Chattanooga, TN, USA
Created | Updated Mar 31, 2003
Chattanooga, a city most famous for its "Choo-Choo," but which now does not have regularly scheduled passenger train service, remains an important transportation crossroads. Much of the traffic travelling north-south on the eastern half of the U.S. passes through Chattanooga via either I-24 from Nashville or I-75 from Knoxville or Atlanta.
Tourist attractions include the Tennessee Aquarium, which is the largest freshwater aquarium in the world (but which, sadly, does not have any babelfish on display). The twin attractions of Rock City and Ruby Falls, which sit atop Lookout Mountain, rival any in the world in terms of their cheesiness. South of Chattanooga is the Chickamauga Battlefield, site of an important battle of the U.S. Civil War.
Night life in Chattanooga is dismal, probably due to the extreme religious devotion and the relatively high average age of its citizens. For example, the 2000 New Year's Party ended at 10:00 p.m. On Friday nights during the summer independent musicians perform at "Nightfall" downtown. In June there is the River Bend festival, where a collection of has-been musicians perform over a 10 day period. (Better music festivals can be found in many other cities, such as Milwaukee's Summerfest.)
Dining in Chattanooga is also fairly average. Wally's Restaurant is well-known for being the breakfast spot for Chattanooga's power brokers. Tony's Pasta Shop in the Bluff View Art District is well worth a visit, although walking to Rembrandt's Coffee House for dessert would be advised.
In 2000 the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team moved to its new stadium (BellSouth Park, affectionally known as BS Park). The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga plays its home football games at Max Finley Stadium (MF Stadium) on the Gordon Davenport Field (GD Field).
Unlike many cities, it is very easy to see all of what Chattanooga has to offer in a one-day visit. It is a convenient place to stop when travelling from the Great Lakes to Florida, but after enjoying the scenery, it is best to continue on toward Atlanta, where you are more likely to find intelligent life.
Tourist attractions include the Tennessee Aquarium, which is the largest freshwater aquarium in the world (but which, sadly, does not have any babelfish on display). The twin attractions of Rock City and Ruby Falls, which sit atop Lookout Mountain, rival any in the world in terms of their cheesiness. South of Chattanooga is the Chickamauga Battlefield, site of an important battle of the U.S. Civil War.
Night life in Chattanooga is dismal, probably due to the extreme religious devotion and the relatively high average age of its citizens. For example, the 2000 New Year's Party ended at 10:00 p.m. On Friday nights during the summer independent musicians perform at "Nightfall" downtown. In June there is the River Bend festival, where a collection of has-been musicians perform over a 10 day period. (Better music festivals can be found in many other cities, such as Milwaukee's Summerfest.)
Dining in Chattanooga is also fairly average. Wally's Restaurant is well-known for being the breakfast spot for Chattanooga's power brokers. Tony's Pasta Shop in the Bluff View Art District is well worth a visit, although walking to Rembrandt's Coffee House for dessert would be advised.
In 2000 the Chattanooga Lookouts minor league baseball team moved to its new stadium (BellSouth Park, affectionally known as BS Park). The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga plays its home football games at Max Finley Stadium (MF Stadium) on the Gordon Davenport Field (GD Field).
Unlike many cities, it is very easy to see all of what Chattanooga has to offer in a one-day visit. It is a convenient place to stop when travelling from the Great Lakes to Florida, but after enjoying the scenery, it is best to continue on toward Atlanta, where you are more likely to find intelligent life.
