Category: Outdoors

Take a Walk in Rock City Founder’s Footsteps

10/18/2018

by Ferris Robinson

At some point, chances are you’ve been to Rock City. Either as a child, a parent or a tourist, you’ve probably walked through this wonderland, pausing on the Swinging Bridge to catch your breath and gasp at the incredible view.

However, I doubt you’ve had the pleasure of actually walking in Frieda’s footsteps, Frieda Utermoehlen Carter being Rock City’s co-founder and visionary of the Enchanted Trail.

Rock City is offering Walking in Frieda’s Footsteps, historical guided walking tours of Rock City Gardens. Available most days during normal operating hours, the tours are a mere $5 per ticket upgrade from general admission, and there is minimum group size of 15 people. Imagine touring behind the scenes with your own personal guide and horticulture expert as you learn about the infinite number of native plants, most actually planted in the early 1930s by Frieda herself. Fascinated with European folklore as well as wildflowers and rock gardens, she planted columbine, coralbells and hemlock trees that are still there today.

Schedule a tour during the beautiful month of October, and see Rock City again!

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Rock City's Oktoberfest Begins October 6

10/4/2018

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Explore Rock City during Oktoberfest and experience all things German this fall.

The region’s longest-running Oktoberfest celebration begins Saturday, October 6, and runs through Sunday, October 28, at Rock City Gardens. The 13th annual German-themed harvest festival, Rocktoberfest, offers a variety of entertainment and delicious food from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday.

Rock City's German heritage comes alive with music from The Wurstbrats, The Musik Meisters and The Best Wurst Band, as well as dance performances and polka lessons for guests. Take a guided tour of the gardens during peak fall foliage at 9 a.m., noon or 3 p.m. and learn about the attraction's founder, Frieda Utermoehlen Carter, and her love of German folklore and fairytales.

Stop by the pavilion for specialty German food like grilled bratwursts, sauerkraut, beer cheese soup, or dine at Café 7 and have some Weiner Schnitzel or apple crisp with Clumpies vanilla ice cream.

Rocktoberfest hosts one-of-a-kind characters to meet along the way including the fall fairy, Ik the Troll King, a mime and Rocky the Elf. Kids also receive an adventure passport from a scarecrow upon entering the park; the passport features activities, coupons and pages for children to collect stamps during their visits throughout the year.

A must-see at the festival are Birds of Prey Shows at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Other special offerings include pumpkin painting, interactive caricatures and geode digs. This event has been selected as a Top 20 Event for 2018 by Southeast Tourism Society. Find out more at www.seerockcity.com/rocktoberfest.

In addition, Rock City has an ongoing partnership with the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Foundation honoring breast cancer awareness month during October. Several "survivor" products including new mini pink birdhouse ornaments are for sale, with a portion of proceeds benefiting this organization's scholarship program and MEL's Club. Learn more about that at www.seerockcity.com/survivor.

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Celebrate 24 Years of Lula Lake Land Trust

9/25/2018

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Founder's Weekend is September 28 & 29.

Lula Lake Land Trust is celebrating its 24th anniversary with its annual Founder's Weekend on Saturday, September 29, and Sunday, September 30. There will be special activities and fun events throughout the weekend.

on Saturday, gates open at 9 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. Last guests will be admitted at 3:30 p.m. The day's activities include a family scavenger hunt, flora and fauna lessons with Jann George and Civil War history talks from Jim Ogen. Additionaly, Margaret Summersell will lead a yoga workshop at 10 a.m., land manager Patrick Kelly will take folks on a guided history hike at 10 a.m, and Dr. Hill Craddock will present a program about his American chestnut tree research prior to a tree planting ceremony at 11 a.m. Space for the guided hike is limited, so register today. The tree planting is also limited to 25 participants, and the $10 donation to visit Lula Lake is waived to those planting trees; click here for more info or to sign up.

On Sunday, the fun continues from noon to 3:30 p.m., with the last guests being admitted at 1 p.m. Scavenger hunts, history talks and more will take place. Then, at 4:30 p.m., Lula Lake's Founder's Weekend Wine Walk begins. Taste wines perfectly paired with hors d'oeuvres as you walk around the land trust. Tickets are $50 per person, and guest must be 21 or older. This is event is limited to 150 guests and is expected to sell out. Purchase your tickets now!

