Reflection Riding Center

On Monday we had the opportunity to visit the Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center at the base of Lookout Mountain, and it did not disappoint. The Nature Center was hosting a Homeschool Day so we met up with some of our homeschool friends (normally Jack and I do a Nature Day on Thursdays, but the beauty of homeschool is that you can change plans whenever you want).

We started out learning about reptiles. The docent was finishing his talk about frogs and turtles when we arrived, but the snake discussion was pretty cool. He showed us an Eastern Pine Snake – a nonvenomous species that is endemic to the southeastern United States.

We learned that there are over 40 types of snakes in our area of Tennessee, four of which are venomous (only two are really common here). And we learned the difference between the two types of venom and that if you had to get bitten by a venomous snake, the copperhead bite is better than a rattlesnake bite.

After our snake lesson, the kids participated in a series of Native American games. They learned how to work as a team and work individually on their aim with games like toss the pine cone. When we tired of those games, the kids played on the playground and had snacks/lunch.

Then we headed over to the aviary where we were able to see a barn owl, a horned owl, and a red-tailed hawk. All of the animals at this sanctuary are rescues that will not recover enough to be released back into the wild. The barn owl we saw was missing part of one wing.

We learned some interesting facts about owls. One of the first things we learned was that all mammals (humans, cats, bears, even whales) have seven vertebrae in their necks that allow them to turn their head about 180*, while owls have 14 vertebrae in their necks that allow them to turn their necks about 270* (virtually all the way around).

And instead of ears, owls have a disc around their entire face that helps them to hear – kind of like how you can hear better if you cup your had around your ear.

Also, owls make virtually no sound when they flap their wings. Both owls that we saw demonstrated this by flapping in the air noiselessly. The hawk, on the other hand, was a noisy flapper. The silent flight of the owl allows it to grab its prey before the prey has any idea what is happening. The owl's feathers are spread apart, like if you waved your spread out fingers by your ear. The hawk's feathers are closer together, like if you kept your fingers together and waved it next your ear creating more wind noise.

After the bird talk, we walked around the menagerie where we saw more birds of prey including a bald eagle, a turkey vulture and a couple of sand cranes. There was also a bobcat and an area for red wolves.

The kids loved trying to jump as high and as far as a bobcat and were enthralled with the massive, life-sized eagle's nest.



At this point our friends headed home and the boys and I kept exploring. We took the boardwalk down to Lookout Creek, and explored the treehouse that is on sight – Jack really wants to have his birthday here.

The Nature Center is 341 acres and we only covered a portion of it on our visit. I am tempted to get a membership for the year ($70 for a family or $100 if you want to add the canoe package). It is a beautiful place to explore with lots of learning opportunities. If you live in Chattanooga and haven't been, you should check it out!

On our drive home, Jack worked on his nature journal. We used our Nature Anatomy field guide to look up all of the animals that we had the opportunity to see during our visit.

Check back on Fridays to see our weekly outings (this one happened on Monday, but I'm including it in the Friend Friday categor).
If you're following along, here are our previous Friend Friday adventures this school year: August: Coolidge Park
September: Creative Discovery Museum ⎮ Greenway Farms Picnic ⎮ Chattanooga Zoo ⎮ Big Soddy Gulf Picnic

Rock City, 2017

I know I am probably not alone in this, but the more time that slips by, the harder it is to stay in touch with old friends.

Technically I am "in touch" with many old friends via social media, but actually getting to visit (in person or on the phone) doesn't happen very often.

We are all busy with life. Marriage. Kids. Extended family. Jobs. New friends we've collected over the years. It's a lot to keep up with.

But every few years or so, the stars align and an impromptu visit happens where we get the opportunity to catch up for real.

A few weeks ago, such an opportunity occurred. Julie, one of my roommates from college, was in Nashville and she messaged asking if we could meet up. She was hoping to do some Chattanooga-specific activities with her kids as they traveled home to Virginia.

Of course, I said "Yes!"

Julie wanted to go to Rock City on Lookout Mountain. In the four years we have lived here, it's one of the places we haven't visited. It's about a 25-minute drive from where we live and a bit touristy (so we had heard).

Truth-be-told, I like to visit trails that are a bit more (ahem) wild, but I agreed to meet my old friend and her kiddos for a middle of the week visit to the attraction.

In the end, due to some time constraints and commitments (Jack had taekwondo practice that we had already missed that week), we ended up meeting for a vary abbreviated tour (for us, Julie and her kids stayed longer and actually went to Ruby Falls as well).

At this stage in life, I'll take what I can get.

Rock City was actually pretty cool. It is a bit expensive, so I think we might consider a family pass if we go back with Daniel. We have heard that it is a pretty sweet place to visit at Christmas, and I know my brother, and my sister and her family, would be like to check it out some time.

I'll be honest and say that my preconceived idea about Rock City was that it was very fairyland oriented and maybe a little hokie. I'm glad I didn't let that stop us from making the visit to catch up with my friend and see the waterfall at Lover's Leap (I've been wanting a closer look than the view from the Ochs Highway going up Lookout Mountain).

I ended up really liking Rock City (we did skip the Fairy tunnels at the end due to time), but the quiet, meandering trail through various cracks in rock is totally the type of thing I like.

There was a miniature Mushroom Rock (Jack noticed it first, we have a huge, natural Mushroom Rock on our mountain), and also a miniature barn that said "See Rock City." You see these barns advertising Rock City all over the valley.

The kids were enamored with the maps that told us where were going. They also enjoyed finding all of the little garden gnomes hidden along the trail, and searching for wild deer in a natural habitat built along the trail.

Another favorite for the kids was the crack we walked through called "Fat Man Squeeze." This was exciting for me since I was carrying Isaac on my back. Normally you can turn sideways to fit through a crack (most of us are wider in the shoulders), but the backpack carrier made me equally wide from side-to-side and front-to-back. Hah! Thankfully we squeezed through with Isaac intact.

The view from Lover's Leap was breathtaking.

To get to Lover's Leap, you walk out on a swinging bridge (there is a stone bridge for those who are more timid),

and there is a patio with a panoramic view of the valley, along with seven flags that represent the states you can see on a clear day.

If you are looking for a fun thing to do in Chattanooga, I would recommend Rock City, though it is expensive. If we end up getting an annual pass, I think I will persuade Daniel to go on a date night there – Cafe 7 is located on top of Lover's Leap.

Pricing is as follows:
General Admission: $19.95 │ Annual Adult Pass: $39
General Admission (ages 3-12): $11.95 │ Annual Child Pass (ages 3-12): $23
Kids 2 and under are Free
Other ways to save: Bundle your tickets and visit another attraction the same day, or consider buying a Hamilton County School Coupon book that has one free child's pass with an adult purchase.

I don't know what Rock City is normally like, but the middle of the week was perfect for us. I didn't feel overwhelmed by people at all!  
 

 

Julie and I didn't get to visit much at Rock City, but the next day we met up for a little fun at Coolidge Park, including walking across the Walnut Street walking bridge and eating lunch at Good Dog. Sometimes it is fun to do the touristy stuff, especially if it's with an old friend!