Photo album is a combination of two years trips. The current year's trip pictures start where this link takes you. To advance the next photo click the right arrow. I did not take as many photos this season. To get a better idea what this place is like click the X in the top right and it takes you back to the entire photo album from start to finish which is a better illustration of the scope of the place. We still did not do everything after the second season.
We had such a good time at Mayfield Farm Park last Fall we decided to go again. The kids were gang busters to visit. They remembered the fun from the previous year. Even little Mia remembered this place! The staff does such a wonderful job making this nice, trying to get you the best deal for your tickets, etc. that you couldn't ask for better treatment. They have ample restrooms, changing tables for babies and toddlers, food, beverages, activities for every age person. The tickets are $20 per person with ages 2 and under being free. It covers all day. You get a wrist band so if you want to leave and come back later you can. They give military discounts and discounted tickets for large groups. If you buy them online it saves you a couple dollars per ticket. You show up and if you've bought your tickets online you simply show the lady at the ticket window your smart phone QR code. It gets scanned and tells her how many tickets you paid for. She gives you wrists bands accordingly.
We showed up on the very last day this year. It was different and better in some ways.
The weather was perfect. It was warm, sunny, nice breeze blowing. The place had plenty of uncrowded parking. It was not a bit crowded this year. Just enough folks to be fun. Honestly it was a little more fun when they had a few more people. This year they were using the unsold pumpkins to shoot out of a cannon. They had slingshots set up to shoot pumpkins or gourds. They had a pumpkin busting area where you could smash a pumpkin with a wooden sledge hammer or bat!
The down side is Halloween is over and I still had five pumpkins on my front porch that needed something done with them. We only carved one out of six this year. My daughter in law went crazy and bought a bunch of them. The other thing we missed was the cut your own flowers area was finished for the season. The final thing that cut into the enjoyment of the place this year was more serious. We found out granddaughter Tessa age ten is allergic to corn.
We decided to try it anyhow. She did fine, but she broke out in hives on her face and chin briefly. She had to use her inhaler and sit down and cool off one time. She got upset and cried when it came time to have ice cream. Mayfield's ice cream is wonderful, but unsafe for her. It has coconut oil in some of it. It has an allergy warning about tree nuts in it potentially. This is her life threatening allergy so it is off limits. Mia refused to eat hers. I got upset and threw mine away. It isn't worth seeing a child get that upset. We need to find something else to do with her next season. Maybe take the two youngest grandkids and let them bring a friend each. Then do something different with Michael and Tessa. That is a bummer because our grandkids are best friends with their cousins. They enjoy one another very much. Mayfield cannot help any of this. They are not in the hypoallergenic fun business. They cater to the general public and most folks are not deathly allergic to any of this.
Just word of warning to parents or grandparents who have kids with sensitivities... really check the ingredients label on ice cream especially. It has a lot of stuff that makes it package and keep better, but it can be harmful to those who are allergic. Not many folks are allergic to corn, but his place has corn and corn dust everywhere.
We took into consideration the allergy situation and stopped on the way down to have lunch at Bert's in Madisonville. It was simpler than taking a chance on food at the venue. It is fast food and while it is good, it is a roll of the dice. We did not want everyone to arrive and have to start foraging for eats right shot out of the bag. We had pizza and yummy food at Bert's just before arriving. That turned out to be a better plan for us. We love the Madisonville area and Athens, TN as well.
Below: Mia goes right for the giant tractor tire swings. Aunt Yaya is helping her.
Below: all five kids jumping at once. My four grandkids and Hayden, my bonus grandson. He and Michael are so tall now. They are 14 and won't be kids much longer.
Below: Michael in the camo on the obstacle course.
Below: the pumpkin busting area with Tessa, Gabe, Michael in the frame.
Below: more pumpkin busting with Mia, Gabe , Tessa and Papaw Kenny
Below: The kiddos on the giant wheels
Below is the kiddie slide area with shorter pipes used for littler children. Some of the kids complained that they got tired running up that hill to slide. This was a bit easier for them but a shorter ride.
above: the long slide with Tessa up there on the far left. Another child sliding near her. Mia never went down it this year I don't think.
Below: Gabe, Mia and Michael in the corn bin. This was a mixed blessing. It was the favorite thing last year for all the kids. It was again this year, but Tessa could not do it.
