We have been doing every other week custody of our grandkids. It was our weekend to have them with us, and I had planned on making it a fun time. The weather was calling for it to be beautiful. It has been cool at night down into the upper thirties and warming up into the seventies each day. It was to be sunny and clear. I had called Mayfield on Friday to ask them some questions about the need to purchase advanced tickets. A very nice lady named Melissa got back to me later in the day. She explained that advanced tickets can be done online as a convenience, but they were not necessary. She was super sweet and helpful. She explained things to me and even made sure we got a good deal on the admission price. We were unsure who in our family was going so it was nice to know we could just purchase tickets at the gate.
It ended up being myself, Kenny, Lydia, Tessa, Gabe & Mia. We had to take two vehicles to fit everyone. Gabe rode with me and Lydia down and the girls were with Papaw. It is only an hour drive for us from home. I love Athens anyway. It is just such a charming town. I like McMinn County all the way around.
The drive there is pretty especially on SR 307 the Old Athens-Madisonville Road.
It winds through some of the prettiest rural scenery in all of Tennessee. The road sits down in the Oostanaula Valley. The area has lots of Cherokee names for places as it is Cherokee Country. The Autumn colors on the drive coupled with the attractive farms, homes and fields along the way were idyllic.
We arrived to the gate to find parking was easy and abundant. No charge for parking either. We then walked a short distance up to the ticket window. The line was not long and was moving quickly. We got our bracelets and put them on and in minutes were walking around enjoying all the activities. They have the place decorated up so nice for Autumn!
Below: This is the ticket window and there is a little shop on the right. They sell apple pies, icecream, pumpkin donuts, and other delights!
Below: Here is the ball pit where the kids rode hoppity hops
Below: Mia is excited about the bouncy balls
Next we moved on to the bouncers. One was like a giant inflatable bed mattress. What kid doesn't love to jump on the bed? The other was like a giant ag bag blown up and its edges buried in the ground. They liked both of them, but the ag bag was a little bit on the slippery side!
Above: Tessa's pig tails flying up in the air as she jumps. Gabe and Mia and Lydia are all in on the act.
Below: this is jump pad #2 Kenny & Lydia looking on while the kiddos jump.
Below: giant tractor tire swings!
Below: round bales to jump on.. our kids loved doing this when they were little.
Below: They had two super slides. The one shown below is the shorter one.
Below: the second, longer, bigger super slide. Gabe in the center going down it. We all tried it out! It was pretty fun!
Below: The Tree of Woe... we always call a dead, stark looking tree this from the old 1980s Conan the Barbarian movie.
Below: the kids got in the human hamster wheels and raced
Below: bouncing was the theme of the day it seemed. The kids moved on to the bouncy pigs and cows.
Above: They had a ring toss game to play with wooden cows. Tessa is trying it out.
Above and below: Gabe and Tessa both wanted their photos taken on the tractors. Mia was having no part of it.
Above and below: a spot set up for a photo op. Tessa and Gabe again were cooperative, but Mia was not having it. I put my photography skills to work and took photos for a family who was there right after we got done.
Above and below: The kids went to feed the goats. It is an extra charge to do this. It isn't included in the regular admission fee. It was $3 to feed them. Mia loved them and wanted to liberate them all. She was hugging and kissing them. Everyone around was disbelieving that this little girl was ready to free the goats and loved them so much. They are American Lamancha goats.. an earless looking breed. They have ears, but they are very small.
Above: Gabe and Tessa love the goats too, but not as much as Mimi.
One other activity that was not included in regular admission price was the cow train. I did not get any photos or video of that. It was an additional $3 to ride it.
Gabe and Tessa rode it, but we did not take Mia near it. She could not be trusted to stay seated and would have risked getting hurt.
Everyone was getting hungry around one o'clock. We all needed a rest and to refuel. They had lots of seating for places to sit and rest or eat. One food truck on the property was selling barbecue and macaroni and cheese and stuff like that. It was a little on the heavy side. It just did not appeal to me or Lydia. We had the option to leave the farm and drive into Athens for a bite. It was only three miles away. We hated to have to do this, but we didn't like the menu choices. On the walk toward the front we realized there was another concession stand. They had better selections. After looking at the menu we realized we could all find something suitable here. We ended up being able to stay and eat on the farm.
