Chattanooga, TN

We spent most of today ashore sightseeing in Chattanooga. Our first stop was the Tennessee Aquarium, an amazing, two-building display of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and even butterflies. The focus is primarily on local and regional ecosystems, but there are many exhibits highlighting the extensive work the aquarium is doing to preserve and restore endangered aquatic life globally. My two favorite pics: A master of camouflage, the mossy frog is native to Southeast Asia and looks like a clump of moss, even up close. And Stella the Seahorse, a sculpture made up entirely of plastic trash recovered from our waterways. 

After the aquarium (and lunch), we hopped on the city’s free electric shuttle bus to the restored depot of the Chattanooga Choo Choo. The depot is original, the train is not, and we were underwhelmed, although the site is being renovated and expanded, and has potential. The famous nickname was given to an 1880s steam locomotive that ran from Cincinnati to Chattanooga. The famous song was written for the 1941 musical, Sun Valley Serenade and was performed by Glenn Miller—it quickly became the #1 tune in America.

Next we got back on the shuttle and went to Lookout Mountain to ride the Incline Railway up to the top. The Incline, as it’s known, has been in operation for more than 125 years. The counterbalanced ascending and descending cars (called a funicular) ride a one-mile track up 1,450 feet with a variable grade that maxes out at 72.7% near the top, one of the world’s steepest. The views of Chattanooga, the Tennessee River Valley and the Cumberland Plateau are magnificent. Also at the top is a National Military Park describing the importance of this strategic high ground during the Civil War, and how it ultimately fell to Union control in “The Battle Above The Clouds.”

We had dinner at Agave & Rye Tequila and Bourbon Hall near the waterfront, which is gearing up for two consecutive weekends of racing events on the river. When we returned to Dragonfly, the Southern Belle, Chattanooga’s local riverboat, was coming back from her nightly dinner cruise in the fading light.