Ruby Falls, a massive 44-meter waterfall at a depth of 341 meters (the height of the Eiffel Tower is 300).
The story of its accidental discovery is interesting. There was a cave in the area, Lookout Mountain, accessible only to enthusiasts. A guy, Leo Lambert, bought the land on the mountain and hired a team of workers to dig a vertical tunnel, aiming to reach the most interesting part of the cave and open it to the public. However, during the digging, they encountered a narrow 45-centimeter passage, from which fresh air was blowing. Leo went in to explore, and after eight hours of crawling, they emerged by the waterfall. Leo immediately decided to name it after his beloved wife – Ruby. It took another eight hours to crawl back. They began to cut a proper passage and let in tourists. Until the Great Depression, it was an insanely popular place, but then the crisis hit, and the company went bankrupt. A new owner invested in marketing, and gradually they transformed it into this beauty.
Besides the waterfall, there is actually nothing else to see. The lower cave – actually, Leo’s main target – was closed in 1935 as it was not very popular when there was a waterfall. Near where I live, there are Luray Caverns, and they are interesting in their own right. But the beauties there are somewhat different 🙂
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 