Sometimes the best adventures start when your original plans completely change.
This trip was supposed to begin with me hopping on a Friday flight to meet Marc in northern Alabama, where he’d been spending the week at the National NCRC event. Instead, thanks to a series of hilariously human events, I found myself catching a ride with my in-laws while they were already heading north. Marc picked me up at his parents’ house, and just like that, our road trip started taking shape. Honestly, it fit us perfectly.
Exploring Chattanooga
We hit the road bright and early Friday morning with one very important stop in mind: breakfast at Aretha Frankenstein’s in Chattanooga. I’d heard of these legendary pancakes and used Marc’s Aretha coffee mug numerous times, and somehow it still lived up to the hype. (And yes, we bought a box of pancake mix for the house!)
Since Marc had lived in Chattanooga before, I got the VIP tour of his old stomping grounds. We wandered around town before heading over to Enterprise South Nature Park to explore the remnants of World War II ammunition bunkers hidden among the trees. There’s something incredibly fascinating about stumbling across pieces of history in places that have quietly been reclaimed by nature.
One stop I had been looking forward to for weeks was the Little Debbie Park and Factory Store. If you know me, this probably doesn’t surprise you. Walking through the store felt like being a kid in a candy shop—except everything was snack cakes.
Of course, we couldn’t leave Chattanooga without visiting Hands Up, one of our favorite outdoor gear companies.
Car Camping with SCCi
After browsing around and making a few other stops, we made our way to the campsite for Southeastern Cave Conservancy’s Homecoming.
Marc had rented a large passenger van for the week, which ended up being the perfect car camping setup. Spacious, comfortable, and for more luxurious than either of us expected, it made for an ideal home base for the weekend.
Saturday brought the adventure I’d been anticipating the most: my very first real horizontal caving experience at Tumbling Rock Cave near Fackler, Alabama.
On the drive over, we made an impromptu stop at a small local “zoo” before gearing up for the cave.
Tumbling Rock Cave
While I’d explored caves before, nothing compared to this experience. Having Marc as my guide made all the difference. His experience underground gave me the confidence to enjoy the adventure instead of worrying about what was around the next bend.
Tumbling Rock Cave is rich in history. During the Civil War, miners extracted saltpeter from bat guano found inside the cave. The saltpeter was then used in the production of gunpowder, and seeing some of the original mining remnants still preserved underground was incredibly cool.
The cave itself was unlike anything I’d experienced. There were a few tight spots that definitely got my heart rate up, but overall it was an amazing introduction to horizontal caving. One of my favorite parts was spotting some of the cave’s wildlife along the way—a reminder that these underground worlds are home to creatures specially adapted to life in complete darkness.
After emerging back into the sunshine (and appreciating fresh air just a little bit more), Marc took me up to Mentone, Alabama, where we soaked in some incredible overlooks before making one final stop at one of the South’s more unique landmarks: the point where Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia all meet. Standing with a foot in three states at once felt like the perfect way to wrap up a weekend built around exploration.
Looking back, this trip perfectly captured what we love most about traveling together. We chased great food, explored hidden history, wandered underground, admired beautiful views, and embraced a few unexpected detours along the way.
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Join the conversation—leave your thoughts, tips, or your own detours below. We’d love to hear from you.