For more information about Lula Lake Land Trust, click here.

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Aquarium Hosts International Photo Exhibit

9/17/2018

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“Rhapsody in Pink” by Donna Bourdon (Finalist 2018)

BigPicture Opens at the Tennessee Aquarium October 1

Photography is sometimes referred to as a "hobby of a lifetime," and in the case of Donna Bourdon, that bit of popular wisdom has certainly borne out. The Chattanooga-based photographer’s love of capturing images began when she was 9 years old.

"My parents gave me my first 'Brownie' camera, and I never looked back," Bourdon says, adding that she upgraded to her father’s hand-me-down Minolta SR-7 as a teenager.

Inspired by watching episodes of "Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom," her love of photography and wildlife naturally intertwined. Soon, she invested in better equipment and sought opportunities to capture spectacular animal imagery in some of the wildest places on Earth — a quest aided, in part by her participation in trips organized and led by the Tennessee Aquarium.

“Those made the dreams of Africa come to life,” Bourdon says. “I took my first Aquarium-sponsored trip there in 1998. Since then, I’ve been on eight African photo-safaris, five of those with the Tennessee Aquarium.”

Bourdon has warmed hearts with photos of snow monkeys, coastal brown bears, puffins and red-crowned cranes. Her shots also have garnered international acclaim. One, an image of a crocodile taking a young Cape Buffalo, was used in an African segment of the Nat Geo Wild program "Caught in the Act."

One of her images, "Rhapsody in Pink," was selected as a finalist to be included in "BigPicture," an annual photography exhibit at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco.

Since launching in 2014, "BigPicture" highlights the works of the world’s best nature and conservation photographers. This annual competition focuses a lens on the wonders of the natural world and critical environmental issues facing our planet. More than 6,000 entries poured in from around the world for the 2018 BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition, which includes a shot Bourdon captured while in St. Augustine, Fla.

“This beautiful roseate spoonbill is flying into the nest with its wings in what is referred to as the ‘orchestra position,’” Bourdon says. “I love capturing beautiful images of nature that inspire others to fall in love with the natural world. Hopefully, my works inspire others to promote conservation and protection of these precious animals and vital resources.”

Beginning October 1, the "BigPicture" exhibition will be on display at the Tennessee Aquarium, sponsored locally by Erlanger Health Systems and "GET OUT" Chattanooga. This will be the only location outside of San Francisco to host this phenomenal photo collection.

“This collection of amazing images is a perfect fit with the Aquarium’s mission to connect people with nature and empower them to make informed decisions about water and wildlife,” says Cindy Todd, the aquarium’s vice president and chief marketing and communications officer. “This exhibit will inspire more people to get outdoors, observe nature more closely, and appreciate all of the amazing ways that wildlife can thrive.”

In the introduction to “Wonders,” a companion book about "BigPicture," famed oceanographer, explorer and conservationist Dr. Sylvia Earle describes how technology enables more individuals to focus on conservation issues.

“The photographs in this extraordinary collection do more than capture moments in time…they tell stories, arouse sympathy, provoke joy, and make you gasp with wonder. Images such as these are precisely what is needed to inspire new generations of people to know and care about wild places and wildlife, and to take action while there is still time.”

As a complement to the international exhibition, local photographers can submit their best nature, wildlife and conservation shots to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “What On Earth Have You Photographed?” contest through Sept. 21 at www.timesfreepress.com/bigpicture/#/gallery. The top three images will also be displayed at the Aquarium beginning October 1.

The BigPicture Natural World of Photography exhibit is free with aquarium admission.

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Allison Foster Teaches Yoga at Area Wellness Retreats

9/10/2018

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Allison Foster

by Ann Henley Perry
Beauty and grace are synonymous with Allison Foster. For nine years, Allison has lived here on Lookout Mountain with her family, which includes son Holden and daughter, Riley. Holden will be a junior at McCallie, while Riley will be a freshman at GPS.

