Chattanooga

We just finished our first side trip of The Loop to Chattanooga, Tennessee and had so much fun. Over the past couple of years while planning The Loop we kept hearing about people taking side trips to Chattanooga and saying you have to go there it’s amazing. I personally didn’t understand what all the hype was all about. I had been there as a kid to visit my Aunt Susan and cousin Sarah. I didn’t remember anything about it except that they used to live there. Jeff told me that it was supposed to be some of the best scenery of the trip and it was. The final leg of the Tennessee River into Chattanooga was breathtaking. There were high mountains on either side lined with fall kissed leaved trees that were just incredible. Jeff took some pictures but because of the time of day they just don’t fully represent how gorgeous it really was.

At the Rendezvous we talked to several people who said they were going to Chattanooga but weren’t really sure who we would see. We traveled from Joe Wheeler all the way to Chattanooga (three nights) with a beautiful Fleming boat called Bee Haven with Rod and Suzie. We have the same type of boats so we cruise the same speed and went through the locks together and stayed at the same marinas and anchorages. It was nice traveling with them. Our final night before arriving in Chattanooga we were at an anchorage with Bee Haven and two other Looper boats that we knew – LarryLynn and Still Waters II. We all cruised into Chattanooga together and were all tied up on the same downtown dock wall. When we arrived we also knew the other boat that was there Over Ice so the first night we all had “docktails” This is the cheesy name that Loopers call cocktails on the dock if it wasn’t self explanatory. We all brought some apps and drinks and hung out. After a couple of hours we all said our goodbyes and went back to our own boats.

The next day we got to sleep in which is one of the best parts of the loop. So many days we are get up at 6a.m. to go on long journeys so this was a treat for me. We got an Uber and went to one of the must see places in Chattanooga – Look Out Mountain where a cute little railway car takes you up the mountain and there is the most amazing views of the city. I was pretty nervous going up because I guess I have a fear of heights. I thought it was just bridges but apparently it’s all heights. Somehow I survived and glad that I went. We walked around the top for a while looking around and exploring then road the railcar back down. From there we got another Uber and went to Rock City. Now Rock City is harder to explain. Basically a family lived on this property with all of these huge boulders. They thought they were so fascinating they opened it up to the public. They call it Rock City because there are so many of these boulders that it creates pathways and passageways that make a whole little city. It was made to be kinda kitschy with gnomes and music and a very Disneyesk feel. Either way we both really liked it.

We had a nice late lunch at a place called Big River Grill where Jeff had Shrimp and Grits a southern classic. He said it was “amazing.” When we returned back to the dock and the boat all our neighbors were getting back from their days too. Everyone ended up coming over to our boat and we all talked about our day and what we saw and ate and what we were going to do the next day.

We had only planned on staying two days but decided to extend and extra day because we still wanted to ride our bikes and visit the local art museum. Boy were we glad that we did. We launched the bikes from the top of the boat and rode along the 15mile river walk bike trial to the end. It was so nice and peaceful and great to see the river and the city from that beautiful path. After our biking efforts we treated ourselves to a nice lunch at the Boathouse, which happened to be conveniently located along the bike path. Jeff ate a whole trout that he said was, “outstanding.” After lunch we biked to the Hunter House Art Museum and looked at American art for a couple of hours. It was a nice museum and good way to wind down our day. From there we rode across the pedestrian bridge to an area called the North Shore, which has shops and restaurants and bars. We grabbed some provisions and put them on Jeff’s bike trailer and headed back to the boat. By this time it was around dinnertime and we were pooped from our long day of biking. I made dinner on the boat and planned our departure in the morning.

Since leaving Chattanooga we have been traveling with a boat called Tug O’My Heart with Libby and Rob and just now got into Grand Harbor Marina on the Tenn-Tomb River. Our first new stop since taking our side trip to Chattanooga. From here we will continue south all the way to the Gulf of Mexico and Mobile, Alabama.