Ridin' the Incline

Recently we've been spending a lot of time in Chattanooga. With the advent of cooler weather it's back to the underwater treadmill at RIVER for Monk (he's the aussie with the frisbee on my Ravelry Avatar). And this year they are starting a new laser treatment for dogs, still in the experimental stages, in which light is used like ultrasound to increase circulation in deep tissue. Since we started treatment a couple weeks ago, Monk has gained at least a 25% increase in mobility in his elbow joints. Today he was able to bend to what looked like a 75 degree angle (he hasn't been able to flex much past 90 degrees in some time). This seems nothing short of miraculous. Monk can walk farther and faster in more comfort that before.

So after therapy, we decided to do the touristy thing and ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain. It's a little pair of cable cars that climb straight up the side of the bluff from St. Elmo below. As you can see in the photo on the left, it's a steep climb. The photo on the right shows the view from the top.

Here's DH James inside the Incline car with a precipitous drop behind him. The cars were almost empty today, so we had great views. I love looking into peoples back yards on the way up, wondering what it must be like to live beside this crazy railroad. The car backs up the mountain so you can see the view as you ascend, then cinches itself against the depot building at the top of the mountain, wedged between two beautiful homes with breathtaking views and you can see right into their back yards. As an added bonus, there was a red fox in one of the yards, hunting for grubs with a million dollar view. Lucky fox. She was finding plenty to eat today too.

Of course no self respecting tourist attraction is complete without a souvenir shop. Check out these mind bending Incline mugs.