"We have lived on Lookout Mountain for nine years and found it to be an amazing community in which to raise children and develop incredible friendships. In addition to the community of people, we love the fantastic opportunities to be able to play in the outdoors! From hiking and biking to paddle-boarding and fishing, we have fallen in love with the whole region," Allison says.

That love has spread to others, for everyone who knows Allison absolutely loves her. Due to her lovely and peaceful personality, she has many followers in her yoga classes. When asked how her love for yoga began, Allison explained, "Our family lived in New Orleans between 2001 and 2005. During that time, both of my children were born, and I began practicing a little yoga with pre-natal yoga videos. A small studio opened around the corner, and I took a few classes before Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005. After that, we moved to Memphis, and life felt upside down for a while. Some good friends recommended yoga as a stress reliever. It worked and has been an incredibly important part of my life ever since."

After experiencing all of the benefits of yoga, Allison desired to become an instructor. In 2008, Allison completed her 200-hour RYT (registered yoga teacher) instruction with Yoga Alliance. Since that time, she has constantly continued her education through programs and workshops. "To date, I have accrued over 300 additional hours of training through Asheville Yoga Center, OM Schooled (Yoga for Teens) and certified Broga training (yoga for men)."

When Allison is not teaching yoga, she loves to hike with her dogs, write poetry and stories for children and teens, cook and spend time with Holden and Riley. "My kids would say that my favorite hobby is teaching them 'life lessons.' I told them that once they realize everything is a life lesson, then my job will be done!" Allison said.

Allison hosts wonderful women’s wellness retreats each year. These weekends are intended for renewal, self-discovery and rest. Their theme is based on a quote from poet David Whyte, who said, "What shape waits in the seed of you to grow and spread its branches against a future sky?" Taking the time to realize this transformation can be restorative, if not life changing.

"We will honor the journey of our lives with nourishing yoga, delicious food, beautiful accommodations and the Great Smoky Mountains. We will also provide options for massage, hiking, biking, floating down the Little River, touring the Tuckaleechee Caverns or just relaxing in a hammock with a good book. The best part is that EVERYTHING is completely optional," Allison says of the retreat she will lead this month at Dancing Bear Lodge in Townsend, Tenn.

Allison has been leading retreats and workshops for the past eight years. This year’s retreat will be her second at Dancing Bear Lodge. In May, the retreat she led there sold out quickly, so she is excited to offer another one from September 21-23. To register for the retreat, go to the Dancing Bear Lodge website. For more information, call Dancing Bear Lodge at (865) 448-6000.

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Kudzu is Killing Beautiful Lookout Mountain

9/4/2018

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Kudzu flowers may be pretty, but the vine is a serious threat on Lookout Mountain.

by Ferris Robinson
(Editor's note: Lookout Mountain, Ga., Councilmember Taylor Watson asked us to remind residents that now is a great time to spray and remove kudzu on your property. By city ordinance, each property owner is responsible for removing kudzu and other invasive species, such as English ivy, and fines can be issued if the plants are not removed. The column below originally appeared in the September 2018 issue of the Lookout Mountain Mirror.)

I grew up fearing kudzu. When I was a little girl, my grandmother talked about it the same way she talked about a Russian invasion, always keeping an eye peeled for the threat of either. I don’t remember actually seeing it up close, probably because she never let it get a foothold on any spot she could reach in her leather pumps, veiled chapeau and kid gloves.

But my grandmother’s job is not done. Now, 60 years later, I see it everywhere – up close and personal. I drive past enormous masses of it on the way up the mountain, and I see it suffocating the treetops within city limits. It lays over shrubbery along the road in great billows, inching its aggressive tendrils right onto the asphalt. It makes its way up stately oaks and pines and other native trees, clamoring rapidly toward sunlight and suffocating any and all in its way.

