Rock City Gardens (Lookout Mountain, Georgia)

What started out as Frieda Carter desire to create a garden with winding trails through giant rock formations in the early 1930’s, has become a popular tourist attraction in Georgia.

Rock City is a unique place on Lookout Mountain that attracts more than half a million people each year.

A 4,100-foot walking trail leads through rock formations, caves, and gardens, ending at the edge of a cliff know as Lovers Leap.

The name “Lovers Leap” comes from a Cherokee legend about feuding tribes and two lovers going over the cliff. One was thrown and the other jumped, both ending in death. What a tragic story for such a beautiful site!

The claim of “see seven states” from Lover’s Leap comes from diary entries of a Union office and a Confederate nurse during the Civil War, both talking about being able to see seven states from the summit. Flags of all seven states stand in representation of the documentations. The states are Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.  

 Location:

1400 Patten Road

 Lookout Mountain, GA

Admission:

$19.95 Adults

$11.95 Children (ages 3-12)

Hours:

Vary by season. Check here.

Happy Travels! 

Lake Lure (Blue Ridge Mountains) North Carolina

Lake Lure is a small area located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.

We stumbled upon Lake Lure by accident. We were headed to Chimney Rock and decide not to go when we got the entrance. Three tour buses were pulling in ahead of us! It was early morning and we had about an 8 hour drive ahead of us that day. 

We looked around Chimney Rock Village. Everything was closed because of it being so early, but it was very charming. The town became popular in the 20’s and 30’s which is when most of the buildings were constructed.

We walked over bridges and explored along the river running behind the shops on Main Street.

A little ways down the road is where is found Lake Lure.

The area was so pretty, especially the lake in the early morning light!

The lake is located in the Hickory Nut Gorge and is surrounded by granite cliffs and tree covered mountains.

I didn't find out until later that the Lake Lure area has been the filming location for many movie scenes. Some of the movies include:  Dirty Dancing, Forrest Gump, The Last of the Mohicans, A Breed Apart, Thunder Road, and Firestarter. They even have a Dirty Dancing Festival there! How cool is that!

The large sandy beach at the swimming area would be a perfect spot for relaxing in the sun on a summer day. This is a place that I would love to return to when the weather is warmer!


Happy Travels!