Chattanooga Choo Choo!

October  24-31, 2022

We had heard wonderful things about Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground and were looking forward to our stay there.  I have to agree that it is a great place to base yourself out of for a visit to Chattanooga, Tennessee!

Our first full day in the area took us to downtown Chattanooga where we stopped at the Visitor Center and picked up some tips.  

In October of 1969, Walter Cronkite famously called Chattanooga “the dirtiest city in America”.  Well, that got the attention of the city leaders who were instantly challenged to do something about their stained reputation.  One of the changes made was updating the city center.  I don’t know what was here before, but today you find (in addition to the Visitor Center) some pretty unique and creative art.  The area is supposed to be representative of the greater Chattanooga area, including the formation of the Appalachian foothills as the tectonic plates collided millions of years ago.  

It’s also clear they are proud of their “Chattanooga Choo Choo” history as there are railway tracks imbedded in the sidewalk with the lyrics to the song as the ties.  Very cute!

We had easy access to the Riverwalk from there so, before long, we were strolling along the banks of the Tennessee River.  As beautiful as the view was, we came across a historical marker at Ross Landing that changed the mood of our stroll.  In May of 1838, Ross Landing was one of the places that began the long, painful and often deadly “Trail of Tears” – the forced relocation of the Cherokees west to the Oklahoma Territory.  America sure does have some sad events in the past.  Actually, I’m sure most countries do.  As sad as it was, I’m glad the plaque is there.  It not only honors those who were forced to endure this, but serves as a lesson from which we can grow.  

Continuing along the Riverwalk, we soon found ourselves at Walnut Street Bridge, which is a pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River.  On the other side of the river, we found what is known as the “North Shore”.  Many cute shops and restaurants line a few blocks in the area and we enjoyed taking it all in.

Lookout Mountain is in the background!

The sidewalks have instructions for various dances.  I struggled with this one!

We grew up hearing the “Chattanooga Choo Choo” song, so we were a bit curious about the story behind this 1941 song.  It turns out on March 5, 1880, the first passenger train that left Cincinnati for Chattanooga was nicknamed the “Chattanooga Choo Choo”.  

The historic train depot is now a very fun and lively area to visit.  The tracks that once had passenger and freight trains regularly arriving and departing now have several cars permanently parked there.  Several of the cars have been converted into hotel rooms that you can rent.  One car is even an escape room! 

The depot itself had been reinvented into a hotel at one point, but it now houses several businesses, including Gate 11 Distillery which served me the best Old Fashioned ever!  I think part of their secret is the smoked orange peel they used.  

Lookout Mountain is a big landmark of the area.   No trip to Chattanooga would be complete without checking this big hill out.  

Rock City with Lover's Leap in the background

Rock City sits at the top of Lookout Mountain and is a fun place to spend an afternoon.  When missionaries were first exploring this area, they noticed how all of the rock formations seem to naturally create what could be described as streets of a city.  This natural geological wonderland has been enhanced with over 400 different species of plants, trees and shrubs and is truly spectacular!  The views are amazing!  In fact, from one spot, you have views on a clear day of Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Virginia.  Yep, that’s seven states!

Dick is standing on the map at the location of where we are able to view seven states!

Mother Goose Village inside the Enchanted Caverns

Swing-A-Long Bridge was a long way up!

At one point along the “Enchanted Trail”, we met Tamara.  We had an instant connection with Tamara when she learned we were traveling in our camper.  Tamara set off this spring in her 24-foot Class C motorhome.  Tamara has had unbelievably difficult times in her life.  As a child, she lost her father to a fatal heart attack and, as a young adult, she lost her mother.  When she was 31, she and her daughter survived a car crash from a drunk driver, but her husband and toddler son were killed.  Today, she is fighting her third battle with cancer.  She has survived malignant tumors in her kidney and breast and is determined to enjoy each day as she continues to battle this current cancer.  In all of this, Tamara has found God and gives God glory for all of the blessings these tragedies have brought.  What an attitude!  Tamara has maintained a relationship with the infant girl who received her son’s liver in a transplant, even attending the girl’s college graduation.  The car accident happened on Easter Sunday and Tamara is quick to point out the resurrection connection!  It was an incredible blessing to meet and spend a little time with this strong woman. 

Chattanooga Brewing Company was a nice way to wrap up an afternoon of exploring!  Curious about trying some fried okra and unable to resist their cheese pretzel, it ended up not only being an afternoon refreshment, but pretty much took care of our dinner as well.  Although we scored high on adventure for the day, we failed on healthy eating!  BTW, their Udder Darkness Imperial Stout is pretty tasty stuff!

