Attractions near Chattanooga: Rock City

For tourists traveling through north Georgia or western Tennessee, the billboards and painted rooftops encouraging motorists to “SEE ROCK CITY” are intriguing to say the least. The Rock City roadside attraction will celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2012, but the geological history of these natural pathways formed by boulders goes back millions of years.

Rock City is located just six miles from Chattanooga, TN and is just over the state line in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Rock City claims that visitors can see as many as seven states from atop the summit of Lookout Mountain: Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. Visitors can wander through pathways with names like the Grand Corridor, Fat Man’s Squeeze and the Needle’s Eye, and also observe the breathtaking views at Lover’s Leap and Eagle’s Nest. There is a slightly swaying rope bridge—and an alternate stone path, for those who prefer walking on solid ground.

Turning these natural formations into a tourist attraction was the brainchild of the husband and wife team Garnet and Frieda Carter. Finding it difficult to advertise his roadside attraction during the Great Depression, Garnet hired a painter named Clark Byers to paint farmers’ barns in exchange for having “SEE ROCK CITY” painted on the roofs of their barns. By the 1950’s Byers had painted “SEE ROCK CITY” on 900 barn roofs from Michigan to Texas.

Frieda’s contribution to the attraction was to add whimsical gnome sculptures throughout the pathways, as well as native plant species that would turn this natural rock garden into a real garden oasis. The Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village are rock caves decorated with glow in the dark characters, and are one of the many highlights of a trip to Rock City.

Rock City is open year round, but the check the website for exact hours. Admission is $17.95 for adults and $9.95 for children (ages 3-12). For visitors wishing to spend time at Rock City or nearby Ruby Falls (a separate attraction also on Lookout Mountain), there are a number of hotels in the Lookout Mountain/Chattanooga area, including the Hampton Inn Chattanooga, La Quinta Inn/Lookout Mountain, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, and the Baymont Inn & Suites Chattanooga.

City-Center Hotels in Rome

This city-center hotel is located in Rome, Italy close to Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Prassede. Hotel Morgana has a bar/lounge. The staff can arrange tour/ticket assistance and dry cleaning/laundry services. Hotel Morgana has 121 guestrooms. Televisions are equipped with satellite channels. Guestrooms have city views. Additional amenities include minibars, air conditioning, and soundproofing.Cribs (infant beds) and rollaway beds are available. All guestrooms at Hotel Morgana are non-smoking.

Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave is a geological formation that truly lives up to its name—not only is it the largest cave in the United States, it is the world’s longest cave system, with more than 367 miles explored. This cave system includes cavernous rooms that can hold more than 100 people, to the underground River Styx. Mammoth Cave National Park is just a few miles off of Interstate 65 and is part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky, about 90 miles (approximately a one and a half hour drive) northeast of Nashville, TN and 90 miles southwest of Louisville, KY.

Mammoth Cave officially became a National Park in 1941, although there is evidence that Native Americans had used parts of the cave as many as 6,000 years ago. European settlers discovered the site at the end of the 18th century, and as early as 1816 local landowners began conducting tours of the cave. During the past 200 years Mammoth Cave was the site of a saltpeter mine (which was used for gunpowder during the War of 1812) and was even used briefly as a tuberculosis sanitarium. Many of the cave’s passageways were surveyed and named by an African-American slave named Stephen Bishop.

As the longest cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave became a World Heritage Site in 1981 and an international Biosphere Reserve in 1990. Currently, the National Park Service offers 15 different professionally guided tours of the Mammoth Cave system, ranging from relatively easy treks that can be accomplished within two hours—such as the Historic Tour and the Frozen Niagara Tour—to the dimly lit Violet City Lantern Tour and the strenuous Wild Cave Tour, which covers about 5 ½ miles in about 6 hours. Although there are some lighting fixtures and staircases built into the passageways to facilitate the tours, visitors will find themselves ducking and squeezing their way through natural formations known as Tall Man’s Agony and Fat Man’s Misery, just as their cave touring predecessors did centuries ago. Be sure to wear a sweatshirt or a light jacket—the temperature stays at about 56 degrees Fahrenheit year round. Outside of the cave there are plenty of wooded hiking trails.

