Chattanooga’s Colorful Canvas Offers New Discoveries

ANN YUNGMEYER | SPECIAL TO THE HERALD COURIER
Published: July 13, 2008

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Making the most of summer vacation is on the minds of many travelers – with the one-tank trip and regional travel becoming ever more appealing. Chattanooga, not far down the road, is a good choice for family fun, and the destination city offers a host of new and different activities.
What’s more, many of Chattanooga’s attractions are within walking distance near the riverfront or accessible by water taxi or the city’s free electric shuttle bus, so once you arrive you can choose to park the car and leave it.
At the heart of Chattanooga’s 21st Century Waterfront, the Tennessee Aquarium continues to entice visitors with new developments. The Penguin’s Rock exhibit, opened in 2007, features macaroni and gentoo penguins that waddle, dive and rocket through the water, delighting onlookers. The Aquarium’s new two-day Big Fish Pass comes with an “All you can Sea” deal allowing visitors to come and go as often as they please at the River Journey and Ocean Journey buildings. The Big Fish Pass includes discounts to many of the area’s most enduring attractions, such as IMAX Theater, Ruby Falls, Rock City and the Hunter Museum of American Art, but here we set our sights on more discoveries.

BY WAY OF THE WATER
Take an eco-cruise through the Tennessee River Gorge on the newly launched River Gorge Explorer, a high-speed catamaran-style vessel. Led by an aquarium naturalist, the River Gorge Explorer departs from the pier behind the aquarium and takes visitors downstream to learn about the area’s wildlife, archeological treasures, Civil War sites and Native American heritage. Billed as “Tennessee’s Grand Canyon,” the gorge is the fourth largest river canyon east of the Mississippi, with much of the land and distinctive habitat protected by the Tennessee River Gorge Trust.  Chattanooga Water Taxi and Fat Cat Ferry offer boat rides to explore the riverfront with stops at a “Trail of Tears” site known as The Passage; Coolidge Park and its nostalgic carousel, interactive fountain, nearby shops, restaurants and galleries; and at McClellan Island, an 18-acre Audubon Society bird sanctuary. Visitors can hop aboard at any stop.

BROWSING THE ARTS COMMUNITIES
Chattanooga has a vibrant arts scene enhanced through the city’s Allied Arts organization and Arts Move, a program offering relocation incentives to artists. Galleries and artist studios are found along Frazier Avenue on the North Shore, Bluff View Art District and the up-and-coming Main Street and Southside areas.
The unique River Gallery Sculpture Garden is a favorite in the historic Bluff View district, and the patio at Rembrandt’s Coffee house makes a good spot to relax.
The Southside area, “Chattanooga’s Soho,” is characterized by refurbished foundries and warehouses, and is home to newly converted lofts, restaurants, studios and antique shops. Popular with locals is the open-air Chattanooga Market featuring local artists and farm produce, held on Sundays (May–November) in an historic foundry building, now the First Tennessee Pavilion.

GETTING ACTIVE IN THE OUTDOORS
Whether out for a stroll or paddling the river, exploring the natural beauty through outdoor recreation is a hallmark of experiencing the scenic city. Guided kayaking trips, photography workshops and other outdoor adventures are offered regularly through the aquarium’s special events.
The Walnut Street pedestrian bridge which crosses the river from downtown to the North Shore community is a key link to the city’s extensive walking paths. The bridge makes a keen vantage point for watching kayakers, canoeists, rowing regattas and riverboat cruisers.
Curious to try a Segway scooter? 
Here’s your chance to roll through the
city without worrying about tackling a few hills. Guided tours are offered by Scenic Segway, covering eight miles in less than two hours. If you prefer to peddle your own wheels, try biking the Tennessee Riverpark, a 10-mile, multi-use path along the river. Bring your bike or rent one near the Waterfront.
For the real thrill seeker, or for less adventurous, hang gliding is offered at Lookout Mountain Flight Park, one of the most renowned hang gliding schools in the United States. Step-by-step instruction begins on the ground and students fly tandem with an instructor at their side, soaring to 2000 feet (weather permitting).
Evening entertainment under the stars might include a Chattanooga Lookouts game at AT&T Field near the aquarium or taking a drive out of town to a large, high-tech drive-in theater for a double feature movie. The Wilderness Outdoor Movie Theater, located in Trenton, Ga., 15 minutes from downtown Chattanooga, features two 100 by 50 foot screens in a scenic meadow nestled between the mountains. Touted as the largest and most luxurious outdoor movie theater in the world, it is indeed a unique experience.

EATING AND SLEEPING
Great food is within easy reach in Chattanooga with many choices from upscale to moderately priced local and chain restaurants (Sticky Fingers, Mellow Mushroom, Panera Bread). 
Favorite picks: The Blue Plate contemporary diner next to the aquarium, Terra Nostra Tapas & Wine on Frazier Avenue; Blue Orleans Creole near Main Street, and Clumpies Ice Cream, Frazier Avenue.
Accommodations are plentiful (and pricier) in the downtown district. 
Favorite picks:  Bluff View Inn for location and views, StoneFort Inn for unique European flair.
Of note: Doubletree Inn and Suites (formerly Chattanooga Clarion Hotel) is projected to open September 2008 featuring a landscaped terrace with a fire pit. The Chattanooga Choo Choo, celebrating 100 years in 2009, plans upcoming events at the Choo Choo Holiday Inn complex. An extensive listing of hotel and dining options is available at The Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

FINDING WHIMSICAL FUN
If you like the carousel ride at Coolidge Park, there is a new one in town at the Chattanooga Zoo, scheduled for installation summer 2008. The addition of the hand-crafted Endangered Species Carousel is part of a major renovation to the zoo which adds expanded facilities, a new gift shop and concession pavilion. 
The brightly painted, ornately-carved carousel animals have intrigued children and adults alike, taking us back to an earlier time. For an inside look at the craftsmanship of the carousel animals, visit master woodcarver Bud Ellis at his “Horsing Around” Studio and Carousel Carving School, a few miles outside of Chattanooga. Ellis led the team of artisans and craftsmen from his carving school to hand-carve the entire menagerie on the city’s two distinctive carousels.

NOTE: Outdoor Chattanooga, a division of Chattanooga Parks and Recreation Department, is the best resource for planning outdoor activities in town or the surrounding area.

IF YOU GO
-- Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, http://www.chattanoogafun.com
-- Tennessee Aquarium, http://www.tnaqua.org/VisitorInfo/VisitorInfo.asp
-- Bluff View Art District, http://www.bluff-viewartdistrict.com
-- Outdoor Chattanooga, http://www.outdoorchattanooga.com
-- Adventure Bicycle Rental, http://adventurebicyclerental.com/
-- Lookout Mountain Flight Park, http://www.hanglide.com