Above: Michael, Gabe & Mia in the corn. Hayden got in too. I really didn't take enough photos this year, but I had a good time.
Below are more videos that show the place better. I broke it down into areas this time instead of one highlights reel for the entire time.
Video #1 -- The Zip Line
Video #2-- Bust a Pumpkin Area-- I am fussing a lot in this video for the children to stay back out of each other's way with this activity. Reason being-- my son Jared age 3.. Mia's age... stepped right in the way of his cousin Jay when he was warned "Stay back. I'm getting ready to swing the bat!" when they were playing ball in the back yard. He did not listen. I was on a walk with my niece Leslie. We returned to Jared having been bonked in the forehead by the bat. We had to take him to get stitches. Kids are stubborn and have poor impulse control.
Video #3-- Hamster Wheels!
Below is video #4-- the corn bin which was great fun. They like pouring it on one another because ie ends up in your underwear and all over the place which the kids find funny!
The children had been at us begging to go on their first camping trip of the season. It did not take any arm twisting to persuade us to go. We first considered somewhere down along Tellico Plains, but the forecast was for rain some days. I thought better of it, and decided Chattanooga would be a better kid friendly camping trip. I had a long list of fun stuff I wanted to take the little ones to do. It would be Mia's first time there! We used to stay at Raccoon Mountain Campground, but it had been a long time between visits. I looked them up to see if they were still open. I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only were they open, but the place was thriving.
They had made many improvements since the last visit we made. Now they had a playground, a mining sluice, and a pool! We got us some reservations booked and we were set.
Kenny had to work rather late on Friday evening so we would not try to head out then.
Chattanooga is an easy 2 hour drive. We'd get going after an early breakfast arriving around noon. The kids travel so much better now. A two hour drive to them is nothing. We got there around 11 am and checked in. We went to our campsite and parked. It was pull through so it was easy. The atmosphere was very cheerful and it was obvious the place was family friendly.
Day 1 --Raccoon Mountain
I took the kids to the playground while Kenny set up. Mia immediately started bossing around some older boy. The young man looked to be about ten. He looked at me bewildered as if to say "Who does she think she is?" I told him not to pay her any mind. She is bossy and was giving him all kinds of safety reminders so he did not get hurt. He just laughed and kept on playing. It was funny watching her try to run him, but I soon had to call her down. She has Kenny's directive personality. I hope she goes into management or law enforcement. Gabe was playing together with the older boy and having fun. Soon we went back to the camper to eat lunch. We got that out of the way and headed out to see some sights.
I had learned since our previous visits that there is a lot more to Raccoon Mountain than I ever gave credit for. I have stayed at the campground and visited the caverns. I knew of the pumped storage project, but had never visited it. I knew there were a couple waterfalls up there. We decided to correct than omission. I had the really bad waterfall jones back then. There had better be a spectacular waterfall in a place or I had no time for it. I remembered reading in Waterfalls of Tennessee about a waterfall on the mountain. It was not supposed to be any great shakes so I ignored it. Laurel Falls is supposed to be a 48 footer, but the photo did not do anymore to impress me than the book did. Alan's photo of downstream John McNabb Falls is a lot more appealing. I had a feeling the mountain probably had more falls on it if you looked around a bit.
Above: photo of the view from closer to the actual dam
We drove up the mountain to the summit. We followed the signs directing us to the overlooks. The first one was to the north providing a grandstand view of Chattanooga sprawling in the distance. The trains, the bridges, buildings and cars along with the dramatic mountains were very pretty. TVA has done a lot to make this area an excellent place for recreation. Information kiosks with maps. Trash bins. Ample parking and picnic tables are available. They have a visitor center, but it was not open when we were there. They have info on how the pumped storage project works. It is quite impressive!
The mountain is covered in mountain biking and hiking trails. It is a paradise for either one, but we talked to a mountain biker who drove all the way from Michigan to be there! He was stoked. He said that the trails here were way better than anywhere he'd been thus far. We are not mountain bikers so we took him at his word.
Below: View from Raccoon Mountain to the north.. back toward Chattanooga
Below: Mia and Gabe at the overlook
Below: Gabe actually smiling for the camera.