For visitors who wish to stay on the park grounds, there is a Mammoth Cave Hotel lodge Nearby Cave City, KY also has a Best Western, Comfort Inn, Econo Lodge and a Days Inn, in addition to smaller independent hotels. For travelers who wish to visit Mammoth Cave on their way to or from a larger metropolitan area, hotels in Nashville, TN include the Hyatt Place Nashville Airport, the Radisson Hotel Nashville Airport, and the Sheraton Nashville Downtown Hotel. Louisville, KY hotels include the Baymont Inn & Suites Louisville, the Hilton Garden Inn Louisville East, and the Residence Inn by Marriott Louisville.

Hotels Near Raymond James Stadium in Tampa

This Tampa hotel is conveniently close to the airport, near Westshore Plaza Mall, International Plaza, and Raymond James Stadium. Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore has an indoor pool and a fitness facility. The property has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. The staff can arrange wedding services, event catering, dry cleaning/laundry services, and express check-out. Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore has 261 guestrooms. Guestrooms feature microwaves, refrigerators, and coffee/tea makers. Tampa Hotels.

Roadside attractions

When it comes to American roadside attractions, the quirkier the better. There is something to be said about a Mom and Pop business, a natural wonder, or a local monument that can lure in customers with nothing but a big billboard (and perhaps a little word of mouth). Some roadside attractions strive to be authentic, others try to be cheesy, and many are just authentically cheesy, especially for travelers who don’t mind making a spur-of-the-moment exit off the Interstate just to check them out.

One such “only in America” type of roadside attraction is the famed 15-foot, painted bronze Superman statue in the small town of Metropolis, Illinois. Metropolis is located so far south in the Land of Lincoln that it has much more in common with Paducah, KY on the other side of the Ohio River than Chicago, IL on the shores of Lake Michigan. The town boasts a Superman museum and gift shop, plus a Harrah’s riverboat casino (for visitors 21 and older). For more than 30 years, the self-proclaimed “home of Superman” has hosted an annual Superman celebration.

In the larger cities, one can find an entire outcropping of unusual tourist attractions. In Nashville, Tennessee, home of the Grand Old Opry, there is an entire storefront museum dedicated to two good old boys known as the Dukes of Hazzard. Cooter’s in Music City (named for Ben Jones’ character on the early 1980s TV program) has free admission and a wide variety of memorabilia, original scripts and costumes from the show—including a clothesline of Daisy Dukes—as well as the 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee (but it’ll cost to have your photo taken inside of that coveted car). Tucked away in the back of Cooter’s is a tribute to Sun Records, Elvis Presley’s first record label, and next door to the Dukes of Hazzard shrine is the Willie Nelson and Friends Museum. Nearby hotels in the Nashville area include the Sheraton Music City, the Best Western Downtown Convention Center, and the Holiday Inn Express Downtown Nashville.

On America’s interstates, even a restaurant can have the elements of a roadside attraction. The Smoke House Restaurant Lodge and Trading Post in Monteagle, TN has been servicing customers traveling Interstate 24 between Nashville and Chattanooga for 50 years. Part down-home Southern restaurant, part General Store, visitors can find anything from sandals and homemade soaps to country music CDs and homemade fudge. In addition to the restaurant and store, the Smoke House is also home to a Best Western lodge.

Roadside attractions might not have the cultural cache of the big city landmarks and museums, but there is something rather adventurous about pulling off the highway to visit a location that you’ve seen advertised on billboards for the past 20 miles. The sites might be considered cheesy, but they are as American as apple pie.

