Chattanooga, Tennessee: A City Reborn

I grew up 30 miles north of Chattanooga, and whenever our family went to the "big city," this was it. Chattanooga was a thrilling place back then, especially when all the downtown department stores had animated displays in the windows on the day of the annual Christmas Parade. Chattanooga was Wonderland!

Then, with the expansion of the suburbs, downtown Chattanooga went into a few decades of serious decline. But the city has emerged now, better than ever. Chattanooga today is once again a vibrant place - and a different kind of wonderland. This medium-sized Tennessee city just happens to be located in one of the most scenic settings of any urban center in the southern United States, surrounded by ridges and mountains, with a river running through it. The citizens of Chattanooga have built (or rebuilt) on that natural beauty and allure in an amazing revitalization of the downtown area, especially along the riverfront. Downtown Chattanooga is flourishing, with an aquarium, museums, parks, and a score of other projects, including the 21st-century Waterfront Project, a -million, 129-acre vision that is a model of urban renewal.

Just look at what others are saying about Chattanooga:

Fodor's: "One of the most overlooked and underrated places to visit ... a top family destination."

Family Fun magazine called it one of the top five cities to visit in the United States.

Outside: "One of the Top Ten Dream Towns"

U.S. News and World Report included Chattanooga in "Six Smart Cities ... What Your Hometown Can Learn from Six Success Stories"

Parade "The Reborn City ... A Place You Might Want to Live."

National Public Radio called Chattanooga "one of the great cities of the world."

Impressed? Just wait until you visit Chattanooga for yourself. I'm proud of the city of my youth.

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Chattanooga is in southeastern Tennessee, about 150 miles southeast of Nashville and 120 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. It is connected by Interstate highways 75, 59, and 24. Although the city is very spread out and public transportation is somewhat limited, the downtown area is very walkable.

On different visits to Chattanooga I have brought Karen, my son Gregory, my grandchildren, and my Dad all to Big River Grill, so I must like this place. It is a sports bar/brewery housed in an old warehouse in the heart of the riverfront entertainment district. It's the perfect place to go to fuel yourself up and be refreshed after visiting one of the many nearby attractions, whether it's lunchtime or late evening.

I love the Hickory Bacon Burger with smoked cheddar cheese and sweet magnolia barbecue sauce. They also have pizza, pasta, seafood, chicken, steak, and other offerings. Everything is good.

Also, they claim to have an "award-winning" selection of ales and lagers, freshly brewed on the premises. I personally prefer the sweet iced tea.

I have always enjoyed the ambience of his restaurant, located just off the domed lobby of the old Chattanooga Choo Choo station. Opened in 1909 as Terminal Station, the train depot welcomed thousands of travelers during the golden age of railroads in America. Those who dine here today can still experience a bit of the atmosphere of that bygone era, surrounded by greenery and sunny windows looking out over the formal gardens, where there were once railroad tracks. When you are here, don't forget to take a peek under the magnificent dome of the old railway station, which is now the lobby for a Holiday Inn. Also, off the lobby is a very nice bar, separate from the restaurant. After dinner, be sure to take a stroll through the Chattanooga Choo Choo complex and visit some of the shops and gardens or even take a ride on the trolley. It makes dining here a special experience.

The Gardens Dining Room is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but not in between. They offer traditional Southern cooking of a wide variety, and everything I've tried here is good. I especially like their gourmet desserts.

Chattanooga's wildly successful and popular Tennessee Aquarium is the world's largest freshwater aquarium. The ultra-modern facility reproduces and displays the natural habitats of the great rivers of the world.

As if that weren't enough, in April 2005, the aquarium opened a new expansion which added 650,000 gallons of saltwater exhibits, with ten-foot sharks, fierce barracuda and graceful sting-rays, gliding through an undersea cavern. Other galleries showcase butterflies, cuttlefish, squid, crabs and jellyfish. A lush tropical beach, with 100 feet of "shoreline," gives visitors the opportunity to touch bamboo sharks and sting rays.

If you only see one attraction in Chattanooga, you couldn't make a better choice than the Tennessee Aquarium.

Adjacent to the aquarium is an IMAX theatre with a wrap-around screen five stories high. First-run adventure travelogues are shown here and are not to be missed.

The Tennessee Aquarium and IMax is located downtown on the Riverfront, at the very end of Broad Street.

Hours:
Open daily 10am - 6 pm
Building closes at 7:30pm
Extended summer hours

For the latest information, log on to http://www.tnaqua.com, or call 800/262-0095.

The Chattanooga Choo Choo is the name of an actual train which ran from Cincinnati to Chattanooga, beginning in 1880, offering the first through passenger service to the South. This little steam engine was dubbed the Chattanooga Choo Choo by a newspaper reporter and later made famous by a 1941 Glenn Miller song, which became the music industry's first ever gold record. Alas, the last passenger train pulled out of the magnificant old Chattanooga Terminal Station on August 11, 1970. Today the Chattanooga Choo Choo is a 24-acre vacation complex with restaurants, shops, gardens, a Model Railroad Museum, trolley rides, and more. The entrance to the old Terminal Station, with its impressive free-standing 85-foot dome, is now the lobby of a Holiday Inn.

Every time I visit the Chattanooga Choo Choo, and I have done so dozens of times, I find myself remembering the wide-eyed excitement of coming here as a little boy. It was a bustling terminal then, with up to 68 trains arriving and departing daily. I came with my parents to pick up Grandmother Minor, who often traveled by train from Decatur, Alabama, to visit us. It was a noisy beehive of activity then, with hissing steam engines and clamoring crowds of people coming and going.

The Choo Choo is quieter now, but it can still be a lively place and one that every visitor to Chattanooga should experience.

Contact Information:
Telephone: 1-423-266-5000
Website: http://www.choochoo.com

At the north end of the Walnut Street Bridge, you will find Coolidge Riverside Park, named for Charles Coolidge, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II. It is a delightful setting for either rest or recreation. There are beautifully landscaped grounds, walkways, and a magnificent fountain that my grandchildren absolutely LOVE to play in on a hot summer day. You will also find restrooms, concessions, and a carousel. The park is especially popular with young families, as well as young lovers.

One of the favorite stops in Chattanooga for my grandchildren, Nicholas and Alexandria, is the magnificent, completely restored carousel at Coolidge Riverside Park. Rides are only $.25, and the lines are usually short. Grownups may enjoy the merry-go-round too.

For more information on Coolidge Riverside Park and other attractions in the neighborhood, you can log on to www.chattanoogariverfront.com or call 800/322-3344.