Atlanta & Macon

December 3, 2007







Atlanta & Macon



Thanksgiving day, after the Gobbler Walk, Kathy & I made the short drive to Atlanta. We had a reservation at the Embassy Suites in Centennial Park for the night so that we could attend the Thursday night Thanksgiving game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Atlanta Falcons in the nearby Georgia Dome.





The hotel was in a perfect location, next to the spectacular new Georgia Aquarium and Coca-Cola World and an easy walk to the game. For Thanksgiving dinner, we ate at the Ruth Chris Steak House located in the hotel lobby. They had a wonderful Thanksgiving turkey dinner special, which though not as homey as a traditional Thanksgiving, was excellent.

The lobby and stadium had an awful lot of Blue clad Colts fans in the sea of red Falcons fans, but our seats in the upper deck were surrounded by Falcons fans who took great joy in gently heckling us especially when the Colts fell behind 10-0. Thankfully the Colts finally got their act together and outscored the Falcons 31-3 to win the game 31-13. It was a pretty impressive display by Peyton and the Colts as they shook off injuries and the slow start to cruise to victory.



Friday morning, we had tickets to the massive and amazing Georgia aquarium. Billed as the largest aquarium in the world, the aquarium is an amazing array of exhibits and displays. The feature attraction is the humungous tank which holds thousands of fish including four huge whale sharks. Whale sharks are seldom found in captivity and they are incredible to see up close. It is truly worth the admission price just to see these amazing animals. They also have tons of sharks, rays, otters, and even some beluga whales. It is a remarkable place. After visiting the aquarium, we went to the brand new World of Coca-Cola museum next door.

Georgia Aquarium







Impressive in it’s own right, the Coke museum traces the history of the most popular brand name in the world and even features a tasting room where visitors can taste test Coke products from around the globe. It’s amazing the diversity and differences of tastes you experience.





After leaving Atlanta, we drove down to Macon to pick India up at her brother’s house in Macon. JD & Amy took excellent care of India, she seemed almost sad to leave. Before hitting the road, we took the dogs, Peppy & India and joined JD & Amy along with Amy’s brother and sister-in-law to the wonderful Ocmulgee National Monument for some hiking.

JD, Amy & Peppy



The Ocmulgee National Monument is the site of Native American habitation that dates back as much as 12,000 years. There are large Indian mounds there as well as a museum featuring a number of historical artifacts and a system of trails that run throughout the property and down to the banks of the Ocmulgee River, which though seriously low due to drought, is still a beautiful river and the perfect place to take the dogs. It was also great to be able to spend a little time with JD & Amy, former Key West residents who are doing well living in Macon.


Ocmulgee National Monument

World of Coca-Cola

Georgia Aquarium

Tennessee

November 30, 2007

Hunter Museum

Chickamauga Battlefield Park

Tennessee



Chattanooga is really an impressive little city. Walking around the downtown area, it is easy to see the thought process that was used in creating a place that is at once friendly to visitors and residents alike. We spent a good deal of time exploring. We even stopped by the Chamber of Commerce to get a new residents guide.

The city was great, it was clean and friendly and felt safe. We asked people wherever we went what their opinion of Chattanooga was and to a person we received positive, if not glowing reviews about all the changes that have happened. Everyone was so nice and accommodating and they all seemed thrilled at the prospect of us re-locating to the area. At times it almost felt like we were being invited to join some groovy cult.

Winder Binder Gallery of Folk Art

The downtown area is anchored by the beautiful and recently expanded Tennessee Aquarium, which sits right along the banks of the Tennessee River. The aquarium which features the largest freshwater aquarium in the world is top notch. The freshwater “River Journey” and the brand new addition “Ocean Journey” feature thousands of fish and sea creatures.

Tennessee Aquarium



The construction of the aquarium spurred a growth spurt of redevelopment in Chattanooga which has seen the addition of all sorts of restaurants, galleries, and retail stores both in the immediate area, the nearby Bluff View Arts district and across the River on the North Shore/ Fraser Avenue district. Parks, open space and a beautiful River Walk all help make the city a vibrant and interesting place.

We also visited the Hunter Museum of American Art, which is also located along the Riverfront. The museum is perched on a huge bluff overlooking the river and features a great collection of American Art, another nice surprise in a city of that size.

Chickamauga

To get a better understanding of life in Chattanooga, we spent a great evening with some friends of friends who also relocated to Chattanooga and were pleased to learn that they seem to love it. Thanks to Theresa & Patrick for their insights and company, we even joined them on Thanksgiving morning for a fundraising walk, The Grateful Gobbler walk which raised money for Chattanooga’s homeless.

Theresa & Patrick

The Grateful Gobbler



The Hunter Museum

Tennessee Aquarium

Ruby Falls & Lookout Mountain

November 29, 2007

Ruby Falls

Point Park

Ruby Falls & Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain Incline

On our first full day in Chattanooga, we decided to explore the most prominent natural feature of the city, Lookout Mountain. The mountain, which is actually located at the intersection of northeast Alabama, northwest Georgia and Chattanooga, Tennessee towers over the city of Chattanooga. At its summit, High Point, it is possible to see seven states on a clear day and we were fortunate to have almost perfect weather. First we went over to the nearby Chattanooga Choo Choo for quick breakfast at the hotel that has ben built around the train.

Chattanooga Choo Choo

We started at the other famous tourist attraction located on the mountain, (in addition to Rock City), Ruby Falls. Technically, Ruby Falls is located in rather than on Lookout Mountain. The 145 ft. falls are located deep inside a massive cave, Ruby Falls Cave, deep with-in the mountain. Visited by thousands of tourists each year, Ruby Falls is much like Rock City in that it is at once remarkable and kitschy, We rode the elevator down into the cave, which is spectacular despite the touristy nature and followed the guided tour that wound down to the Falls. My guess is that the owners of the Falls didn’t quite find the Falls incredible enough on their own, as they added garish lighting and piped in loud music to heighten the experience. Despite that, it was a pretty cool experience.

Ruby Falls Cave





After Ruby Falls, we headed up to the Point Park, the summit of Lookout Mountain. The mountain was the site of the first battle of Chattanooga during the Civil War and the commanding overview of the important railroad hub of Chattanooga was contested throughout the war. Point Park is park of the Chickamauga National Battlefield park, the majority of which is located in nearby Georgia.

Point Park

Our next stop was at the foot of the mountain on the northern side where the Chattanooga Nature Center and the beautiful Reflection Riding Arboretum & Botanical Garden are located. The small nature center features animals and displays of the native flora & fauna as well as a short walking trail. The much longer road through the Reflection Riding area is truly beautiful and well worth visiting. The perfect fall weather and foliage only added to the incredible drive.








Chattanooga Nature Center

Reflection Riding

Ruby Falls