It was a relief. The line was on the long side so to reduce the hassle we gave Kenny and Lydia our orders and I took the kids to play while they put our orders in and waited on the food.
Mia got on the sandy stack of tires to play. The bigger two kids went to the nearby zip line. The way they had this place set up was fantastic. I could keep an eye on all three of them from one spot! Plus the staff they had all around were on top of things. I saw them at one point assisting a little girl who had gotten separated from her parents. They were all over it.
Below: Mia in her Girls Rule the Galaxy shirt. 🌌
Above: You can see the zip line beyond this sand pile.
above: Gabe comes in for a landing on the zip line
Below : Tessa's turn on the zip line.
Below: probably the best, most cooperative photo I got out of Mia all day.
It wasn't long until Kenny rang my cell phone and found out where we were and what we were doing. He sent Lydia to help me collect the kids and start heading toward the concession stand. We found a seat right there with no problems or wait. It was busy, but uncrowded. Lunch was simple, delicious, and satisfying. Everyone got something they liked. A nice meal and something cold to drink and a little rest was just the ticket. We were all ready to go play some more!
Kenny took the two older kids to ride the cow train while Lydia and I took Mia to do whatever she wanted. She hit up the bouncy pads again. She wore that out.
It made my legs tired watching her. It was worth it though because she slept like a rock on the ride home and again that night. She was in bed asleep by 8:30 p.m.
When kids ASK to go to bed that is a parental victory!
Above: jump pad round two. In the distance you can see a crowd gathering. The Candy Canon is going to fire any minute and shoot out candy! They did, but it was Welch's fruit snacks. Nothing wrong with them for most folks, but Tessa cannot eat them because of a nut allergy. They contain coconut oil. Many gummy snacks do so she avoids nearly all of that stuff.
Above: Mia is down at the left of the jump pad. In the center the lady with the black hair and yellow shirt was so sweet playing with her little boy. What a great mom.
Above and below: they had three corn mazes to pick from. Kenny took Gabe and Tessa to do those. They made it through the first one, but the second one confounded them and they had to return the way they went in.
When Kenny and the older kids came out of the corn maze we were all in agreement. We were getting tired and running out of steam. We had been on the go for four hours. Mia was going to need a nap or she would end up like an angry tiger. We started working our way toward the front where we had come in. They stopped to play in the corn bin. Gabe had expressed some trepidation about it. He somehow knew that shelled corn or silage in a silo could kill a person by smothering them. He is way too smart. I need to remember to ask Colton, his best buddy if he taught him this? The corn bin was no risk at all. The worst that happened was ending up with corn in your undies. I saw several kids shaking their legs and hoping the corn kernels would fall out. Tessa told me she had corn in her drawers! It did not bother them enough to make them slow up. They played and played.
Below is a series of shots of the children in the corn bin. They were Children of the Corn for Halloween!
We finally talked the kids into getting out of the corn bin. We bribed them with promises of cotton candy treats. We made good on the promises. I wondered if we would regret letting them get sugared up? Though they ate all their cotton candy they were so worn out it did not phase them. I needn't have worried. Lydia bought some kettle corn.
We began walking toward the final shop where they sell pumpkins and gourds and souvenirs. They had the biggest, best assortment of pumpkins I've ever seen!
If you can't find what you want there you don't need a pumpkin and there is no pleasing you!
Above: the sand pit for digging. This was one fun thing our kiddos did not take part in. I think they were so tired for one thing. Also they had not long ago been to the beach and done A LOT of digging in the sand.
Above and below: some shots of the many, many varieties of pumpkins and gourds. We bought a couple for the children for Halloween.
We finally made it to the vehicle and were done with our shopping and playing for the day. There was a brief Chinese fire drill in the parking lot as kids odd manned to see who was going to ride with who and in what vehicle. In the end Papaw's truck with the DVD players and more room to spread out.. won over. I had to ride home by myself. They were very apologetic, but it was not a hardship for me. I enjoyed the quiet time. I drove home at a leisurely pace. I stopped in Vonore at Food City to buy a few groceries to fix supper for everyone.