Beachfront Resorts in Egypt

This hotel is located in Hurghada, Egypt. Guests at Hilton Hurghada Resort have access to a private beach. Hilton Hurghada Resort has a marina, a fitness facility, a pool, and tennis courts. The property has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. This property provides an airport shuttle (surcharge). Event facilities include conference rooms. Additional amenities include a concierge desk, multilingual staff, and gift
shops/newsstands. Balconies are featured in guestrooms. Additional amenities include minibars and air conditioning.

Hotels Near Ohio Stadium

This city-center hotel is located in the heart of Columbus, Ohio. Hilton Garden Inn Columbus/Polaris has an indoor pool, a fitness facility, and a pool. Business amenities at this 3.0-star property include a 24-hour business center, meeting rooms for small groups, and business services. The property has a restaurant and a bar/lounge. Event space measuring 1600 square feet consists of conference rooms and banquet facilities. Televisions are equipped with cable/satellite channels.

Premier Inn Heathrow

This property is located in London. Premier Inn Heathrow has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a coffee shop/café. Business amenities include a business center, wireless Internet access, meeting rooms for small groups, and business services. Amenities featured in guestrooms include air conditioning, coffee/tea makers, and complimentary newspapers. Guestrooms have satellite television with premium TV channels. Bathrooms provide hair dryers and handheld showers. All guestrooms at Premier Inn Heathrow are non-smoking.

Hotels Near Cruise Port in Cocoa Beach

Days Inn Cocoa Cruiseport West has a seasonal outdoor pool. The property offers business services. Days Inn Cocoa Cruiseport West has a restaurant. Guests are served a complimentary breakfast each morning. Additional amenities include barbecue grills, laundry facilities, and coffee in the lobby. Televisions are equipped with cable channels. Guestrooms feature microwaves. Additional amenities include air conditioning. Cocoa Beach Hotels.

Coast Bellevue Hotel

Coast Bellevue Hotel is located less than one mile from Meydenbauer Convention Center and Bellevue Botanical Garden. Coast Bellevue Hotel features an outdoor pool and sundeck. Transportation within a five-mile radius of the hotel is complimentary. Meeting facilities and a ballroom are available. A restaurant, serving American cuisine, and an espresso bar are on site. Guestrooms at this Bellevue hotel feqature complimentary high-speed Internet access. Compact refrigerators are available on request. All rooms are nonsmoking units.

Beachside Suites in Fort Lauderdale

This Fort Lauderdale Property Is Situated Near The Beach. Il Lugano Suite Hotel Has An Outdoor Pool, A Steam Room, And A Fitness Facility. Business Amenities Include Wireless Internet Access, Meeting Rooms For Small Groups, And Business Services. Il Lugano Suite Hotel Has A Restaurant, A Bar/Lounge, And A Coffee Shop/Café. Amenities Featured In Guestrooms Include Air Conditioning, Coffee/Tea Makers, And Minibars. All Guestrooms Provide Microwaves And Refrigerators. All Guestrooms At Il Lugano Suite Hotel Are Non-smoking.

Coach N' Four Motel

This Grass Valley motel is close to Pelton Wheel Museum and Empire Mine State Historic Park. A continental breakfast is complimentary to guests. The front desk is open during limited hours.
Coach N' Four Motel has 17 guestrooms. Guestrooms have televisions with cable channels. Guestrooms provide complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access. Guestrooms feature refrigerators and coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms offer hair dryers. In addition, amenities available on request include microwaves. Grass Valley, California Hotels.

New Delhi India- Luxury Hotels

This Delhi hotel is close to National Museum and Jantar Mantar. Also nearby are India Gate and Connaught Place. The Claridges New Delhi has a fitness facility and a pool. Business amenities at this 5.0-star property include a business center and high-speed Internet access. The Claridges New Delhi has a restaurant. Guests are served a complimentary breakfast each morning. Guestrooms have televisions. Guestrooms feature coffee/tea makers. Bathrooms offer hair dryers. Additional amenities include minibars and air conditioning. Hotels in India.