We enjoyed the summit and then drove down off the mountain a different way. Kenny knows a fair amount about the mountain and pumped storage because of his work with TVA. He explained many facets of the things we were seeing along our drive. What the tunnels are for. What the big pieces of machinery are for. Along the opposite side of the mountain we passed a spot where water flowed down the slopes in many streams. We stopped and got out to explore. It was a fun little side trip. Sure enough there are some waterfalls and cascades on the mountain!
Above: Beautiful spot in the creek. Gabe and I got there first. Mia had to change shoes and Papaw put a dry diaper on her.
Below: The best view of the pretty cascade we found
Below: Another look at the water cascading down the mountain
Below: Mia has caught up and is playing in the creek.
Below: stream flowing off the back of the mountain
Below: the image here shows what I wait for all year long.. that Spring green fire under blue skies and sunshine. The new life coming to the trees.
Below: Gabe taking photos and video and playing in and around the creek.
Below: Rue Anemone.. though we did not see a lot there were some Spring wildflowers emerging.
We explored this little pocket of the mountain awhile and when we were through headed back to the truck. We continued down the same direction and headed for a spot I'd wanted to check out for a couple years. Grant Cave and Falls. I knew about where it was, but did not know if we'd be able to get to it. Turns out it is viewable from the road. I am unsure of the status of the property ownership. It is nature conservancy signed that you must have a permit to enter the caves. We had no intention of entering caves today and since it was right by the road we chanced walking over to take a look. It was worth the stop! Adventures like this were part of what shaped me into the person I am today.
Below is a short video of this little side trip.
Grant Cave and Falls is a spot where water flows out of the side of the mountain, drops over rocks and re-enters the ground at a cave. It may be a sump cave where you have to dive to visit? I am unsure. It has a pretty pool of blue water. Quite a few downed trees around and over it, but it was still pretty. Spring wildflowers were popping up all round it. What was bonus was that there are two or three additional spots where water shoots out of the ground and reenters. Grants Cave is the largest and most attractive. We checked them all out. We saw lots of jack in the pulpits here.
There was one other cave and falls further down the road that we did not visit. This would be a good place to visit on a subsequent trip.
Above: Pretty Grant Cave Falls under blue skies
Below: This angle shows the blue hole of water at the cave
Below is a short video of Grant Cave Falls
Once we got done with our exploring we headed back to the campground. We had dinner and relaxed. Afterwards we hiked on Raccoon mountain's trails immediately near us. It was a short, pleasant, easy hike. The kids loved the feeling of exploring and discovering things.
We did find a swinging bridge I don't think was there when we camped here in the past. We also found a spot where there used to be a bridge above a nice cascade. Mia took off running like a little banty hen. She was having so much fun.
Below: Kenny, Mia and Gabe on the swinging bridge
Below is a short video clip of the bridge and of the pretty cascade we found where there used to be a bridged crossing of the trail.
Below: Nice cascade at the old bridge site.
It was growing dim outside and the kids wanted to hit the playground again before dark. We hiked back and stopped at both playgrounds. We met some awesome families. I made a new friend as did the children. Nikki Weddle of St. Louis and her family were lovely! I hope to see and spend time with them again some day. Her children are fun and sweet. The kids all played well into the twilight. Finally we had to call it quits and go back to the camper and start getting ready for bed. Our youngsters were worn out. They were asking to go to bed by this point. Quick showers were taken and a bedtime snack and then two little squirrels snoring.
We had managed to fill up day one with a fair amount of exploring and scenery. Day Two of our trip was reserved for the Creative Discovery Museum. It is big and can take up a full day if you like to play. We saved it for Sunday. We got an early start so we'd find parking. We need not have worried. It was not as crowded as the previous time we visited, but we were still glad to have arrived right as they opened.
Below is a photo of the outside of the museum upon our arrival viewed from where we parked!
The above photo was all new stuff since a year ago. The kids were totally stoked to see it as were we all!
Once inside there are so many eye catching, fun activities it is hard to know where to begin. The kiddos want to run from one thing to the next. They typically start off at water play and the indoor playground. They love both those spots. It is totally ok for grown ups to do it with them. I did, but I got so tickled. One of the most hilarious conversations took place right by me. One family group with two kids and two parents were having a blast. Dad was kinda like me. He was getting maybe a little TOO into it. He prepared to go down the curly slide. Mom looks at him and asks "Is this ok for you? Aren't you a little too big for this?" To which he responded with a grin " I don't know, but if I don't see you again I love you!"
