Chattanooga Clarion Hotel

... br><br>The Civil War history of the area had to be covered so over a few trips we checked out The Battle For Chickamauga which is a giant diorama combined with audio visual that depicts the battle of the area. It was quite impressive and gave a good orderly account of the battles. Its amazing how they had months of preparation, then the fight would be fought and done in 48hrs. We also visited the Chickamauga &amp; Chattanooga National Park ...

We have arrived in Chattanooga and found ourselves a bargain basement priced little wooden cabin to keep us out of the rain and in the warmth, yay! This is just a short entry. This week we will be staying here in Chattanooga checking out the surrounds and making a few day trips to neighbouring states. <br><br>We will keep you updated. Lots of Love, the warm, Bek and Jesse Train<br>

I wake up at 9:00am. Wow, I said I wanted to sleep late but I didn't think I&#8217;d get to sleep that late. Breakfast is only until 9:30 so we head down to eat before showers. We have the rest of the drive to Knoxville today as well as a stop at Chickamauga National Battlefield Park. Breakfast is standard Holiday Inn Express fair and surprisingly the breakfast area is not packed. Must be because it is a weekday and many people ...

... for a touring bike - a lot of ruts and unstable due to gravel. It was a sunny day and the view was spectacular. Dan &amp; Darla had visited the overlook a month earlier and it was an overcast day. This day was clear and the visibility was immense. <br><br>We left the overlook and when we reached the end of the gravel road we turned right and turned ...

Jamie, Zach, and I can now say that we have done what all the barns and bird houses across the southeast has been requesting people to do: See Rock City. Rock City is a Labrinth of rock formations on the highest peak in Tennessee. From one spot we could Kentucky, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Tennessee. Zach enjoyed looking at the rocks that loomed overhead and the massive waterfall.

... this afternoon and had a great time. The main aquarium, River Journey, traces the flow of the Tennessee river from its beginnings in an Appalachian Cove Forest to the Mississippi Delta and had a special seahorse and sea dragon exhibit. The new Ocean Journey aquarium tells the story of a tropical reef with a spot where you can feed rays (hopefully) or sharks (hopefully not) shrimp. I have never seen such large ...

Go with me? This is dedicated to those of you who have never walked the Walnut Street Bridge. Maybe you're new in town, or maybe you just don't walk much. But when I finish splaining, you'll write me a thank you! First of all, it's a good place to unkink winter muscles and catch up to spring. Our glorious Bradford pears have bloomed and leafed; the redbuds are flashing fuscia under new-green oaks; and ...

... the shady corners of our yard. Time to load the car with cups and gallons of bishop's cap and Dutchman's breeches, Carolina pea and Hoary Mountain mint, jack-in-the-pulpit and fairy candles. And of course the sundrops, for a yellow-flowered spring and lovely crimson foliage in the fall. Allow plenty of time to explore our in-the-city wildlife preserve. With mountainside acres cradling miles of roads and trails, and a 1,200-foot walkway built over the wetlands of Lookout Creek ...

... galleries and more; go to the huge Regional Farmer's Market too. And of course, another great reason to go to Knoxville is its marvelous zoo -- where you'll find more than 850 creatures housed in natural habitats. You'll enjoy Gorilla Valley, with rocks and cliffs and special viewing windows; the zoo is well known for its Big Cats too -- the collection includes cheetahs, leopards, lions, pumas, and even a white tiger.

... to live here have picked out many places we enjoy, maybe because they are handy to where we live, or they address a special interest we have -- in trains, or music, or the out-of-doors. I put together a list of fifteen favorite places of locals and visitors, in alphabetical order. Check them out -- there's a reason they are so popular.