And What a Treat It Was!

At a moment's notice, I decided to join Ben on his trip to Chattanooga yesterday. Since I am not a rock climber, I ditched them at the climbing spot (next to a golf course, how ironic, culture clash!) and drove about 5 minutes to a nearby section of the Cumberland trail. I was lucky enough to bump into a ranger who warned me about car break-ins but also advised me on a route.

Since the first 0.5 mile uphill section was strewn with glass (how on earth so much glass wound up there is seriously a mystery) and even some hate language on one of the cliffs, I was pissed off and annoyed at how I had ended up in this craphole. But soon, all that junk left me far behind and I wound around the bluff, peeking extremely gorgeous views of the Tennessee River and the winding bluff. The hike was lovely, ups and downs, but mostly flat and I saw a turtle and some other unexciting wildlife. But the turtle crossed my trail and wouldn't let me pass. The trail at one point entered into a hot and dry climate with lots of direct sun.

At some point the trail turned down, steeply heading down toward the river. Suddenly the landscape changed and became mossy, lush, and quite green. Large rocks covered in lovely shades of moss and rhododendron hung everywhere.

And then, the river appeared. It felt like a dream and even like a scene from a Mark Twain novel. I had found a shangri-la! The river widened and stretched out, lazily hangin' out in this one spot with no urgency, and lapped up against rocks bathed in the sun. The water was extremely clear, and a light shade of blue to add to the mystique. I caught sight of a few trout over a foot long. The area was perfect to swim in, and I wasn't the first person who had that idea, and because the hole was so large and deep, someone had put out a rope swing. What an ideal, beautiful place. I stayed for much longer than I intended, reading my New Yorker and swimming around. Here's a photo from someone on flicker (Note: This is not me in the photo!)
After doing some research later on, it appears there are many great swimming holes along the trail. I don't doubt it.

Here's the hike, should you ever want to go! Or come visit and I'll take you there. Here's a scene from AmericanHiking.com of what it looks like in the fall.
As you can imagine, this C-nooga trip resulted in another fab stop at Lupis Pizza Pies, a totally unique pizza place that is hoppin and super duper cheap. And did I mention delicious? You buy buy the slice (or the pie, if you are really really hungry) and add on your toppings--so it ends up being under $3 for a delicious slice with tons of fresh toppings. Plus we always order the fresh "whole wheat loaf" that comes out of the oven steaming and accompanied by olive oil with garlic.

I really loved the town. We got to see the other side of town, across the bridge, which is much livelier and lovelier and more active. Large green parks filled with people throwing frisbees and picnicking abut the river and people weave through the sidewalks with their families. Lots of outdoors stores hawking kayaks, rock climbing and hiking gear abound. A wonderful alternative to Whole Foods exists there, called Green Life--which was awesome! I'd love to live somewhere like this, or Athens, or Asheville. Smaller town, slower pace of life ... But for now, I'm happy in Atlanta!