Ruby Falls

Ah, Ruby Falls!

PICNIC? yes 

SWIMSUIT? no

COST? 

Just Ruby Falls : $18.95 for adult; $10.95 for child

 Just ZIPstream Green and Blue Ropes Courses :  $34.95 adult; (Only Orange Course) $19.95 child

Ruby Falls + ZIPstream Blue/Green Ropes Courses : $48.90 adult; (RF + Orange Course) $26.90

AUTHOR'S RATING? four out of five stars

(but I haven't done the zipline yet)

HOURS? 8am-8pm Every day except Christmas

There are two ways to get up and down Lookout Mountain on the TN side: We affectionately call them the "Ruby Falls way" and the "Rock City way." Whenever you are coming up the Ruby Falls way, you'll see their friendly greeter/parking organizer waving in the cars to the Ruby Falls parking lot. Rain, shine, snow, hot, cold, whatever, an employee is there to greet you. And if you're not pulling in to the attraction, you'll get a friendly wave anyway.

I admit that we see a lot more of the friendly wave than we do the actual inside of the caverns, but we have been a few times, and I can share with you what I know from those experiences.

When you buy a ticket for Ruby Falls, you are also getting the privilege to climb their tower and play on a cute little play ground. Please be advised that the ZIPstream course is a separate cost (though you can buy the ropes course and Ruby Falls as indicated above.) Also know that the zip line ride and the ropes course are different. The price listed above does not include the zip line ride.

It's all a bit confusing, and I'm sure I'll have a whole ZIPstream post to explain it!

But on to the main attraction. The falls are actually located 1120 feet underground and to get there, you will ride an elevator straight down a man made shaft to the original cave. Once down in the cool cave, you can blessedly feel the air that naturally courses through from the falls to a cave opening on the side of Lookout Mountain. After a meandering walk through narrow passages, past cave formations of drapery, flowstone and stalagmites as well as under many stalactites. Your guide will fill you in on many of the interesting facts about the cave and its history as you walk.

When you get to the falls itself, different colored lights will give you pretty views of the impressive underground falls.

After you travel back up the elevator (and reach the fresh air again), you can climb the tower for amazing views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee River, play on the play ground, buy snacks at the snack bar or shop in the gift shop.

This is where you could pull out snacks if you've brought them for the kids, but I do think that a picnic basket would be unwieldy in the caves and frowned upon in the small play area. You could certainly picnic before you enter the caverns, though!

In my opinion, Ruby Falls is another of those, special visit kind of places. It would be a great addition to a geology unit or a fun part of a Lookout Mountain stay-cation!

{MAP FOR RUBY FALLS}

Veteran's Memorial Park

After having a fun hour of play at the Imagination Station play ground, the kids and I headed over to check out the Veterans Memorial Park. I was very impressed by this park! It is beautifully and thoughtfully laid out with many thank yous to those who have laid down their lives for our freedom in the past. There are also SO many opportunities for history lessons!

PICNIC? yes

SWIMSUIT? no

COST? no cost

AUTHOR'S RATING? five out of five stars

HOURS? none

The children were of course drawn to the huge tank and helicopter and then to the statues of both the war medic and the war hero. 

In the center of the park is a huge American flag flying proudly. Around the park's outer sidewalk are the flags of each state with plaques telling when that state joined the Union. On the inside of the outer sidewalk are plaques to commemorate all the wars that have been fought and large stars memorials for each branch of the military. 

The park is tastefully done and I can definitely see returning here for a more educational tour with the daddy whose brain holds many more interesting history facts than mine! 

{MAP FOR VETERAN'S MEMORIAL PARK}

Imagination Station

The Imagination Station is a large wood and tire playground structure in Collegedale, TN. The kids and I headed out there to check it out after it being suggested by many family friends. It definitely was a fun playground!

PICNIC? yes

SWIMSUIT? no

COST? no cost

AUTHOR'S RATING? four out of five stars

HOURS? normal for playgrounds--come play any time, but restrooms are only open from morning until evening 

The kids immediately began checking out all the fun structures and maze-like fort. They all agreed it would be a great place to play hide and seek and immediately began a game.

Walking around with them I did notice that many parts of this playground were in disrepair. One of the swings was broken, the "swinging" bridge was missing a few rungs, and some of the tires were almost shredded.

