Meanwhile, Back at the Waterfall….

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After visiting the underground waterfall Ruby Falls I went for the more “traditional” waterfall at DeSoto State Park in northeastern Alabama, not too far from Chattanooga. The area, known as Sand Mountain, is home to some of my favorite country musicians (the Louvins, the Maddox Brothers and Rose, and the Delmore Brothers), as well as the hometown of the popular band Alabama. Oh, and some great scenery, too!!! I was going to DeSoto State Park when I saw a sign pointing toward DeSoto Falls, and that’s all it took. The state park will have to wait for another trip. A.A. Miller built a dam above the falls in 1925 to provide electricity for the area from sunset until midnight. (Good thing the only Tesla back then was Nikola! ) After electric irons became popular, electricity was also fed to homes on Thursday afternoon so women could iron. (Unreal to think of such a thing today, isn’t it.) Below the dam there are two parts to DeSoto Falls. The first is a twin cascade that falls about 10-15 feet, then the “big show” where the fall is over 100 feet into the water below. The stop allowed for some great viewing from multiple angles as well as more late-season foliage in the gorge. Because of the drought I was able to get much closer to the cascades than would be possible during the rainy season. That was a magnificent follow-up to Ruby Falls, making last Thursday a waterfall day! COLLAGE: *Cascade, with the dam visible in the background *Dam, cascades, and waterfall *The 100-foot waterfall drop *The gorge, with the sun and the leaves shining