Chattanooga In A Flash

Chattanooga, TN is one of my all-time favorite places on earth. It has that cozy deep-in-the-south atmosphere, downtown is highly photogenic, and everything from its entertainment to its restaurants are full of variety and charm. It was also recently mentioned in National Geographic Traveler's October 2014 issue as one of 50 cities all over the world that offers something surprising. High-speed internet everywhere, and wonderful hiking and biking along the Tennessee River. I love Chattanooga.

I was recently invited to a wedding a week ago from today, to which I enthusiastically responded "yes" to before I even knew the time or (at that point) the date. I vowed that, after having missed two weddings this summer, I was not going to miss this one. When the postcard invite arrived in the mail, I looked at only two things: the location and the date. August 24, at The Well in Downtown Chattanooga. Done. I would be there. I told my friends who were moving down to my Alma Mater that if they needed to leave anything behind, I would be more than happy to take things down. And, of course, they took me up on it. I had a cozy trunk full of things to accompany me. Plus, Robby decided to come along because he'd never been. And his sister was one of these friends moving down there.

However, I failed to look at the time, which was quite tragic. It's about an 8.5 hour drive from my neck of the woods, and school had already started for me (I'm a teacher, in case this hasn't been mentioned before). I hadn't gotten a sub because I was planning on coming back Sunday night right after the wedding. I had assumed (and we know what that makes me) that it would be early to mid-afternoon, and I could leave maybe around 5 at the latest to make it home at a still semi-decent hour to function the next morning. To my dismay, the wedding didn't start until 5:30 PM. It broke my heart to have to tell the lovely bride and groom I couldn't make it, but I still had people counting on me to bring things down.

So, why the heck not. Robby and I made a flash-trip to Chattanooga. We stayed less than 24 hours, and I was able to give him an infinitesimally small taste of the wonderful things the city of my heart had to offer. Of course, now he wants to go back, which was 100% my intention, and next time for much longer. We mostly walked around, stopped at a local brewery (Big River Brewery and Pub), and went back to see our friends and/or family on campus. Here are places I suggest if ever you find yourself in the lovely city of Chattanooga:

• For Great Eats: Stop at places like Thai Smile, Taco Mac, Sugar's Ribs, Mellow Mushroom, Big River Brewery and Pub, The Yellow Deli, and Hill City Pizza in the Downtown area for something a little outside the ordinary.
• For Delectable Desserts: Clumpie's Ice Cream, Milk & Honey, The Ice Cream Shoppe or Rembrandt's Café offer wonderful local atmospheres with great selections that everyone should enjoy.
• Other Enjoyments: the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga is located downtown. If you're there at the right time, you can catch a Mocs game and tour the campus. The Chattanooga Lookouts Baseball team is also another fun summer event to check out. Going to the Tennessee Aquarium, walking through the Art District or hanging out in Coolidge Park are all equally great things that can be done. You could easily spend a long weekend just in Downtown.
• Historical Sites: Lookout Mountain offers a ton of Civil War history, and not too far away is the Chickamauga Battlefield. There are also a lot of Cherokee historical sites in the area. Red Clay Park, outside of Collegedale, offers a great place to picnic that's also rich with Native American history.
• Tourist Attractions: Ruby Falls and Rock City are other places that draw in crowds. I've been to Ruby Falls quite a long time ago. It's a fun experience, and definitely something good for the family.
• Gunbarrel Road: This is the shopping strip. It has your common stores such as Target and Wal-Mart, Dick's Sporting Goods, and World Market. Hamilton Place Mall is also there, with a great selection of shops, and Barnes and Noble close by. There are also a ton of great places to eat. Some of my favorites in that area are Sticky Fingers, Gigi's Cupcakes, and The Melting Pot ($$$$). My all-time favorite organic grocery store is also on that strip: Earth Fare. 

Chattanooga is a great city. I cannot say it enough. From the southern hospitality to the great barbecue, it's worth a visit any time of the year.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Labor Day weekend! So sad to see another summer go, but hopefully this opens the doors to a new set of adventures. Happy traveling!