Chattanooga, Tennessee

For spring break a few weeks ago we decided to take a mini-vacation to Chattanooga, Tennessee. I know that doesn't sound super thrilling but Chattanooga is actually a really neat little city and I enjoyed our quick visit immensely. We had stopped in Chattanooga briefly a few years ago (for a visit to Ruby Falls) and I'd been hearing great things about several of their other attractions. David didn't want to take the whole week off and since Chattanooga is only a two hour drive from Atlanta, it was the perfect two-day getaway. 

Of course, 20 minutes into our drive I realized that I forgot to pack my camera and so we had to rely on our camera phones. This would have been okay if not for the fact that the screen on my camera phone is cracked and therefore only takes slightly blurry photos. I stole David's phone for a few photos so some are a bit better than others. 

We left early Monday morning for our drive up to Chattanooga. It's just a straight shot up the I-75 and we were there in less than two hours. (We did have to make a quick stop at a rest stop for Adelaide who is potty training and only feels the need to actually go in a toilet when she's not at home.) Our first stop was Maple Street Biscuits, a local eatery serving up a delicious variety of breakfast and lunch type creations on delicious biscuits. They also had the best sweet potato fries I think I've ever had. I ordered two. 

After filling our faces, we walked the few blocks to the Tennessee Aquarium which I'd heard nothing but great things about. It sits right on the Tennessee River's edge and is divided into two buildings--river and ocean. Unlike the Georgia Aquarium, the Tennessee Aquarium felt much more intimate and more focused on education. It was also much less crowded and I found it to be much more enjoyable. 

We started on the ocean side which also included a butterfly garden. This beautiful butterfly landed on David's shoulder and stayed there for nearly ten minutes, just riding around.

Zara was also interested in catching butterflies.

After a quick snack break, we hit the river side of the aquarium which has massive tanks that you slowly work your way down and through.  I didn't like this side as much as the ocean side but the way it was set up was pretty interesting.

After finishing at the aquarium, we drove to the other side of the river and ate a picnic dinner at Coolidge Park. The park is nested right on the riverbanks and has an old-fashioned carousel, splash pad with animal fountains (Adelaide is riding the lion one above) and a pedestrian bridge that crosses the river. It was a lovely park full of college students from the nearby University of Tennessee.

All these crazy kids and me. I had packed a bunch of food before we left Atlanta which we enjoyed on a blanket overlooking the river.

After our dinner, we packed up and drove to Lookout Mountain in the foothills above the city proper where our hotel was located. As usual, most hotels located right in the city are way more expensive plus you have to pay for parking. But Chattanooga is small enough that it only takes 10 minutes to get from the outlying areas into the city. We picked a La Quinta inn that was brand-new (only built within the last year or so) that included free breakfast (because of course). It was a very nice suite for a great price. I am not looking forward to when our kids get a lot older and we need to get two hotel rooms.

So the next morning after cramming ourselves full of breakfast, we visited Point Park, a Civil War memorial (run by the NPS) that offers a beautiful view of Chattanooga and the valley below.

It was chiller than I expected so we didn't end up spending a long time in the park but it was a peaceful and beautiful spot.

After Point Park, we drove back into the city to visit the Creative Discovery Museum, Chattanooga's excellent children's museum. I haven't visited the children's museum here in Atlanta (again, I've heard mixed reviews), but this one had great reviews. Like most children's museums, it was chaotic and a little worn at the edges but still a ton of fun. Plus, their special exhibit was about what life is like for kids in Korea so of course we had to visit that.

We spent a good couple of hours at the children's museum before we were too tired to go on. We walked down to the Community Pie, a local restaurant that specializes in pizza and gelato. I ordered the carbonara pizza while David got one with fig and arugula. Zara got boring pepperoni. Adelaide insisted on spaghetti and then ate approximately none of it.

After finishing up our late lunch/early dinner, we piled back into the car and drove home. We hit a little traffic getting out of Chattanooga but it still only took about two hours. So it was a fun little excursion. I hope we get out for another trip this summer sometime.