Marriott At The Convention Center Chattanooga

... There must have been issues with that particular system since it didn’t seem to catch on right away.

We were just getting to the other side of the gun exhibit when we were invaded by a middle school. Yikes. Peaceful calm erupted in chaos. Some of the more mature students tried to quiet the others by 'shushing’ them but it really didn’t work. We went through the second half much faster than the first ...

... for a touring bike - a lot of ruts and unstable due to gravel. It was a sunny day and the view was spectacular. Dan & Darla had visited the overlook a month earlier and it was an overcast day. This day was clear and the visibility was immense.

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.

Today we toured the Chickamauga National Military Park--site of the September 19 & 20, 1863 Civil War Battle.

The area is beautiful! There are roughly 600 monuments scattered throughout the entire park. Much fewer tourists than Gettysburg. My biggest disappointment is ...

... into Gatwick Airport tomorrow and take the Express into central London. Our hotel in the British capital will be the Grosvenor, located directly above Victoria Station. I hope to accomplish all of the must-sees and also have time for some shopping and a trip out to Windsor Castle. We'll be heavily relying on the "Original London Sightseeing" Double-Decker "Hop on, Hop off" tour for the first day, and we also took advantage of the London Pass so that we can skip the lines at the Tower of London and other attractions.

Taking the Eurostar into Paris- the ...

... GAVE MY FISH TO A LOCAL PET SHOP. ANYWAY, SEEING EVERYTHING IN THE TENNESSEE AQUARIUM TOOK JUST ABOUT A WHOLE DAY TO SEE IT ALL. SUCH BEAUTIFUL FISH! I THINK THE PICTURES PRETTY MUCH TELLS HOW NEAT THIS TRIP WAS. WE DECIDED TO DRIVE BACK TO A FAMILIAR MOTEL, AFTER WARDS. SO, WE DROVE BACK TO SCOTTSBORO AND STAYED THERE. WE ATE AT THE WESTERN SIZZLIN RESTAURANT. WHICH IS ...

... the schools to explain music boxes, glass blowing, or life in Victorian times. Of course, a guided tour through the museum is an educational adventure too. If the show at the Trade Center whets your appetite for learning more about what you've seen (or bought), spend some time at 201 High Street browsing the permanent collection that began with Anna Safely Houston. One of the most interesting things to ...

... to fly," says Chuck Jones, head of the club. "We'll teach you how to make them and get them in the air." From noon till 4:30 it's free-flying time mixed with heavy-duty demonstrations by the club members. Watch them duel it out with fighter kites, manhandle the giant four-liners, and show off by flying two kites at the same time. There is even kite ballet set to music ...

So good you could eat it with a spoon. That's what I have to say about the unusual, lush mountain territory I've just explored. I've just completed 20 Great Trips! I think back, which was my favorite? Oh no! All of them? Well yes, but my standard answer about "my favorite trip" is always this: my NEXT one. For the rest of the month I'm replaying tapes, and organizing my notes. What a country! What a LIFE.

This trip takes you over and back across Walden Ridge (not Walden's, as so often misspelled!), a plateau extending from the Tennessee River northeastward for about 90 miles, averaging 7 miles across its flat top and ranging in elevation from approximately 1,500 feet to the 3,048-foot Hinch Mountain at the northern end of the Sequatchie Valley. Half the Ridge sits in the Eastern Time Zone, and half in Central -- a ...