image from seerockcity.com

When I was a kid, I remember driving down I-75 from Michigan to visit my grandparents in Georgia. It seems like once we hit Kentucky or Tennessee, there would be barn after barn painted with the words, “See Rock City!”

I always wondered what that mysterious Rock City was, but we never stopped. Just this past weekend, my husband, daughter, and I visited the mysterious city of my childhood high atop Lookout Mountain, Georgia.

Located 6 miles from Chattanooga, Rock City is a fun family destination that features beautiful gardens, breathtaking views, and ancient rock formations.

We started our day with the Rock City Raptors Birds of Prey show. It’s not every day that you get to see hawks, owls, vultures, and even a bald eagle up close and personal!

My daughter enjoyed learning about the different birds and getting the chance to observe them as they flew over our heads throughout the show. Her favorite part was at the end when she got to pet this owl!

After the show, we set out on the Enchanted Trail, a woodland footpath that leads you through the park. We traveled through caves (my three-year-old’s favorite part), over a swinging bridge, and under beautiful shade trees.

One spot on the trail offered spectacular views of 7 states! From this vantage point, you can see Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. All seven state flags were flying and my daughter had fun pointing out the Georgia flag and learning a little more about the other states.

This beautiful waterfall view was another highlight of the trail.

We ended our visit at Fairyland Caverns–a cave filled with gnomes and scenes from various fairy tales and Mother Goose rhymes. My daughter particularly liked seeing the scenes depicting the stories of Little Miss Muffet and Cinderella.

As we were leaving, I smiled as I saw this barn because I had finally solved the mystery and had seen Rock City for myself!