Chattanooga Getaway and Hotel Guide

Looking for a unique vacation spot rich in history, filled with things to do with your kids and with an odd sounding name to top it off?

You would have to look no farther than Chattanooga, Tennessee, home to the indomitable Choo Choo, the last capital of the Cherokee Indian nation and birthplace of miniature golf.

Long known for its famous railroad attraction - the Chattanooga Choo Choo and its adjoining hotel - this city on the Tennessee River is the kind of place where there is a lot to do and see, and people are always visiting. But, unlike a more hectic tourist venue, think Savannah, Ga., the city of Chattanooga just hardly ever seems all that full.

Although the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau says it is somewhat more difficult to get a hotel room in big event months in the summer, on numerous visits to the city I have never found a problem booking a hotel. Two times you may want to book ahead are in early June, during the Riverbend musical event, and in October, when many conventions and group tours hit town.

Its location two hours from Atlanta, and its proximity to Alabama are, in part, what draws visitors to Chattanooga. One could argue that Chattanooga has in some ways become Atlanta’s most distant suburb, but it retains its own distinct borders and characteristics. It is also within a reasonably doable drive from the Great Smoky Mountains in the eastern part of Tennessee.

Besides the Choo Choo, there is something for almost every age group in Chattanooga. There is the Tennessee Aquarium (billed as the world’s largest freshwater aquarium), the Discovery Museum (for children with a changing exhibit) and the Lookouts - a minor league baseball team with a stadium right downtown.

All of these attractions are within walking distance of several modern hotels. It is also very easy to avoid driving at all in downtown, courtesy of a free, electric-powered shuttle bus that runs on frequent loops to and from majors hotels and attractions.

If your taste is for the more off the wall, Chattanooga also is home to the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. And, for Civil War buffs, there are several places to go, starting with the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, scene of a major battle during the War Between the States.

The topography of Chattanooga is also unique: the Tennessee River runs though the city and the adjoining Tennessee Riverwalk and Coolidge Park, featuring a carousel for kids, make the place very appealing. There is also an arts district overlooking the river from a bluff. And the city is ringed by mountains, like Lookout Mountain, itself home to more tourist attractions.

On the lodging front, Chattanooga boasts some 100 hotels in and around downtown, including B&Bs, cabin rentals and the like. Rates range from the $40s to $150 for guestrooms, and for suites, those range from $150 to over $350.

One of the more interesting-looking places to stay is the former Read House, now a chain hotel, but it retains its old feel, sort of like stepping back into the early 20th Century. At another of the big chain hotels, weekend leisure rates prevail. Yet at this chain, located next to the Chattanooga Convention Center, guests during a typical stay may encounter fellow travelers staying over for leisure or for a convention.

Among the new hotels in Chattanooga are: a 202-room hotel with three restaurants, cigar & martini bar, spa, amphitheater, board room, and 25,000 square feet of meeting space; a 128-room chain hotel right across from the Aquarium; another chain hotel, with 94 rooms next to the Discovery Museum; and two B&Bs - one a faux Victorian town-home overlooking the river and a second, a Spanish-style villa with mountain and river views.

There seems to be enough hotel space, then, in Chattanooga for the short-term. For visitors’ sake let’s hope the city retains its full-yet-not-too-crowded feel. It if it does, it will remain a unique place to visit.

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