from the million degree heat!

Then, we came to the bridge...

Oh my goodness....

Let me just tell you, first of all, I am TERRIFIED of Bridges...
This was a swinging bridge at that!
Luckily for people like me...

You can choose the swinging bridge (that Marc and Broxton went on, you have no clue how scared I was until they got to the other side) or you can take the route I did:
The STONE BRIDGE!

Ha, this lady that we met (we took turns with her and her husband taking a couple "family photo's" during the day) laughed at me for taking the stone...
Then she admitted, she was scared to death and that she RAN across the swinging one!

After the bridge, you make it to "Lover's Leap" and that is where the famous " See Seven States" marker is:

When you get there, they have the flags for all seven of the states as well as an outline of the seven states on a map for you.

It really is beautiful and you can imagine the people taking tons of photos!

After that, you make the turn and there is a gift shop/snack shop there.

You can get a snack or a drink (you KNOW we had to re-hydrate at this point.)

They have tables set up inside and out...
They even have one of those cutouts where you can stick your head in it for fun family photos!
Oh, if that wasn't enough Rock for you...

For $5, you can jump on for a 25 foot rock climbing wall!

After you are rested and ready to continue your adventure...

Did you know that when Rock City first started, they really did not have a way to advertise?

Their advertisement came to be with the barn houses with "See Rock City" painted on the roof.

That is the signature thing for Rock City and you can purchase Rock City Birdhouses (like you see throughout your tour.)
When we have a house, I want a birdhouse like this!

Now, for another main attraction:

Fat Man Squeeze.

I am not gonna lie, I was scared to death.

Just think, what if I was too big to get through it?

I was so nervous, talk about being embarrassed!
I had Marc and Broxton go first, just in case.

As you can see, I made it...
So no worries..

But, it is pretty tight compared to the rest of the trail!

I really had a hard time picking out my favorite thing of Rock City...

I think I have narrowed it down to the Lover's Leap with the Waterfall...

Or Rainbow Hall.

Broxton loved seeing the colors in there, and I was in such enjoyment watching him that I really forgot to try and get a good picture!
For the kids (and the young at heart) they have Fairyland Caverns.

This is just too cool, as it has different scenes set up.

There is the Diamond Corridor with the gnomes hard at work...

You can also see "Rub a Dub-Dub, three men in a tub"

Keep on your journey and you end up in Mother Goose Village!
This is just neat!
It is set up with a black light.

It took 6 years to create...

and you walk around looking at scenes from all the different Mother Goose Stories!
Rock a Bye Baby... Humpty Dumpty.

It was fun trying to guess what the nursery rhyme was by looking at the art work!!!!

Once you leave there, you have a chance to buy all different types of souvenirs.

From Necklaces with your name on rice...
Leather goods...
Of course, the birdhouses!!!!
They sell toys,t-shirts, hats and more!!!!

(Oh, stop by and watch them make fudge! We did, but Broxton wanted a sucker!)

You can pay for a ticket for the day, or you can take advantage of their annual pass.

Now that I know how close we are (just a couple hours) I really want to get annual passes and go more often!

Please, follow Rock City on Facebook and Twitter.

Those two ways will keep you up to date on all that is going on!!!!

So, have you ever been to Rock City?

***** We received complimentary passes to go and check out Rock City.

All opinions (and pictures) are my own. *****