Chattanooga Tennessee doesn’t draw the same crowds
as Gatlinburg, Nashville or Memphis, which is a bit of a shame because
Tennessee’s 4th largest city is one of the nations very finest.
The well-designed and pedestrian friendly downtown (and the free electric
shuttle-buses that get you there) makes Chattanooga an attractive and
easily navigated city with much to offer its guests.
The Tennessee River waterfront area is the prime destination for those
touring Chattanooga. At Ross Landing a spacious riverfront path makes
for excellent walking, biking or skating with several green areas for
visitors to stop and picnic or just enjoy the beautiful view. The exceptional
Tennessee Aquarium, the world’s largest freshwater aquarium, is
located on the riverfront, as is the Hunter Museum of Art, featuring
an excellent collection a American art and a commanding view from an
80-foot bluff over the river. Kids will enjoy the waterfront thanks
to the wetlands water parks, adventure playgrounds and the Creative
Discovery Museum.
There’s more family fun waiting at nearby Lookout Mountain. Its
Incline Railroad takes visitors up the steep slope to Ruby Falls Caverns
and the Rock City gardens. Visitors can enjoy parts of the Chickamauga
& Chattanooga National Military Park and learn more about the areas
rich Civil War history at Point Park on the mountain’s summit.
There is no shortage of outdoor adventure in and around Chattanooga
Tennessee. In addition to hiking, biking and fishing, visitors can go
whitewater rafting a Bear Creek, just a 30-minute drive from downtown.
Visitors can see the area from above courtesy of Lookout Mountain Flight
Park, the larges hang-gliding school in the U.S., or explore it from
below in the dynamic caves of Raccoon Mountain Caverns, just one of
7,000 caves in the greater Chattanooga area.
Since Tennessee is the birthplace of the
tow-truck, it’s only fitting that Chattanooga is the home of the
International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame & Museum.
The city is rich in historical sites, from
the antebellum Fort Wood and Saint Elmo National Historic Districts
to a starting point on the Trail of Tears at Ross Landing.
If you’re not familiar with a certain
1941 Glen Miller song before you visit Chattanooga, you certainly will
be by the time you leave. Consider yourself warned.
