LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Ga. — A generation ago, when families packed into the automobile and hit the road for a vacation, spotting the huge black and red signs on barns saying "See Rock City" were as much a part of the trip as squabbles over territory in the back seat.
There was special status in spotting the first Rock City barn of the trip. Weary parents offered treats for the youngster who counted the most. There were stories about them from other trips.
"We drove between Pittsburgh and Florida every summer to see my grandparents," says Margaret Johnson, 60, now a resident of Orlando, Fla. "It was always a contest between my brothers and me to see who could find the most of them."
These days the barns, which once numbered 900 and stretched from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, are mostly gone. Only 90 remain.
This summer, Johnson made the drive to Pennsylvania and back to Rock City without ever spotting one of the barns.
"I really watched for them, but didn't seen any," she says. "It's a shame. I think they were a part of the country."
In 1823, Rock City was described as a "citadel of rocks" by Daniel S. Butrick, who arrived in the area to minister to Cherokee Indians. He noted the immense size of the boulders and that they were arranged in such a way "as to afford streets and lanes."
In 1924, Garnet Carter developed a residential neighborhood called Fairyland atop Lookout Mountain. Carter placed his family home on the area that included Rock City, and his wife, Frieda, set out to develop a rock garden that would end all rock gardens.
Frieda Carter marked a trail through the giant rock formations with string. She also collected wildflowers and plants and had them transplanted along the trail. The gardening was supplemented by imported German statues, gnomes and characters from fairy tales
Carter realized that people might be willing to pay to see his wife's rock garden, and on May 21, 1932, Rock City opened.
Because the attraction was off the normal tourist routes, and because money was scarce in the Depression, Carter came up with the idea of offering to paint farmers' barns in exchange for sign space.
A sense of nostalgia remains at the 70-year-old attraction.
Outside the entrance, an old filling station has been restored, complete with antique cars, old fire trucks, and an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.
The 4,100-foot trail takes between 60 and 90 minutes to tour, depending on how long you spend looking at the sites, taking pictures, or waiting for the hordes of school children that make the tour in the late spring.
Parts of the path are steep. The tour is definitely not friendly to those in wheelchairs or who have difficulty walking. Those that are afraid of heights will have problems in several areas, including the swing bridge and the area around the 100-foot waterfall.
Fat Man's squeeze is a narrow area between two rock walls that will not only challenge the overweight but the claustrophobic as well.
Benches along the path allow visitors to sit and enjoy the scenery while resting for the next stretch. And there is no rush to finish the tour.
The area is also known as Lover's Leap, with the inevitable legend about an Indian brave thrown from the ledge by an irate chief, only to be followed by the maiden who could not live without the young man.
The road up Lookout Mountain to Rock City is steep and winding, but both large RVs and buses make the trip regularly. There is ample free parking and a restaurant and snack bars on the grounds.
Rock City is open 365 days a year. During the Christmas holidays a special evening light show is held. Admission is $11.95 for adults, $6.50 for children 3-12. Children under 2 are free.
Visitors can take leashed pets with them on the trails.