Chattanooga, TN - Getaway
Chattanooga, TN Weekend Getaway
Chattanooga is one of our favorite “quick getaway” locations. Not only is it less than 3 hours away from us, no matter how many times we have been, we always find new things to do and see. This past spring we were able to spend a couple of days there, and we packed a lot into our trip.
The Tennessee Aquarium
A few years ago, we discovered the magic of the “behind-the-scenes” tours at popular attractions. These specialized tours are more expensive, but in our experience they are always worth it. One of the biggest benefits is that these groups are generally very small, and the tours often happen during hours when the public does not have access to the facility.
Because of this, I was very excited to check out one of the Deeper Dives: In-Depth Tours at the Tennessee Aquarium. The Aquarium currently offers two “Deeper Dive” tour options. The first, Deeper Dives: Feeding Frenzy, is only offered on Wednesdays and Fridays from 1:30 - 2:00 pm. Tour groups for this experience accommodate 2-6 guests, and all participants must be at least 8 years old.
The second tour, the one we chose, is Deeper Dives: A Guided Tour. This tour is offered Thursday through Sunday mornings one hour before the Aquarium opens. The tour group is 2-8 guests, and all participants must be at least 8 years old.
During our 90-minute tour, an Aquarium educator took us through several of the exhibits on both the River and Ocean Journeys, as well as behind-the-scenes to see how the staff care for the animals. And at the end of the tour we got to meet and touch one of the Aquarium’s ambassadors! Highlights for the boys were “high-fiving” Stewie - the 5-foot green sea turtle, touching the sting rays and the sturgeons, and feeding the fish.
After our tour, we went back through the Aquarium again since our tour tickets included regular admission as well. We saw everything we had already seen again and some other exhibits that were not included on our tour. My favorite by far was the jellyfish room. I honestly think I could sit in there all day. You can watch the jellies and several other residents of the Aquarium by checking out their Live Cams.
One of the many great things about the Aquarium is its location. Situated right in the middle of downtown Chattanooga along the Tennessee River, you can easily visit a number of other fun places in the area when you are done. We headed to Sticky Fingers to grab lunch and then checked out some of the unique shops along Market and Broad Streets. The boys favorites were definitely the Moonpie General Store and Rocket Fizz Chattanooga, and we all were mesmerized watching customers blowing one-of-a-kind glass items at Ignis Glass Studio.
Lookout Mountain
We spent an entire day of our Chattanooga trip on Lookout Mountain. A short 15 minute drive from downtown Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain is home to a number of tourist attractions including Rock City, Ruby Falls, the Incline Railway and Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. In addition, Lookout Mountain provides some amazing views of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas.
This trip was our first time to visit one of Chattanooga’s most popular experiences - Ruby Falls. This underground waterfall is spectacular, as is the one-mile round trip cave walk that visitors take to get to the falls. We enjoyed the tour immensely, and our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. But for me I found the history of how the falls were accidentally discovered by Leo Lambert in 1928 most fascinating. There are a few different tours you can take to see the falls including an after-hours Lantern Tour which we have not done, but I think it sounds fun! In addition to visiting the caves and famous waterfall, Ruby Falls has also recently added new adventure experiences such as a zipline course and climbing wall, as well as luxury lodging in the form of boutique treehouses.
Our second stop during our day on Lookout Mountain was Rock City. If you have ever driven through East Tennessee, you have seen the iconic “See Rock City” red barns that have been dotting the roadsides of the state for nearly 90 years! (You can even plan a road trip to see all of these barns.) The boys loved exploring the more than three-quarters of a mile of walking trails in Rock City’s gardens, especially the 180-ft Swing-A-Long Bridge, the narrow passage of Fat Man’s Squeeze, and “holding up” the 1000-ton Balance Rock. And we all loved the views from Lover’s Leap, where on a clear day you can see seven states. (Note if you are traveling with littles: strollers are not allowed along the Enchanted Trail in Rock City due to narrow passages and steep stairs, so we recommended a device that allows you to wear your child.)
The final place we visited on Lookout Mountain was the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. The park commemorates the 12,000 years of American Indian presence on the Moccasin Bend Peninsula. It also marks the site of the Civil War battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, the scene of the last major Confederate victory of the Civil War. The story of this unlikely victory is told through a detailed 13x30 foot painting by James Walker located in the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center. In addition to its extensive history, the park offers nearly 10,000 acres for hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, rock climbing, and many other outdoor activities.
This was a short trip for us, and we packed a lot into a small amount of time, but there are so many other things to do and see in Chattanooga. The city truly has something for everyone - extraordinary outdoor activities, a thriving art district, an impressive live music set list, and a scrumptious food scene. With so many things to love about Chattanooga, you want to make sure it is on your list!