I was pleasantly surprised at how we collectively and authentically enjoyed the experience!
As our family worked on our calzones, I took notice of how Mommy and your brother quickly picked up on each new set of instructions; as they confidently and instantly began each next task.
Meanwhile, you and I were in our own similar situation. Our mindset was more, “What could I do to help now that the main job is already done?”
As for me, it meant cooking the Italian sausage for the entire class; including for all the strangers next to us.
For you, it meant carrying the newly prepared ingredients to the next table… as well as being the official “taste tester” for the meat I cooked for the entire class.
I’m still laughing at the thought of how everyone trusted my cooking abilities… when they totally shouldn’t have!
Despite me being a work-from-home dad, I am aware that it can still be a struggle to spend quality one-on-one time with my son; as I’m constantly also taking care of my nearly 2 year-old daughter when my son is around.
So I figured while I had access to the 2018 Mazda CX-5 for the week, I would devote an entire day of his Spring Break to just the two of us: father and son.
So we drove from one side of Lookout Mountain (Fort Payne, Alabama) to the other (Chattanooga, Tennessee) to go discover Ruby Falls; the tallest underground waterfall in America.
Despite growing up only an hour away from Ruby Falls, I had actually never been there myself. So it was a completely new experience for my son, as a 7 year-old; and for me, as a nearly 37 year-old.
I must say, Ruby Falls was so much more than I expected. I thought it was as simple as just getting into an elevator and immediately seeing a waterfall.
Instead, I’d say it’s more of an adventurous excursion.
The best way I can explain it is like this:
We rode an elevator many stories underground, inside of a mountain. That seems weird to say, but yes; Ruby Falls is in a mountain, underground.
So naturally, the long mysterious journey deep into the caverns was right up our alley.
Along the way, there were so many hidden treasures, beyond the actual waterfall at the midway point of the route.
I made this quick promo video for Ruby Falls, which provides a “one minute tour”, and includes a new original theme song I wrote for the attraction. You will love it:
Fortunately, thanks to the amazing and colorful lighting all along the way, I was able to take plenty of really cool pictures. I am grateful for this, as I’ve been taking pictures inside caves for a few decades now, and this is the first time the pictures actually look awesome!
In fact, it’s a guided tour; in groups of 50. The tour guides are well-versed on every little (and humongous) landmark leading up to Ruby Falls itself…
Once each group arrives in the room where Ruby Falls is, there’s a lights show to making the waterfall come to life even more. Needless to say, my son was in awe of this natural wonder in a mountain, underground.
But I suppose no tourist attraction would be complete without a proper visit to the gift shop, where my son was very proud of the items he purchased.
And there was one more surprise after we left the gift shop: We got to go on top of the roof and take a look over Chattanooga. My son thought that was really cool too.
So, mission accomplished! I wanted a special day with my son so we could spend quality time together, in a way that compliments our identity. Ruby Falls was the right choice!
And if this all sounds like fun to you, I have a feeling it will be if you take your family to Ruby Falls too!
Last week for Spring Break, we were presented with a 2018 Mazda CX-5 to enjoy for the week. One of the things we decided to do with it was to take a little family road trip over the mountains and through the woods to Rock City in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
In case you’ve ever driven anywhere in the Southeast, you’ll know that when it comes to winning the award for “Seemingly Omnipresent Billboard Signs”, the only competition to Rock City, is Alexander Shunnarah.
In other words, Rock City billboards, with their famous red birdhouses and “See Rock City” slogan, are a familiar concept; even for people who have never actually been to Rock City.
I grew up just an hour away in Fort Payne, Alabama, on the other side of Lookout Mountain; so I had been there a time or two as a child. Back in 2007 when my wife and I were dating (we’ve been married a decade as of this July), I took her there on a date. But this marked for the first time that we’ve taken either of our children to Rock City.
It was a family adventure for sure!
And now for anyone reading this today who has never been, I will provide some glimpses of what it’s like for a fun family like mine (and yours too, of course!) to see Rock City.
I even took it upon myself to write an original theme song and produce a 1 minute walk-through video promo for Rock City, as well. Here it is:
One of the things Rock City is known for is its Swing-A-Long Bridge, which when I was my son’s age 30 years ago, sort of terrified me. Not my son, though.
He just strolled along like it was nothing; just casually looking down (way) below.
The bridge leads up to the main look-out point, where you can find another famous attraction at Rock City: The “See Seven States” Stone; where you can… you guessed it: See seven states!
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.
Our family just happened to visit Rock City on the day before Easter, so we lucked out and my kids got to meet the Easter Bunny. I think my daughter might have been afraid of a giant rabbit under normal conditions, but her big brother had his arm around her and that made everything okay.
I felt that our kids were the perfect ages to visit Rock City. Our son is 7, and loved leading our family through all the winding trails of towering rock walls.
