Red Clay State Park is one of the great hidden secrets of the Chattanooga area. I stumbled across this gem not long after we moved here and used to take Spot and Muffin at least once a week. We always went first thing in the morning and would have the park to ourselves. I've said more than once that a poet could spend a few hours here and have enough material to last a lifetime.
Red Clay is a small park by state park standards, just 263 acres. Red Clay served as the seat of the Cherokee government until they were forced off the land in 1838, where the Trail of Tears began. It's hard to put into words, but there is such peace in a place that holds such a tragic history. First thing in the morning the dew is still on the beautiful land and there is a tranquil, meandering stream that leads to "The Blue Hole," a stunningly clear 13 foot deep well of natural springwater. The sun wafts through trees in the early morning....it is serene, peaceful, inspirational.
We'd not been out for quite some time....long before Spot died last year. As Muffin is aging (14 1/2 now), I've decided to need to spend a little extra time alone with her (Muffin and Mama days), away from the 3 other charges she's been saddled with. While she has definitely slowed down, she still has some Gitty-Up-And-Go in her. Taking her back today she certainly showed it. She had such a good time. She loves walking and playing in the stream and since the park is covered with trees, there's lots of good smells for her to investigate. Oh, and she loves barking at the cows during the car ride to the park!
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