The kids were a wee bit disappointed by the length and number of slides (probably because we had just come from the St. Elmo Playground with its HUGE slide).

Despite the disrepair and small slides, I can definitely imagine (ha! get it!) having a good chat with friends while our kids are very entertained in this play ground!

Near the playground structure is a red caboose and a train car. We were able to go up onto a deck in between them, but they were not open. (Are they usually? Does anyone know?) Either way, it was fun to see them and the photo opp was great! I can imagine having a great Trains birthday at this park!

While we were there a group of moms began a Pilates class on the lawn. It was a great day for it!

The main part of the playground is covered with sand, which I also find alluring feature. Sand can be such a fun place to play!

The smaller swings and play structure have a wood chip base.

Thanks, Imagination Station for giving us a fun hour of play! We could have stayed longer, but we were eager to check out the War Memorial that we had seen while turning into the playground. There is a connecting sidewalk that runs under Apison Pike there to give you a nice little hike to the Memorial. Another very cool feature about the sidewalk around and through the park is that there are little signs giving you games to play, discussions to have and challenges posted all along the sidewalk. That would make for a very fun and educational walk!

(Check the next post for fun info about and pictures of the War Memorial.)

{MAP FOR IMAGINATION STATION}

St. Elmo Playground

Welcome to St. Elmo Playground! A community project that benefits the whole city, this play ground is a fun place for all ages of kids. My kids love the huge slide, the zip line, the large tires and the large hill behind the play area for sliding down on box tops or just your bum! (I have also seen many children rolling down the big hill!)

PICNIC? yes

SWIMSUIT? no

COST? no cost

AUTHOR'S RATING? five out of five stars

HOURS? The playground is open all the time, though the bathrooms are not. This morning I was able to speak to the lovely lady who opens the restrooms. She services many parks in this area and tries to have all the restrooms open by 10am. It was 8:45 this morning when she was there. (Don't worry, I thanked her on behalf of all the Chattanooga moms whose children desperately need to potty while playing on playgrounds!) She said that a park ranger comes to close the bathrooms at sundown.

This is what entertains my children for a good bit of the time we are playing here: sliding down, climbing up, creating games where you slide down together, etc.

The surface of St. Elmo Playground is covered with wood chips.

There is a separately fenced area for younger children.

Here you see two of the things that make this park on our favorites list: a pavilion and a restroom. The restroom is fairly new, and I wouldn't have given this park a five out of five rating without it!

We have used the pavilions for school functions, birthday parties (no reservations--first come first serve), and just staying out of the sun for a picnic on a hot day. This park does get a lot of direct sunlight and the big metal slide can get quite hot, so if you can, I definitely recommend visiting in the morning or evenings of the summer. 

The park has a great path, but if you bring bikes and intend to let your little bikers roam free, be advised that part of the path is the sidewalk along St. Elmo Ave. I usually have my littlest ones turn around before they go to the sidewalk on the road because it is so close to the road there.

Yay for new restrooms and water fountain!

Have you played here yet? We hope to see you there!

{MAP FOR ST. ELMO PLAYGROUND}

Rock City Gardens

Even if you haven't seen one of the celebrated advertisements on the roof of a barn, you've probably still heard about Rock City, one of the Lookout Mountain attractions. Garnet and Frieda Carter made the area already known as "Rock City" (some say as early as Civil War times people were already calling this beautiful area by that name.) into a public garden in 1932. It has seen countless visitors, adventurers or just nature lovers since.

PICNIC? yes 

(though be aware you'll have to carry whatever you bring with you the whole time, so maybe bring a picnic snack)

SWIMSUIT? no

COST? Adults $19.95, Children 3-12 $11.95

Annual Pass for a Family of 6 is $119

(Lookout Mountain Residents' annual passes last 3 years as a beautiful favor from the owners of this park.)

AUTHOR'S RATING? four out of five stars

HOURS? Currently 8:30am-8pm

see seasonal hours here

(And it's open much later when it is adorned with thousands of Christmas lights--that's worth another post!)

Rock City is a great place for a special family day. It has some exciting spots, like the Fat Man's Squeeze and the swinging bridge, and an underground cavern full of fairy tale creatures perfect for the little ones in the bunch.

