Short Roadtrip Day 5... Rocky Face Ridge

Day 5

Saturday, October 21, 2023

     There was one stop to make before leaving Cleveland, Tennessee.  

      St. Luke's Episcopal Church may look like your average small parish.  This church's story is more about what's out back.  But first, a bit of backstory...

     On St. Luke's Day(August 18) 1878, seven year old Nina Craigmiles was killed when the wagon she was in was hit by a train a few blocks from here.  John, her father bought the land and donated money to build St. Luke's Memorial Episcopal Church.  

     But, it wasn't so much the church.  Tucked behind the building is an ornate tomb built of Italian marble.  Inside, Nina's sarcophagus is made of the same marble.  

     On the right side of the archway, there's a red stain in the marble...

     The red stains appeared over time and there are those who believe it's not just impurities in the marble.  But, it most probably is.

      I left Cleveland and headed south.  I did cross I-75 and could have gone home by the direct route.  Even on a Saturday morning, I didn't want to deal with the construction delays.  Instead, I took Hwy 60 South towards Dalton.  

     One of the things I've started doing is zooming in on Google Maps and following my route.  That's how I found the railroad tunnel.  That's also how I found Rocky Face Ridge Park.

      There's a three mile trail up to the summit of that ridge.  It's mixed use for hiking and mountain bikes.  A six mile round trip would be a perfect way to cap off this roadtrip.  My only issue are the lack of trail markings.  According to the trail map by the parking lot, if I stayed on the main trail and ignored the rest, I should be fine.  

       The hike begins by crossing this field.  During the Civil War, this was an entrenched defensive position manned by Confederate troops led by General Joseph Johnson.  Union General William T. Sherman had encamped his troops just a few miles away.  

      Sherman made the decision to send one column of troops towards Rocky Face Ridge, a second towards neighboring Resaca and a third to attack the railroad Johnson would need for resupply and possibly his retreat.  Johnson realized what was happening and pulled his men out.  They joined the forces in Resaca and prepared to meet Sherman.    

 

     As for the trail, since it doubles as a mountain bike trail, there are no big rocks to scramble over and no stone staircases to climb.  It's just a steady three miles of incline.  

     From the first big gap in the trees...

      When I finally saw the seemingly requisite cell tower, I knew I was close.

       Finally, the summit.  That's where you're treated to a nice wide overlook from the back side of the ridge.

     From the hike back down...

      From the park, it was just a straight shot back to the interstate and then home.  For a trip cobbled together on the fly, it certainly worked out okay!

David 10/23

Short Roadtrip, Day 4...An Unexpected Find

Day 4

Friday, 10/20/2023

     When I went to sleep the night before, the forecast still called for a storm to roll through overnight, and rain most of the morning.  Shortly after midnight I was even awakened by a slam of thunder.  The parking lot of indeed wet the next morning, but the heavy downpour never materialized.  The sky...

       The city of Chattanooga is big on public art.  In midtown, there's not just a sculpture park, there's a sculpture field.  Translation: It's really big.  

     As most of them do, there's a small sign in front of each work telling you who created it, what they named the sculpture and what materials were used.  As a sign of the times, these all had a QR code.  This directs you to the Otocast app's website, where you can download the app.  This gives you access to audio clips from the artists themselves.  

     

I actually did download the app because of this next one.  I wanted to know the 

significance of the gap in the one column.  The recording said, "This is a place         holder for future content."                                                                                                                 

 

     Most cities alongside rivers have some sort of riverfront park.  Chattanooga is no different.  In the River View Art District, there's another smaller Sculpture Garden they call River Gallery.   I'd share pictures, but alas...

      Great view though...

     The bridge in the foreground is the Walnut Street Bridge.  It was closed to traffic in 1978 and all but abandoned.  It was refurbished a few years later and reopened as a pedestrian only bridge.  A local told me I was in luck.  The city is about to close it for repairs.

      To get there, I walked by the Hunter Museum of American Art.  Out front is a sculpture by Tom Otterness, the one sculptor whose work I'd recognize anywhere.  

      The chance of afternoon rain had been dropping all day.  So, I found another waterfall hike.  This time it was north of the city in the town of Soddy Daisy.  There are multiple versions of where Soddy comes from.  One is from the Cherokee word Tsati which referenced the local tribe.  Another is that it comes from William Sodder who once ran a trading post here.  Daisy was the name of the daughter of Thomas Parks.  He was the Vice President of the Tabler-Cleudup Coal and Coke Company.  

      North Chicamauga Creek Gorge State Park  was easy enough to find, as was the trail.

     Strip Mine Falls is at the far end of a 2.6 mile loop.  It started out with a pleasant walk through the woods...

     That the North Chickamauga Creek.  And yes, it is that color.

      Of course we knew the level trail would end at some point.  From there it's a lot of up and down to the back end of the loop.

      Considering my luck with waterfalls on this trip, I wasn't expecting much.  There was very little water flowing down the rocks.  

     From the hike back to the parking lot.   

     From the parking lot, I had two choices.  I could head south and drive into the mayhem of I-24's construction, or take the more scenic, much longer way around.  Considering the fact I'd be hitting the early Friday evening rush hour headed south, the choice was clear.  I drove north.

     Chicamauga Lake is long and narrow.  Bridges across are few and far between.  Thus, I had to drive all the way up to the town of Dayton.  No complaints.  It sure beat that mess south.

      Besides, it was a perfect excuse to slip into Monkeytown Brewing for a quick pint of their Evolutionary Theory IPA.  

     The name is in reference to the city's most famous court case, The State of Tennessee vs. John Thomas Scopes.  Or as it was more commonly referred to, the Scopes Monkey Trial.  There's even a museum in town.  

    In the summer of 1925, high school teacher John Scopes was being charged with violating the state's Butler Act which forbade the teaching of evolution over creationism.  Scopes was found guilty and fined $100.  The verdict was overturned on a technicality.  But, the trial had served its purpose.  It had drawn national attention.

      As I lingered over my pint, I checked out things to do in Dayton.  Before heading back on the road again, I did have to stop in Swinging Bridge Park.

      I also booked a room for the night forty minutes further in Cleveland, TN.  It was your basic Quality Inn and doesn't add anything to the story.  Hwy 60 would get me there.  Along the way it was your usual drive, one town after another.  

     On the south side of Georgetown there was something truly unexpected, a field of bison.  This is the Vital Buffalo Farm and Conservatory.