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This past month, after marrying the man I’ve been waiting for a long time, my husband, James, and I went on that famous rite of passage into marriage: the honeymoon.

We decided to take our adventure in the beautiful Smoky Mountains in a two week road trip and our first stop was, of course, the Chattanooga area.

Just up Lookout Mountain, not a minute from Rock City, is the beautiful Chanticleer Inn Bed and Breakfast. A cluster of beautifully furnished cottages with wonderful amenities, the Inn provides quiet and private comfort to visitors.

James and I arrived on a blisteringly chilly (the first cold front hit right as we entered the mountains) Monday evening and found the warm open space of our room to be immediately comforting.

The next morning, we had a lovely breakfast in the original part of the Inn, where we learned a little bit about the history of the place.

The Inn was built in 1927 as a home for Richard and Ann Lee Watkins–the first building upon entering the cottages.

In 1929, Richard Watkins passed away suddenly, and Ann Watkins had to provide for her family during the Great Depression in a time when women were not accustomed to being in the workforce. Since this was before Ruby Falls had been discovered or Rock City had been opened, the area had just begun growing. That’s where Watkins got the idea to host incoming travelers. She moved her and her son to the top most rooms of their house and began renting out rooms to passerby or those who needed immediate residence in the area.

Once Ruby Falls was discovered in the early 30s, Watkins knew the place was about to boom. So, she converted her garage into rooms 16, 17 and 18, which are still available to guests in the original building where breakfast is served. As time went on, Watkins kept adding cottages.

The Inn has since been bought and sold by several owners, but the original charm has stayed the same.

A recent hire at the Inn, Abigail Stevens, divulged that there is another aspect of the Inn that attracts attention, but not from the guests, but rather the staff.

“Me and one of my co-workers decided to go on a research rampage about the Chanticleer Inn,” she said.

“A lot of crazy things happen here,” she said, and explained that several odd happenings have taken place without any explanation, and added that she thinks that the Inn might be haunted by none other than Richard Watkins.

“The phones go off for no reason,” she said, “One morning, my boss was walking in from the hallway and the phone randomly went off. I couldn’t hear anything because I had my airpods in, but she walked to where I was with a frightened face and asked ‘Did you do that?’”

Stevens said the basement light also turns on and off without any explanation. She said that for a while, no one could figure out how to turn it on, but one night the bulb blazed with light and that no one had been able to turn it off since.

Despite the ghostly happenings, the Chanticleer is a warm and cozy place, with history and intrigue that add to its allure.

If you’re ever heading up the Smokies, I’d highly recommend this beautiful stop.