Day 8 - Bluegrass Special - IBMA Bound

On Monday 9/15, we moved to a new campground. It was a long drive today to get to our new home for the next 6-nights as we attend all of the IBMA events in Chattanooga Tennessee. We drove from Holiday Travel Park in Rossville Georgia to Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campgrounds in Chattanooga. It was a whooping 17 miles!

Before I start talking about our new place, I want to mention that aside from staying at campgrounds in Gettysburg, we have not stayed in another campground that once was a documented battlefield. We have now! Over 100 years ago, men fought and died on the very soil where this campground is located. In the southwest corner of the park stands a monument to the 84th Indiana Volunteer Regiment. This regiment became famous for their fighting in the Chattanooga area.

The park's north-south streets are named for Civil War officers. The streets at the north end are named for Union Commanders. The streets at the south end are named for Confederate Generals. Most of these officers participated in the combat around Chattanooga. Our other streets are named for Civil War battles.

We are in Chattanooga for the IBMA Bluegrass Awards and week of entertainment. We are staying at Raccoon Mountain Campground and Caverns. Have you ever walked over and under the same mountain on the same day? Raccoon Mountain offers an over-under experience like no other. One day we will journey below ground to the Raccoon Mountain Caverns. They are rated as one of the top 10 caves in the country. Inside the cave is an underground labyrinth of stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, flowstone, natural bridges, and more. It takes 100 years for these formations to grow just one cubic inch, formed by magnesium-rich water slowly trickling from the cave ceiling. The top of Raccoon Mountain is just a 15-minute drive and offers a ton biking and hiking trails surrounding Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA’s) vast reservoir. Picturesque views include the Tennessee River, distant mountains and of course, the reservoir – a 12-billion-gallon manmade lake. We will head to the top of the mountain one of these days, too!

We drove into downtown Chattanooga to figure out where all our venues are and where to park. Nothing too exciting! Stay tuned for more #TwoLaneAdvetnures