2026 Aug 1, Mystery Trip (Chattanooga, TN & Scottsboro, AL) with Backroads Tours LLC

 We had to be on the bus in Madison, AL, by 7 A.M. We were up by 4:30 and on the road by 5. We are traveling on bus 1048 with Eagle Christian Tours in Rome, GA. Driver Barbara Dudle

We stopped at Bojangles in Athens for breakfast. Hubby ordered a steak and biscuit, and I ordered a sausage and biscuit. We spent $10.75.

We arrived around 6:30, and the bus was already there waiting for our guide, Kelley Wolfe, before we could load. 

We were on the road headed to Scottsboro to pick up additional passengers. Around 8 A.M., we were headed to our Mystery stop. 

We arrived at 9:58 A.M. at the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway, which was built in 1895. 

The incline uses a cable system where two cars are connected by a cable, allowing one car to ascend while the other descends.

America's Most Amazing Mile climbs to 1,450 feet. On a bright day, you can see for miles, but the day we were there, it rained and was very overcast.

Our guide purchased our tickets.

We took a group photo, used the restrooms, and then loaded onto the incline. 

If you have trouble walking or climbing, I recommend sitting at the top of the Incline car. 

The car is sitting at an incline, so you have to climb up and down steps to get in and out. 

We began our ten-minute journey up Lookout Mountain at a 72.7 percent grade at the steepest part.

At the top, we visited the gift shop where we purchased a bag of mini moon pies. 

We walked to the observation deck to take in the view below, but it was very foggy, and it began to rain. 

We went to the lower level to see the 100-horsepower motors in operation. You could feel the motors vibrate when you sat down in the restrooms.

After an hour at the overlook and gift shop, we once again loaded onto the incline, which did not seem as steep as when we loaded at the bottom. 

On the way down, we saw a buck deer in the forest and a fake owl. 

Once below, we unloaded the incline and headed to our bus for our next stop.

We stopped at the rest area in Jasper for a restroom break. 

Then onto Scottsboro, where we met up with our guide, Angie. 

We ate lunch and did a quilt craft at a new small business called Still Water Studios in Scottsboro.

The food was catered by Simply Yaya.

This included Classic Chicken Salad Croissants, Ham & Swiss Sliders, Italian Pasta Salad, Vegetable Platter, Fruit Platter, Chips, Chess Bars & Bottled Water.

Our next quick stop was at Payne's Soda Fountain and Sandwich Shop, where everyone was treated to a scoop of their favorite ice cream.

We enjoyed eating our ice cream on the bus while Angie gave us a quick historical tour of Scottsboro.

We said goodbye to Angie and the passengers parked in Scottsboro around 3:30 P.M.

We arrived at our destination, Gabe's in Madison, around 4:30 P.M.

Loaded into our car and began our journey home.

We stopped at Walmart in Athens to pick up a few items.

We stopped at Lash's in Rogersville for our take-home Low Country Boil (dinner). 

They have the best seafood in town. It was a very busy night for them.

We had a great time with old and new friends exploring new places and new faces.

Photo

8554-8585 Incline Railway 9:58–11:09 A.M.

8586 Group Photo

8587-8591Tennessee Welcome Center Jasper, TN 11:03 A.M. time change

8592-8294 Still Water Studios Scottsboro, AL 12:09–12:14 P.M. Lunch

8595-8599 Payne's Soda Fountain and Sandwich Shop 3:12–3:17 P.M.

8600-8605 Tour of Scottsboro, AL 3:23 P.M.

2015 ~ Tuesday, May 5, Day trip to Rock City

Tuesday, May 5, 2015 

We had a great day; we rode to Chattanooga to see Rock City. The last time I visited Rock City, my daughter was nearly walking. Now, I have grandkids who are much older. 

We drove up the mountain around many sharp curves. There were guardrails along the cliffs, many with dents in them.

We approached Rock City, and I captured this site.

The falls, the flags, Lover's Leap, and the overlook

See Rock City
I can remember when you saw "See Rock City & Ruby Falls" on the side or top of every barn.

As we passed on the way to Chattanooga.

We bought tickets at the ticket counter.

Rock City Adult General Admission costs $42.49, which includes tax, for one day.

We had a great time. This was the Hubby's first visit. 
These flowering trees were everywhere, and they were terrific.

Flowering Trees

We walked through many tight spaces between rocks, climbed many stairs, and walked across a swinging bridge, from which we could view seven states from one spot.

There were many tight walkways and many stairs

There were many places where a wheelchair or stroller could not go.
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There were restrooms, a restaurant, a leather shop, a place to pan for gold, vending machines, and music playing as we walked along.

Panning for gold

We met a couple from Chicago, and the man took our picture in front of the waterfall.
I was using my telephoto lens, and he had a regular lens. We swapped the lens so he could take our picture with my camera. When finished, we swapped lenses; we both were using a Nikon Camera.

There were seven flags to represent the states that we saw:
Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama 

Panoramic View of the flags and seven states

We saw a wide range of sizes, shapes, and interesting rocks.
Cool rocks below:

Turtle Shell Rock

A place to rest under the Mushroom Rock

I had forgotten what was here, but I remember the Gomes and the underground display of little people. 

There were gnomes everywhere; this one was working

I don't remember the characters in the nursery rhyme.

Was a little Girl. 

There was a little Girl

There was a little girl 

Who had a slight curl

Right in the middle

of her forehead,

And when she was good,

She was very, very good,

And when she was bad,

She was horrid.

Hubby said this poem suited me to a T.

When we visited the Nursery Rhyme area with the black light, the suit I was wearing glowed.
The suit frightened a woman because she thought one of the characters had come to life, and she screamed out! 
Neither had noticed the suit glowing because we were too busy taking pictures and reading the nursery rhymes.

I looked like I was in the Tron Movie with my orange glow-in-the-dark shirt and pants.

We got turned around after we came back down the mountain. Hubby said they don't need to let old people loose in a big city. We got back onto the Interstate and were looking for a place to eat. 

I saw a Cracker Barrel sign, and I said, " Where here? "There is a Cracker Barrel, and there are other restaurants. We took the" ramp exit at Cracker Barrel, which was where we had one when we left to visit Rock City. 


It was the same Logan's Roadhouse in Chattanooga that we were looking for when we came down Lookout Mountain. LOL

Logan's Roadhouse Chattanooga
The Logan, we decided to eat at, but when we left the mountain, we got turned around. 
Got on the Interstate and then Highway 11, where we saw a Logan's sign.
Hubby said this is where we got off the first time to go to Lookout Mountain.
It was meant for us to eat here.

Sirloin steak with baked sirloin potato

I ordered a 6-ounce sirloin, baked potato, Caesar salad, and iced water.
My Hubby ordered a New York Strip with a baked potato, Caesar salad, and sweet tea.
For an appetizer, we ordered fried mushrooms, and we had two large rolls with butter. YUM!!
We had enough food for supper to bring home!!

We rode through downtown Scottsboro but did not stop.

We stopped at Russell Stover's in Athens, where I got a cookies-and-cream ice cream Waffle cone.
Hubby got a pint of strawberry and French Vanilla Ice cream.
And we bought a large bag of Russell Stover's Candy.
We were both on a sugar high!!