Sunday Market, Lookout Mountain, and the Incline Railway

The next day we checked out and took a detour to the Sunday Chattanooga Market, which is predominantly a farmer's market with a few art and restaurant vendors. The Market also runs the Saturday Riverfront Market which has vendor booths downtown near the Tennessee Aquarium. Both markets are an eclectic collection and well worth visiting if you're in the area.

A few bags of vegetables and fruit later, we drove to the base of Lookout Mountain. The "Mountain" is actually in fact a ridge which stretches 84 miles from Chattanooga through Georgia and into Alabama. The highest point in Georgia is over 2300 feet in elevation. Lookout Mountain rises dramatically and substantially from the valley floors, so whether or not it's a true mountain, the name still fits. In a few of my photos from the first trip to Chattanooga, you can see Lookout rising in the backdrop.

Here's a previously posted view of downtown Chattanooga from the north side of the Tennessee River:


Lookout Mountain, Backdrop to Chattanooga

Several of the activities on Lookout Mountain are very touristy. Though in the case of the Incline Railway, there isn't much like it. At a grade of 72.7%, the Incline, originally built in 1895, is the steepest passenger rail line in the world.

Here's a few images from the lower station:



Going Up the Mountain


Closeup of the Upper Station

Railcar Approaching the Station

Initially, the car, on the trip up, passes through trees, alongside homes, and under and over roads. While I probably wouldn't want to bike up the slope, the grade isn't dramatic. However, near the top, the slope steepens--and greatly! When they say 72.7% grade, they mean here. It is a bit unsettling looking down the previously travelled rail. I felt like the car was perched alongside the peak. Unnaturaly, the railcar, oblivious to its location and the laws of gravity, kept rising. If you take a ride and are squeamish, you might not want to look down.



From the Car, Viewing the Rail Travelled

At the top, the railway has two nice observation decks, the lower being covered, which offer a great view of the valley east of Lookout Mountain and a good view of Chattanooga. Though on the Sunday we visited, the air was a bit hazy. Upon reviewing the photos, I believe the vista images from our next stop, Point Park, are better. Stay tuned.

If you would like to read more about the Incline Railway, check their website, Ride the Incline.