Another way to reach the top of Lookout Mountain is via the Incline Railway.  The original Incline opened in 1887 and is quite a fun experience!  It claims to be the world’s steepest incline and is nicknamed “America’s most amazing mile”.  With fall foliage in full color, it did make for a stunning ride up the mountain!

When you step off the Incline Railway at the top of Lookout Mountain, it’s a two block walk to Point Park, part of the National Park program.  In 1863, the Union Army occupied Chattanooga while the Confederate Army, overlooking Chattanooga from atop Lookout Mountain, were successfully starving the Union troops by controlling the supply route.  The Confederate Army sat on top of Lookout Mountain with their cannons aimed at the river and railroad.  On a cloudy, late October night, the Union Army, under the cover of darkness, unexpectedly ascended Lookout Mountain where the cannons couldn’t fire at them and took control, re-establishing their supply line.  This “Battle Above the Clouds” was a huge turning point of the Civil War.  

Beautiful view of the Tennessee River!

From Point Park, we took what I believe to be one of the prettiest hikes I’ve ever been on.  I keep thinking we have found peak fall foliage but, honestly, I think this was IT!  Hiking on Bluff trail was such a party for our eyes!  On our way to Sunset Rock, it seemed like every turn in the trail offered beautiful colors like no other … until we came to the land of kudzu!  This invasive plant completely overtook a small section of the trail, giving us an even greater appreciation of the fall foliage once we left the kudzu-controlled section. 

Umbrella Rock

Dick continues to keep his watchful eye on both the camper's and truck’s maintenance.  The camper tire’s low tread surfaced a few weeks ago.  We had Goodyear Endurance tires on the camper, but they seem to be an endangered species.  Reviews appeared strong on the Carlisle brand of tire and availability didn’t seem to be as much of a problem.  Time will tell which tire we end up happiest with.  We had about 15,000 miles on the Goodyear tires which doesn’t seem like enough to have worn them out.  Regardless, it’s nice to have a healthy tread on the tires as we travel down the road!   

Football Saturdays have been a little difficult this fall.  Verizon has just not been widely available in the campgrounds we’ve been staying at making it next to impossible to watch our beloved ISU Cyclone games.  This week was a huge exception!  Raccoon Mountain Caverns and Campground had cable and pulling in the Oklahoma vs. ISU game was not a problem!  There was another problem, however.  Oklahoma seemed to have figured the Cyclones game out and it was a frustrating game to watch!  

Go Cyclones!

It was a good thing we had a fun evening planned for post-football game!  A huge highlight of this stay was reconnecting with Tanea!  I met Tanea years ago when I taught at Harding Middle School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.   Tanea worked for Equipping Youth and would come into my classroom, teaching lessons from the Powerful Choices program.  Tanea moved to Chattanooga in 2013 and continues in a similar position with another organization.  Lucky students who get to participate with Tanea!  Tanea and her husband, Jerry, joined us for dinner at Champy’s.  Tanea and Jerry had us in stitches, laughing at stories of their first date.  What a lovely couple!

Our final day in the area had rain forecasted for off and on during the day.  We figured this was a good day to check out the caverns portion of our campground!  Guided tours of the caverns are offered, so we went underground to see stalactites, stalagmites, columns, shields, popcorn, ancient fossils, and resident salamanders!  

Crystal Palace inside Raccoon Mountain Caverns

Following the cavern tour, the rain was letting up, so we headed downtown to the Chattanooga Market.  This was held in a covered pavilion, so the scattered showers didn’t cause any problems.  The market is open every Sunday from 11-4, May through December.  We brought home some pimento cheese varieties (who can pass up Black Truffle, Gouda, or Jalapeno?)!  Fresh yams and home-canned pickles also made it back to the camper!  The most entertaining thing about the market was the Trick or Treaters!  All of the venders had baskets of candy for the children there!  Many of the parents were in costume too!  What a unique (and safe) place to Trick or Treat at! 

The Tennessee Aquarium wrapped up our stay in Chattanooga!  A ticket gets you into both the River Journey and the Ocean Journey aquariums.  It’s hard to pick a favorite of the two!  While experiencing the River Journey, we loved watching divers feeding rays native to the Amazon.  The colorful salt water fish displayed in the Ocean Journey were beautiful!

Chattanooga certainly has cleaned up their act since Cronkite was here!  The combination of outdoor adventures, history, wonderful food and great friends can’t be beat!

Up next:  Huntsville, Alabama!