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In Pictures: Chanticleer Inn is home base to explore Chattanooga’s three premier visitor attractions
By Tom Adkinson
June 14, 2024
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LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. – You slip back and forth between Georgia and Tennessee on the portion of Lookout Mountain that overlooks Chattanooga and the Tennessee River, and once you are at the top, the Chanticleer Inn Bed and Breakfast provides you a home base for visiting three of the Southeast’s most famous tourist attractions. One delivers panoramic views, one takes you deep inside the mountain for an underground waterfall and one makes you feel as if you’ve gone off the edge of the earth. Of course, they are Rock City, Ruby Falls and the Incline Railway. The 22-room Chanticleer Inn sits at 1,800 feet above sea level, sometimes above clouds that obscure Chattanooga and the river. Twenty guest rooms are in a set of cottages, and two more suites are in the inn itself. The innkeeper sets out cookies and snacks in each afternoon, and the staff serves artfully arranged breakfast plates in a quiet dining room every morning. A swimming pool, fireplaces, a Bocce ball court and colorful landscaping complete the scene.
Home atop Lookout Mountain
The Chanticleer Inn Bed and Breakfast is a relaxing retreat on Lookout Mountain with a bit of a European feeling and proximity to three famous visitor attractions. It is adjacent to Rock City Gardens. Image by Tom Adkinson
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A quiet breakfast
Breakfast at the Chanticleer Inn is in a quiet dining room with views of the inn’s gardens and enough space for conversation. Image by Tom Adkinson
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The cottage life
A set of cottages at the Chanticleer Inn contains 20 guest rooms, each with a private entrance. Two suites are in the inn itself. Image by Tom Adkinson
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‘See seven states’
“See seven states” is the claim that helped make Rock City famous. At this vantage point, you are standing in Georgia, Tennessee is directly in front of you and Alabama and Georgia are relatively close. You may need a super-clear day to see the 80 miles to South Carolina or the 120 miles to Kentucky and Virginia. Image by Tom Adkinson
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A waterfall inside a mountain
Cave enthusiast Leo Lambert discovered a cave inside Lookout Mountain in 1928 with an amazing feature, a 145-foot waterfall. He enticed his wife to join him on his second trip to the waterfall and promised to name it for her. Her name was Ruby. Ruby Falls is the highlight of today’s cave tours. Image courtesy of Ruby Falls
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Over the edge
The Incline Railway begins its very steep descent from Lookout Mountain for a one-mile ride to the St. Elmo Station on flat land. Shops, restaurants and a brewery await you at the bottom. The railway marked 100 years of operation in 2020. Image courtesy of Visit Chattanooga
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Around the bend
Several locations on Lookout Mountain deliver panoramic views of Moccasin Bend in the Tennessee River. This one is from Ruby Falls. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Trip-planning resources: StayAtChanticleer.com, RubyFalls.com, SeeRockCity.com, RideTheIncline.com and VisitChattanooga.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com. |