Above: Mia plays in the water with other kids
Below: Gabe has to be a river boat captain
Below: Sister is going to drive! ahhhhh!
Below: buildable ball track
Below: Gabe on the tractor
Below: Mia growing fruits and veggies at the farm
I hate to admit it, but I did not take as many photo or videos as usual today. I was too busy playing.
It was great fun. Below is a photo of the art desk area.
Below: many of the artistic works using spheres. Two of mine are on there. See if you can pick them out? Kenny got them right!
We had a grand time and wore ourselves slap out. We went to Jack's for lunch and had the best fried chicken and crinkle fries. We are hooked on Jack's now.
Back at the camper later they played on the playground. They played with their souvenirs from the gift shop. Mia got a rubber tyrannosaurus rex that she just loves! It is her pet.
Above: Farmer Gabe tends to the rabbits
Above and below: the indoor climbing and playground part
After lunch the kids rested a little and once Mia had a brief nap she was good to go. I had long wanted to take them to see a special playground on Signal Mountain. It just looked so cool. It is huge and very unique. We all loaded up and headed that way. The only blooper of the whole weekend was trying to take Kenny's pickup truck up The W Road. It is no place for a full sized Silverado. You don't have room to cuss a cat on that road really. Come by way of the main road Hwy 127 Taft Highway. Much easier.
Above: View on our return trip via Hwy 127 Taft Highway. Beautiful redbuds and plenty of curves and scenery without pissing off locals in their compact cars on the W Road.
We found the Pumpkin Patch Playground without any trouble. It is situated atop Signal Mountain in the little town of Walden. It is charming in every way. We met so many terrific families. We had fun and saw so many other hilarious and heart warming scenes of other families and kids. Our children made friends and at days end they did not want to leave and their new friends whined and did not want them to go. That is a blessing in itself. To have good children who make friends wherever they go. Better to have to pull them away tearfully than to have to end their play with squabbles and bad behavior.
Bedtime tonight had kids asking to go to bed again. That is a win for parents! They had fun and so did we. Gabe has been to the Creative Discovery Museum a couple times before, but this was Mia's first visit. We were happy to make these memories with them.
Below: Gabe & Mia go down the big Fallingwater Slide for the first time.
Below: This mamaw and her family went down the big slide too! They were hilarious and awesome!
Below: Gabe running around
Below: A photo that gives an overview of most of the playground. It incorporates nature and is just the coolest ever! One of the funniest things I saw was a dad playing hide and seek with his three sons. I could see that the dad was moving around just a little. He'd creep closer and closer. It was hard to keep from laughing and giving him away. Dad won!
Above: This was Mia crawling through a tire tunnel
Below: Gabe is lost in thought plotting his next move
Below: This bit right here was golden. These kids including ours built a wigwam of sticks by a boulder. They pretended to have a campfire. This was the kind of stuff I did when I was a child.
Above: Another view of the wigwam and the fun the kids were having. You can see Kenny's head up top. The little white haired girl on the boulders is an albino. She looked magical.
Experiences like this give me hope for this old world. Not all that is good and pure and copacetic is lost. There are some wonderful families with healthy, happy kids who will grow up to be fine adults with good ideas and hopefully a cooperative spirit.
Day 3-- Gold Panning and Gem Mining and Home!
We originally planned to tour the Raccoon Mountain Caverns, but found that no one under age 4 is allowed to go. This prevented two year old Mia from going. We were ok though. The consolation prize was getting to enjoy the gem mining. The kids sluiced for precious stones. It was fun and they found some neat crystals.
We were able to get packed up and head home at a reasonable time. Camping and traveling are fun, but they are still work so we try not to put too hard when it comes to children and working adults. Kenny had work the following day. Gabe had school.
All in all it was a fun trip and worked out great.
Above: Kenny and Gabe looking through the gems the kids found. Enjoying a treat of candy.
Below: Mia and Papaw with her Fun Dip.
Watching her with her Fun Dip made me think of the song "Summer Girls" by LFO
"You like Fun Dip & Cherry Coke. I like the way you laugh when I tell a joke".