This non-native invasive vine was actually introduced to the U.S. at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, and until the mid-’50s, farmers in the South were encouraged to plant it to control soil erosion. To say it backfired is an understatement. At maturity, kudzu grows about a foot a day and is swallowing the U.S. at the rate of 50,000 baseball fields per year. It kills other plants by smothering them under its solid blanket of leaves, hogging sunlight and water and entwining trunks and branches in its thick vines. Obviously, by the time the authorities officially began attempting to control “the vine that ate the South,” it was too late.
When we moved to our neighborhood on Bartram Road, I was dismayed to realize the woods behind our house were overrun with this horrendous vine. We began the arduous task of eradication. My neighbor initially sprayed it with an herbicide, and we pulled it down from the trees, unwrapping the tenacious vines and bagging them in heavy black contractor bags. The bags sat in the sun in our driveway for months until there was no sign of life on the vines, and only then did I dispose of them.

After the winter, I ventured back down in the woods and was stunned to see new growth on a thick arm-sized branch of kudzu. It was cut from the root, but left lying in the dirt. Like something out of a horror movie, it had rooted, and I had to pry it out of the earth.

Kudzu is next to impossible to control, but if untended, there is no doubt it will change the landscape of Lookout Mountain. I think we need to take off the kid gloves and deal with it, one way or another. Or maybe leave them on, and enlist the powerful workforce of our area’s garden clubs, book clubs, service leagues, PTOs, church groups, and of course, Love Lookout. Because if we don’t, this place we love will be unrecognizable.

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Hike, Bike & Brew is July 21 at Lula Lake

7/3/2018

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Lula Lake Land Trust recently shared the full details of their signature event "Hike, Bike & Brew," which is planned for Saturday, July 21. This unique beer festival allows participants to hike or bike on eight miles of scenic trails to visit beer stations positioned throughout the property. Attendees will receive a commemorative cup to take from station to station for fill-ups by breweries, and they will vote for their favorite to win the title of "Lula Lake's Favorite Brew."

Participating brewing company sponsors include OddStory Brewing Company (last year's winner), Chattanooga Brewing Company, Phantom Horse Brewing Company, Moccasin Bend Brewing Company, Hutton & Smith Brewing Company, Heaven & Ale Brewing Company, Big River Grille & Brewing Works and Bell's Brewery.

This year's beer festival includes the addition of restaurant sponsors. 2 Sons Kitchen & Market, 1885 Grill, Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint, The Tap House and Bob's Brick Oven will provide signature bites for attendees. Restaurant booths and a stage will be set up under the big top tent in the Good Shepherd Meadow. This year's entertainment is local band Solar Moonshine. Battlefield Outdoors in Fort Oglethorpe, Ga., will be present with bike rentals available.

Local outdoor store, Above the Ridge Outfitters, is sponsoring Hike, Bike & Brew. Above the Ridge Outfitters is located in the heart of historic downtown Ringgold, Ga., where they hand pick the brands that have extreme passion, spirit and focus for the outdoors.

Early Bird Tickets for this beer festival are on sale for $50, and early bird sales end on July 14 at 11:59 p.m. Week-of tickets are $65. Tickets are limited and can be purchased online at this link. Ticket price includes beer, food and access to eight miles of trails. The event takes place at LLLT from 4-8 p.m. on July 21. All proceeds go toward Lula Lake Land Trust's mission for conservation, education and low impact recreation.

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Lookout Mountain
Happenings

Take a Walk in Rock City Founder’s Footsteps

Rock City's Oktoberfest Begins October 6

Celebrate 24 Years of Lula Lake Land Trust

Aquarium Hosts International Photo Exhibit

Allison Foster Teaches Yoga at Area Wellness Retreats

Kudzu is Killing Beautiful Lookout Mountain

Hike, Bike & Brew is July 21 at Lula Lake

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Lookout Mountain​Happenings

Take a Walk in Rock City Founder’s Footsteps

Rock City's Oktoberfest Begins October 6

Celebrate 24 Years of Lula Lake Land Trust

Aquarium Hosts International Photo Exhibit

Allison Foster Teaches Yoga at Area Wellness Retreats

Kudzu is Killing Beautiful Lookout Mountain

Hike, Bike & Brew is July 21 at Lula Lake

Article Categories

Archives

Stay up-to-date

Contact US

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Lookout Mountain
Happenings