Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee, postcard

Not so many years ago we went to Fall Creek Falls State Park, in Tennessee, southeast of Nashville and north of Chattanooga. We came down State Highway 111 alongside a river at the bottom farm lands of a long valley. The scenery was beautiful, but I don’t think there were any zoning laws, around every corner was a new surprise.

We had to drive up in a mountainous area to get to Fall Creek Falls State Park. One thing I remember up on that lonely road was the large amount of dogs on the roadside. I think probably previous owners took them to this sparse area and threw them out. The dogs looked disillusioned and hungry. Never trust a human.

The park claims to have a bunch of water falls, I forgot how many. At one place there are twin falls… two creeks almost meet, just before each tumble off a cliff. Then, I think there is the big water fall, which is pictured here, and more smaller ones.

The state park has a motel-like lodge on the edge of a good size lake. We signed up for a room. While the clerk was signing us up, she glanced at the blanks we were filling out and said something like “Marietta! I am from Smyrna! We just moved up here last year – I had to move away from there.”

To her Smyrna no longer had the southern charm that she grew up knowing. We dropped to each other names and places and knew a lot of common Cobb County Marietta/Smyrna stuff.

It is a small world. No matter where we roam, it seems we always run into someone from Cobb County.

On the back of the card:
“Fall Creek Falls State Park. Beautiful Fall Creek Falls in one of the most photographed natural wonders in the United States. It tumbles over cliffs and falls 256 feet into a shaded pool at the base of the gorge.”

Fall Creek Falls tumbles over cliffs and falls 256 feet. That is a lot of falls for one sentence.

256 feet? And, then I say, “And that is just at high tide!” and slap you hard on the back to help you get the most of my fascinating wit.