Casino Hotels in Calgary

This Calgary hotel is conveniently situated near the airport. Deerfoot Inn And Casino has 2 spa tubs. Other recreational facilities include an indoor pool, a waterslide, a fitness facility, and a children's pool. There are 5 restaurants as well as a bar/lounge. Deerfoot Inn And Casino has 188 guestrooms. 37-inch LCD televisions are equipped with premium cable channels, Oncommand video, and pay movies. Guestrooms feature refrigerators, coffee/tea makers, and complimentary bottled water. Guestrooms have city or mountain views. All guestrooms at Deerfoot Inn And Casino are non-smoking.

Hotels Near Busch Gardens Tampa

This La Quinta Inn is located in Tampa, Florida, a half-mile from Busch Gardens, 0.8 mile from Adventure Island, and 2.1 miles from University of South Florida. La Quinta Inn Tampa-Near Busch Gardens features complimentary continental breakfast with waffles each morning. Guests can splash in the outdoor pool, or relax in the game room. Accommodations at La Quinta Inn Tampa-Near Busch Gardens provide air conditioning and access via exterior corridors. Amenities include cable TV with pay movies and video games, coffeemakers, and free locals calls. Wireless Internet is complimentary.

Luxury Hotels in Hong Kong

The Eaton Hotel Hong Kong is located along Nathan Road, known as the Golden Mile of shops and open-air markets that sell local handicrafts, shoes, clothes and electronics. Bubble lifts, elevators, rise to the fourth-floor lobby which opens onto a garden terrace, a hotel bar and a business center. The rooftop pool is styled after a Roman bath. This hotel has three ballrooms and flexible meeting space. Wireless Internet access is available for a fee. The 21-story Eaton Hotel Hong Kong features 465 warmly decorated, contemporary guestrooms and executive suites. Select accommodations feature full-length windows that offer spectacular views of the city and parks.

Hotels Near College of Santa Fe

This city-center property is located in Santa Fe, New Mexico. El Rey Inn has a spa tub, a sauna, a fitness facility, and a seasonal outdoor pool. Business amenities at this 2.5-star property include a business center and complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access. A continental breakfast is complimentary to guests. Additional amenities include laundry facilities and coffee in the lobby. All guestrooms at El Rey Inn are non-smoking.

Hilton Pittsburgh

This business-friendly property is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Hilton Pittsburgh has a health club and a fitness facility. Business amenities include a business center, complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, meeting rooms for small groups, and business services. Hilton Pittsburgh has a restaurant, a bar/lounge, and a coffee shop/café. Amenities featured in guestrooms include coffee/tea makers and clock radios. Business-friendly amenities include complimentary high-speed (wired) Internet access, multi-line phones, and desks. Sofa beds and rollaway beds are available. All guestrooms at Hilton Pittsburgh are non-smoking.

Historic New Orleans Hotels

This historic New Orleans hotel is just 2.5 blocks from the French Quarter and the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line. This renovated hotel occupies a 1913 building, originally the headquarters of the newly formed Queen & Crescent Railroad. Today, the Queen & Crescent Hotel features a lounge, a 24-hour fitness room, and a light Continental breakfast each morning. European-inspired guestrooms offer premium bedding, cable TV, high-speed Internet access, minibars, coffee/tea makers, and in-room safes.

Miami Beach Luxury Hotels

The Sixty Sixty Resort in Miami Beach, Fla., stands two blocks from the beach and three miles from the high-end shops of Bal Harbor and Lincoln Road pedestrian mall. With a contemporary, Art Deco-inspired design, the Sixty Sixty Resort offers an outdoor splash pool located on a terrace overlooking With contemporary decor accented in muted, cool colors, this 16-story resort features 82 guestrooms, most with balconies and views of the ocean or waterway. All rooms contain sofa beds and kitchenettes with coffeemakers, refrigerators, and microwave ovens.