Our daughter turns 2 in a few weeks and was mesmerized by what surely seemed to her as a magical enchanted land.
Not to mention, it’s fun for the parents too. I loved being outside, breathing in fresh air and being able to move along such beautiful natural scenery, now that winter is over.
So if you’re planning on driving through Tennessee anytime this year, it would be a shame not to swing by Rock City and take the family on a quaint adventure hidden up at the edge of Lookout Mountain.
And as you’ve already noticed, Rock City is basically a constant tour of photo ops. I know that normally, we don’t take near enough photos of our family of four.
But on our visit to Rock City, we couldn’t help but keep taking family selfies and asking fellow visitors to take our picture. Of course, they were happy to help, as I instantly returned the favor each time.
Before our adventure could come to an end, though, we had to stop by the gift shop. My son had been wanting a bald eagle stuffed animal for quite a while now, and he was so proud to find the perfect one.
My daughter instantly spotted a singing bird stuffed animal and immediately grabbed it and held it tightly as to say to us parents: “This is what I’m getting.”
She was right.
From there, I punched in “Whole Foods” on the GPS in the Mazda CX-5 and we made our way down the mountain for lunch. My grandmother met us there and she got to hear all about our adventure.
And as for the way back to the house, neither of our kids lasted 15 minutes before they were fast asleep.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my review of Rock City today. If you’re considering taking your family there, I highly recommend it!
A couple of weekends ago, we travelled to Chattanooga for my Aunt Rosa’s wedding. Fortunately, the dress you wore at your Uncle Jake’s wedding back in October still fit just fine. Mommy waited to put it on you until we got to the parking lot of the wedding venue.
As she put the dress on you there in the front seat of the car, you smiled and giggled, knowing that whatever was ahead, it was going to be exciting.
You were so excited as we entered the civic center where knew we half of the people there. And of course, they were excited to see you. For many of them, you were just a little baby the last time they saw you; now, you’re just a few weeks ago from your 1st birthday.
Something I am quickly learning about you is that you truly love to get all dressed up and go places. It’s not that you need a lot of attention on you, but instead, you just like to be part of the action.
You are so fascinated by life.
Even this past Saturday, you treated our day of running errands as a morning of entertainment. We stopped by Sprouts to buy some groceries, then several shoe stores, then Which Which for lunch, then Kroger for more groceries, and then Ross so I can pick out part of my birthday gift.
Each and every time we lifted you out of your car seat, you treated the new parking lot like a land of opportunities. You had the biggest smile on your face as you looked around, with such optimism.
Another way of looking at it is this: you travel well.
And that’s good, because at the end of next month for Memorial Day weekend, our family will be taking your biggest road trip yet- to Pensacola, Florida.
I am confident you are going to be thrilled by the experience.
As you and I were getting ready to start off our 1st ever father and son road trip, you decided to pack a few more of your stuffed animals, in addition to the dozen or so you already had ready by the door.
I let you pack up the Lexus ES with much more than was necessary for your upcoming week-long stay at Nonna and Papa’s, but with the road trip just being you and me, I figured it wouldn’t hurt anything.
Just as the sun was coming up, we left our home in Spring Hill, Tennessee. You used a glow stick and your finger-flashlight to help see in the dark as you spent the first hour designing monster trucks on Mommy’s Kindle.
You also enjoyed checking out one of many brochures you picked up at the rest stop. Your favorite was for Star Cars, which features the car from Ghostbusters; the movie we saw together just the night before.
Granted, we stopped at the Whole Foods Market in Chattanooga, Tennessee for lunch; to cater to my vegan and your vegetarian lifestyle. Right across the road was Learning Express Toys where I bought you a souvenir that you are currently obsessed with.
The first major stop on our trip was Nick A Jack Road, in Flintstone, Georgia; which borders Chattanooga, Tennessee. I am very familiar with it, since that’s where Papa’s side of the family lives.
It’s the road that goes from the bottom to the top of Lookout Mountain on the Georgia side; where as Nonna and Papa live on the other end of the mountain, an hour away on the Alabama side.
Nick A Jack Road is a particularly special road for us as father and son, as it always was for Papa and me when I was a kid. Papa’s first name is Jack, just like yours; and of course mine is Nick.
So “Nick A Jack” combines both your name and mine; as it always has for Papa and me…
Therefore, I made sure we stopped for a photo op there at the top of the mountain, where Nick A Jack Road comes to an end.
I have always wanted us to take our picture together there in front of that street sign. My dream finally came true!
From there, we drove another 20 minutes to Cloudland Canyon Sate Park, which made for our next amazing stop on our 1st father and son road trip…
Love,
Daddy
P.S.
Here’s the collection of stories from our father and son road trip…
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