We are traveling from Chicago to Florida and want to visit Lookout Mountain before spending the evening in Dalton, GA, Is this a worthy stop? If so, how long would a visit take
to really enjoy the experience.

Thanks, Lucci

Depending on what time you leave Chicago you might want to spend the night in Nashville. From Nashville you can get to Lookout Mountain in about 2 hours so that you can spend enough time there before going south.

Lookout Mountain is a worthy stop if you're interested in Civil War history, great views of Chattanooga and the Tennessee Valley, or the kind of tourist attractions that used to be common before the interstate highway system. I would recommend riding the Incline railway, and then a visit to Point Park. You can do all this in a few hours. If you have more time, consider Ruby Falls; the underground waterfall is still impressive no matter how they tart it up with colored lights and hokey soundtracks. And Rock City is the mother of all roadside attractions. Where else can you see a cave with coral glued to the ceiling?

Chattanooga also has a great aquarium. Its a great place for a weekend visit. Everyone should "See Rock City" at least once.

Lookout Mountain is a great place to stay. You can see 7 states from the mountain. Go to Rock City and Ruby Falls. Stay at Chanticleer http://stayatchanticleer.com/ Chattanooga is just down the mountain but LM is a world away. There's a nice little family Italian restaurant there. Good friends and family grew up there. It was be a great overnight stop that you would enjoy.

There is another great place to eat. Cafe on the Corner is a great place for lunch or dinner. It is in downtown Lookout Mtn. Its website: www.cafeonthecornerlookoutmountain.com

We liked Incline RR, Point Park, the Civil War electric map, Rock City. Thought Ruby Falls was a waste of time & money.

I'll second Cafe on the Corner.

Definitely,as Charsuzan says, "See Rock City". If you or anyone in your group are the least bit claustrophobic, forget Rock City.
Also, go over to Point Park and look out over the city of Chattanooga. When you come down off the mountain, stop and eat at Mount Vernon or depending on the day of the week, go to Bea's Restaurant for some great country cooking.

If you are into the Civil War, go to Chickamauga National Battlefield or even go downtown and go to the Aquarium.

Chattanooga is an exceptionally scenic city.

Enjoy

Crap, that's what I get for not proofreading.....

If you are claustrophobic...forget Ruby Falls

We visited lM during the summer and really enjoyed it. We also went to the town where they
filmed Fried Green Tomatos, and again, enjoyed seeing the buildings, etc. I wish more folks would slow down and visit the different sites that each state has to offer,