<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4T4lWe_0vdvannL00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4T4lWe_0vdvannL00" width="1320" height="743" >On the latest edition of the Ingles Open Road, we’re living the lake life 140 feet below the small town of Sweetwater, Tennessee. As you might have guessed, this is no average body of water. It’s dark, mysterious, and eerily beautiful. It’s also underground - a fitting place to be called The Lost Sea.About 50 miles south of Knoxville, tucked into the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, sits an unassuming gray building that serves as a portal into another world. As you travel down a long tunnel that looks like something out of Star Wars, you enter the impressive underground labyrinth of Craighead Cavern.Named for Cherokee Chief Craighead who owned this land in the 1820s, the caverns have a rich and eclectic history, from confederate gunpowder making in the 1860s to the 13-year-old boy who squeezed through a 40-foot tunnel in 1905 to find something truly amazing.The 4.5-acre sea here is a beautiful and big secret, measuring 800 feet long, 220 feet wide, and at least 70 feet deep. The true depth is unknown, and the lake just keeps going into new and undiscovered rooms.You can explore this lake by boat with all the Greek mythology underworld vibes. As you cruise along, you can take in the glowing beauty of the lake itself and the impressive geology of the limestone caverns soaring overhead.The Lost Sea is a member of the National Cave Association, which stresses the preservation of these glorious natural resources. Some of the unique formations here include draperies referred to as “cave bacon” and anthodites - striking formations known as “cave flowers.”Exploring The Lost Sea is peaceful and definitely otherworldly. We can almost promise you’ve never experienced anything like this, and that’s the point of coming here. From the glowing turquoise waters teeming with fishy residents to elaborate underground passageways winding through the subterranean Tennessee earth, The Lost Sea is a place to find a special, unparalleled, and rewarding adventure you’ll remember for a lifetime.After all this exploration, you’ll surely be hungry, so head over to Ingles Markets where you’ll find lots of local and delicious items to satisfy the cravings deep in your belly. To browse their selection and to find a location near you, visit ingles-markets.com.</div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

The Ingles Open Road: The Lost Sea

On the latest edition of the Ingles Open Road, we’re living the lake life 140 feet below the small town of Sweetwater, Tennessee. As you might have guessed, this is no average body of water. It’s dark, mysterious, and eerily beautiful. It’s also underground - a fitting place to be called The Lost Sea.