I ended up with Tessa spending the night with Nanny also. All three kids turned in around 8:30 p.m. and were zonked and snoring before 9:00 p.m.
It was a first time experience and we loved it. Can't say enough about this wonderful event. The only thing I *might* do differently next year if we go is to plan a picnic and eat lunch in one of the area parks. After our picnic lunch we can go and play and not worry about meals and such. I just like picnics and finding great spots to enjoy. I scored big time on this trip. Nanny was a hero.
I heard many adults today in the crowd remark that " I wish there had been stuff like this to do when I was a kid" . I also heard one man say "There is nothing like having kids. When you have kids you really get in there and live your life." He remarked how he would not have been doing these sorts of things were it not for his little ones. He realized he'd have been missing out on a lot of fun.
I tend to agree. They do slow us down and make us better people. They remind us how to play and enjoy the moment.
I highly recommend you try this place out. You won't be sorry.
Things to Know Before You Go.
No outside food or drink allowed
They have plenty of restrooms and porta potties scattered around the place.
Senior citizens discounts start at age 55 or older.
Large Groups should call ahead and make plans with the farm so they can make sure you get a good deal and have the best possible time.
They do a Spring and Fall festival event. Check their website for dates and particulars. Info at the top of the page.
Below is a video I put together of the highlights of the day.
We talked about taking a family camping trip back to Chattanooga to see the sights over the past two or three years. The trouble with being this far behind on writing trip reports is forgetting details. I realize now that I don't recall exactly what motivated us to put it on the books. Whatever the reason, we finally did it. We stayed at Holiday Travel Park in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Chattanooga is part of Lookout Mountain and is part of the Cumberland Plateau. A trip to Chattanooga to stay often involves traveling back and forth across the Tennessee-Georgia state line. Our campground was situated less than a quarter mile across the line into Georgia. We stayed there once before and liked it. We found it to be even more enjoyable this time. It was hot so we took advantage of the pool each day. It was uncrowded, family friendly and fun! We had shady campsites that were spacious. Things we loved about it? The pool. Convenient location. Shady sites. Lots to do in the area. The only drawback was we forgot it is across the road from Brainerd Motorsports Park. A couple nights we had race noise after dark when we were trying to go to bed. We could hear it, but it did not ruin the trip or keep me from sleeping. It won't prevent me from staying there again.
Things we planned to do this trip:
See Rock City-did it/loved it
Creative Discovery Museum--did it/loved it/didn't want to leave
The Passage -Did it/loved it/didn't want to leave
Shop the stores in downtown Chattanooga-did it/loved it
Hit up some of the thrift stores in Ft. Oglethorpe--did it/regretted it. Waste of time.
Rock City with the Family
We visited Rock City around nineteen years ago as a family with our children ages 15 and 12. We returned this trip with grandchildren! It was as much if not more fun. It is a very special, unique, and beautiful place. It is a very family friendly environment. If you go remember that while there are a few places in Rock City that offer dining... it is crowded and a very limited selection. Kenny and I remembered eating at a barbecue joint at the base of the mountain with Mike Gourley and Mike Maples on a road trip several years back. Instead of hassling with the crowds and limited selection of foods, we went to Mike's Smokehouse.
It was delicious and made us all feel better. It was cool inside. A wise decision.
Above: going beneath a bridge at the start of the tour
Below: Kenny, Tessa and Michael by the first red door and archway.
Below: Son-in-law Adam going to Goblin's Underpass
Below: Gabe and Tessa on one of the stone bridges
Below: a very neat suspension bridge . I remember helping a panicked lady this trip to cross a bridge she was terrified of, but I don't remember which one. I don't think it was the suspension bridge, but I was happy she trusted me and let me help her.
Below is a video of Rock City. We had the extreme good fortune to hear a live version of the song Valerie performed by some local artists. It was originally written about a real lady make up artist by Dave McCabe of The Zutons. I don't care for that version of it too well. It was made iconic when performed by Mark Ronson featuring Amy Winehouse and the Wine-ettes. The video is a hearkening back to the 1960s Liverpool look and sound.
Click the link above to listen to the Mark Ronson/Amy Winehouse version and listen to the more bluesy/jazzy sound of these local artists and decide which one you prefer. I like both equally.