Be advised that, although there are shortcuts, for the most part the park is meant to be walked all the way through on each visit. It usually takes our family about two hours to walk the whole park. Also, because of the rocks, squeezes, bridges and other features, strollers are not allowed. Be ready to carry/follow slowly your toddler or baby. (I found a sling most helpful during those baby years.)

There are amazing views of "Lover's Leap" and a waterfall over the side of the mountain. Because of these amazing views, my Mom Rule for Rock City is "All Feet Firmly On The Ground At All Times." If you see me walking through the park with all the little ones, you'll probably hear that rule spoken in different levels of panic volume throughout our trip. It's a great place, don't get me wrong! But it is an adventure!

The story is that seven states are visible from the lookout point. To commemorate this, there are seven flags with informative flagpole bases at this point. We enjoy the state info!

Quirky picture spots dot the last half of the walk.

At the entrance to the park there is a Starbucks and Big Rock Grill, a "short-order style restaurant offering hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, chicken fingers and similar items."

At the lookout vantage point (about halfway through your walk) is Cafe 7, a full serving dining option with southern cuisine.

Here's that Fat Man's Squeeze I was talking about. Don't worry, no one has ever actually gotten stuck!

I love this beautiful feature overlooking our city!

{MAP FOR ROCK CITY GARDENS}

Jefferson Heights Playground

Hi everyone! My name is Katie Knutson. I was so honored that Olivia wanted me to do a write up for her Play Chattanooga blog! It’s a great idea, and we all need the trusted, friendly advice from fellow families to explore new places! I am a homeschooling mom of three, an art teacher, an artist, a blogger, and I love exploring!
Ah, Jefferson Heights. It is shining little neighborhood gem in the heart of Southside Chattanooga. I lived there for six years, and they were exciting ones! In the heart of this surprisingly quiet neighborhood is a city park, and it has some inviting qualities for those looking to be downtown, but at the same time pause in a quiet “off the beaten path” place. 

PICNIC? Yes.
SWIMSUIT? No. SUNSCREEN? Absolutely!
COST? None.
AUTHOR’S RATING? 4 stars (mostly for lack of year round bathrooms!)
HOURS? A park ranger comes to open and close the bathrooms, so I’d say it’s fully functional from 9am til dusk. Except during the winter months when the bathrooms are always closed.

This park was once the site of an elementary school. After the school was closed in the 70’s, the surrounding neighborhood became almost non-existent. In recent years, developers and local non-profit groups have concentrated their efforts on Jefferson Heights and this park. 
There is a funky pavilion designed with reused materials from the parks previous pavilion by an architect that lives in the neighborhood. It’s a great place for shade, or a small birthday party.

There are community gardens, that the neighbors maintain, so no picking! But it’s a great learning tool to see flowers, and veggies growing right in the park! 

There is a beach volleyball court that is maintained pretty well with court lines installed and a good net. Don’t pull on it, kids! It’s a perfect place for bigger kids, teens, and parents to play! My husband and his friends love to take the kids to play on the playground and they can play volleyball within arms reach. The court also doubles as a fun sand pit when games are not being played! I have seen many a Tonka truck loading up sand and many sandcastles built on the volleyball court. 

There is a playground that is toddler and bigger kid friendly. It has a rubber ground, so scraped knees happen less. Next to the playground is a huge tree. Perfect for shade, which you will need. This park is in the middle of the neighborhood and can get very hot on a sunny summer day. I would definitely plan your visit around the shade or earlier in the day or later in the evening. After living there, I have found that toughing it out in the middle of the day is not fun. 

Another great amenity to this park are the winding, relatively flat sidewalks. This is a great park for scooters and young bikers. There is also a large green space for soccer games. Sometimes you will find there are goals out too, as the neighbors pulled together to buy them for the park. This park is pet friendly, although keep your doggies leashed! 

The neighbors are very friendly, and all sorts of people use the park. It is a great resource for a quick lunchtime picnic while bopping around downtown, an evening of play and volleyball, or your next birthday party.  It isn’t as big and busy as some more well known parks, so you will find a place that you can keep an eye on everyone and sit and relax. 

{MAP FOR JEFFERSON HEIGHTS PLAYGROUND}