The Spring – Summer Flowers are in full bloom in the Florida Keys!
Spring – Summer Flowers
Ruby Falls – Tennessee
I found a delightful pit stop off the I-24 highway when I was headed south. You see quite a few signs for Ruby Falls when you’re on the highway and might think that its a tourist trap but it was actually pretty cool. In 1928, Leo Lambert and a team of excavators found a breathtaking waterfall located over 1,120 feet below the surface of Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga, TN. Lambert named the falls after his wife, Ruby, and opened the area as a public attraction in 1930. Today, Ruby Falls welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Come tour the falls for yourself and see why it has been one of the best Chattanooga attractions for over 85 years. – Via www.rubyfalls.com
The cave when you walk in is so low that I could touch the ceiling without being on my toes. I am 5’6 but it was very easy. I know that my Dad who is 6’4 would have had some issues walking around and even getting to the waterfall.
Ruby Falls Cave, unlike Lookout Mountain Cave, had no natural openings and could not be entered until the 20th Century; it therefore does not have the various artifacts which are often associated with caves in the southeastern United States. In 1905 the natural entrance to Lookout Mountain Cave was closed during the construction of a railway tunnel. In the 1920s a chemist and cave enthusiast named Leo Lambert thought that he could re-open the cave as a tourist attraction, and formed a company to do so. He planned to make an opening further up the mountain than the original opening and transport tourists to the cave via an elevator. For this purpose, his company purchased land on the side of Lookout Mountain above Lookout Mountain Cave and in 1928 began to drill through the limestone. In doing so, they discovered a small passageway about 18 inches high and four feet wide. Exploring this opening, Lambert discovered the formerly hidden Ruby Falls Cave and its waterfall. On his next trip to visit the cave, Lambert took his wife Ruby, and told her that he would name the falls after her.
In 1954, the pathway around the basin was cut in order to allow tourists a better view of the falls. This began the tour-related quip regarding not drinking the falls’ water. Though pure and thus safe to drink, it has large concentrations of magnesium from the strata of the mountain, which makes it a natural laxative. Via en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Falls
Mystic Falls
I have been a fan of The Vampire Diaries since the beginning of the series. Mystic Falls, / Covington Georgia has been on my list to visit for quite some time!
I stopped by the town once before on a road trip and thought it was delightful. I knew I needed to spend more time there so when I decided to move from Key West to Chicago with a route that took me past Atlanta it was a no brainer. Covington, Georgia was where I needed to make my first stop.
After driving all day I checked into my hotel, got a good nights sleep and woke up bright and early ready to explore. Before going to the town square I went to the local Waffle House to grab a quick bite to eat. To my surprise this really is a wonderful small town. Almost everyone who walked in was greeted by name. If I were looking for a quaint small town to visit or spend the rest of my life in this could be it. They have the best of both worlds. Small and friendly and close to Atlanta for any big city needs.
To my surprise as I drove into the town square I started to see a lot of film equipment and signs saying that they were filming in the area today. BONUS! YEA! I asked the first person I saw and they confirmed that they were in fact filming scenes for The Vampire Diaries, Season 7!
I had already signed up to take the Vampire Stalkers tour around town to various filming locations. We met at the local visitors center and got some info and instructions for our tour. I wish they would have told me that’s where we were meeting for the tour. I didn’t know this when I was trying to park my car. Had I known I would not have spent so much time with the early morning parking. I understand they have some limitations when it comes to crowd size but I wish they had a bigger van – bus so that more people could travel together. It would cut down on travel time and also give the people on the tour more face time with the guide. With that said Angie was wonderful and was always asking if we had any other questions. The tour was $55 and lasted a little over 3 hours. If you want more information about the tour please visit their website here. www.mysticfallstours.com
One of the coolest things was that we were able to visit the Lockwood Mansion which is a privately owned property and this tour is the only one that has access. The grounds and house are one of a kind. The owner was there and happy to answer any questions we had about the property. The house was built back in the 1840’s and still has that old world charm.
Along with the old world charm they have a wonderful property. The owners bought the property at 1.5 acres and now have over 5 acres. The small old stable house overlooking the backyard was my favorite place.
The visitors center is a great place to stop even without the tour. Did you know that the Dukes of Hazzard and Sweet Home Alabama were also filmed in Covington and the surrounding Newton County. It was very interesting to see how this city promotes the use of the town and the surrounding areas for filming.
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