Below: A view from Rock City out over the plateau
Below: The Sky Bridge at Rock City.
Below: Gabe, Tessa, and Michael enjoy the mist fans that are set up for cooling on a hot day.
Below: is a photo of one of the overlooks at Lovers Leap and the waterfall
Above: one of the passages in Fairyland Caverns
Below: There are many vignettes of Fairy Tale stories in the caverns. This is my favorite.. Little Red Ridinghood with the big bad wolf.
Today was awesome at Rock City. I know the children really enjoyed it. It is hard to describe it or even illustrate it adequately in photos. There is so much to it with so many details and intricacies you really should experience it for yourself.
The next day after breakfast we got ready and headed downtown to the Creative Discovery Museum to play. We had visited here once before when Michael and Tessa were small. Today would be only our second ever visit and Gabriel's first visit. I absolutely love Creative Discovery Museum and lose myself in there playing. I have never grown up plus I am a very imaginative, creative person.
We visit The Muse in Knoxville from time to time, but as nice as it is.. it is not as nice and as big as the one in Chattanooga. The Muse needs to maintain their exhibits better.
Below: Grandson Michael is encasing himself in a giant bubble on the front porch of the museum while Tessa and Gabe look on.
Below: Gabe making some music on the xylophone
Below: Crystal, Michael, and Gabe at the water play area.
Below: Granddaughter Tessa age 7 looks down from the play set which is indoors safe and cool!
Below: Gabe age 5 at the helm of the river boat
Below: Gabe fishing off the side of the river boat.
Above: Michael age 12 holds a fish.. apparently Tessa did not cook it first before serving it. Gabe age 5 looks on. He was the waiter.
Below: Tessa in the brig for not cooking the right way! hahaha!
Below: Gabe and another little friend are back to water play
Below: Aunt Yaya (my daughter Crystal) and Gabe and Tessa are at the car driving trip console.
Below: Papaw Kenny is playing with columns of air in the Science center.
Below: Gabe and Tessa in a car
Below: Crystal bravely volunteers to be the patient at the doctors office. Tessa is the doctor. Michael must be the assistant.
Below: a corn snake... a real live one on display.
Above and below: Michael and Gabe in the arts and crafts section. This is where I got totally lost. I disappeared on them for a long spell. I lost all track of time and myself. Me and another lady were playing. They had to come collect me. hahaha!
The Creative Discovery Museum is awesome! If I lived in the area I'd be there every chance I got. I did not want to leave. No one really wanted to leave.
Our tummies got hungry and we finally had to go grab lunch. We walked from the museum to Big River Grille. We have eaten there many times and today while there was a wait... it was worth it. Everyone got what they wanted and was satisfied. The food and the service were great.
Once we got lunch done with we decided to head to some of the shops in the downtown and walk off some lunch. We went to the Moonpie General Store, Rocket Fizz Candy store, and I think one more place. Again, this is the trouble with waiting too long to write these reports up.
Below is a video that touches on a few highlights from the museum
I had seen photos of stairs with water cascading down them like a waterfall. I knew this feature was in Chattanooga, but had never taken the time to go find it.
We found it today and it was amazing! We loved it and did not want to leave.
It is historically significant and marks the beginning of the Trail of Tears.
That whole episode of history upsets me in ways I can't understand, but today was certainly anything but a trail of tears. It is a family friend place where kids of all ages can have fun cooling off on a hot day! You can see some beautiful scenery and artwork. You can learn a bit of history into the bargain.
Above: The Fam near the Walnut Street bridge and the Tennessee River
Below: The Passage Waterfall Stairs!
Below: Gabe and Michael
Below: Tessa Grace
The great spider island in the middle of the pool at the bottom
Above: several action shots of the area
artwork on the wall
We started out to just be wading in the water, but the kids ended up swimming. It was hot and this was a blessed relief. They loved it. We will definitely do this again. I wish we had something like this in Maryville!
Our camping trip and our adventures were a real success on the whole.
Chattanooga is a fascinating city with no shortage of fun things to do. We always have a way longer list of things than we can fit into the trip!
Already looking forward to next time!
Last of all is a video of our visit to The Passage. At the beginning you can hear the toot of a river boat!
-X3.jpg)
