Choo Choos and Mountain Views in Chattanooga (cont.)

Amazing views at Point Park, atop Lookout Mountain

Day 6

Thursday dawned cloudy. We had a lovely, late breakfast together at Whitebird, then I headed to the Hunter Museum of American Art. This beautiful museum is a gem by the river in Chattanooga, and the collection is entirely do-able in a morning. The collection spreads out amongst the Hunter Mansion (which was the original museum) and two additions that have been built since the facility first opened in the 1950s. Due to the pandemic, visitors should purchase tickets to the attraction ahead of time online. 

Andy Warhol's portrait of President Jimmy Carter

The museum has some lovely Warhols and de Koonings, and I was entranced by some of the beautifully lit glassware on display. They also had a piece or two from Whitfield Lovell, whose collection The Kin Series I found so arresting when visiting the Phillips Gallery in D.C. a few years ago. Their special exhibit is currently The F Word (with the F word being female), and there were some GORGEOUS pieces in this exhibit by artist Lesley Dill that I could hardly tear myself away from. Her Rise, with its gorgeous red banners and intricate lettering, held my attention for a long time. In addition to the art, the museum has a couple of well-kept outdoor terraces offering river views. 

After my visit to the museum, my son and I changed into our hiking clothes and headed up Lookout Mountain for an afternoon at Point Park. As the clouds had largely burned off by the afternoon, I figured this attraction would provide some history and views. The ten-acre memorial park takes visitors by several historic tablets that detail Civil War battles, a few monuments and a couple of Confederate artillery positions. (FYI - The Lookout Mountain trail system, which I hiked on earlier in the week, also connects to this park.) 

Drinks at The Whiskey Thief!
This is a rum drink called the River Walker.

This place is small but gorgeous. You can pay to park on the street outside, and a kiosk at the front allows you to obtain your park admission pass. You get all the views of a stellar hike, but you get them on a leisurely stroll. The path you explore circles the park and provides several vantage points of the city and the river gorge below. We saw nearby mountains, the leaves beginning to turn and the blue, blue sky! Just outside the park, you'll find picnic areas and public restrooms, in addition to a small gift shop and interpretive center. (FYI - We weren't very interested in riding the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain. But if you *were* interested in it, those passengers disembark not far from this park.) 

After snooping around the entire park, I took my son back to Cafe on the Corner for a late lunch. I had a lovely plate of fish tacos, and he got the chicken burrito bowl. Delicious! 

Then, we headed back to the hotel for a break. That night, I wasn't very hungry for dinner. Hubs and I decided to check out our hotel's rooftop bar, The Whiskey Thief, for drinks and snacks. We got a lovely high-top table on the open-air patio facing the river. The view is wonderful, with Walnut Street Bridge, the water, the opposite shore. He ordered a burger and fries, and we both enjoyed a couple of cocktails. We finished off with the chocolate bread pudding for dessert. Service was a tad slow, but watching the sunset over Chattanooga was a delight, so we didn't mind it a bit. And the food and drinks were delicious! Recommended. 

Jellyfish at the Tennessee Aquarium

Day 7

In the morning, it was another big, late, leisurely breakfast at Whitebird before we headed over to the Tennessee Aquarium. This was another last-minute attraction we added to our list due to weather, as the day was a bit cloudy. Masks are required at this facility. We hadn't pre-purchased a timed-entry ticket online ahead of time, but we stood in a very short line to purchase our tickets, and then we were in. 

I recommend visiting this attraction earlier in the day rather than later to avoid crowding. There were parts of the facility that were a bit tight, and you're depending on all other guests to maintain social distancing as well. (Some of them are careful about it. Others aren't. So you have to remain vigilant.) We were there on a Friday, and I would absolutely NOT recommend visiting on a weekend. 

That said, we enjoyed spending a couple of hours here. They have tons of alligators, sharks and tropical fish on display. The ray touch pool is still open, and we loved the jellyfish exhibits! The penguins were also incredibly active on the day we visited, and the bright red octopus might have stolen my heart just a little.

I loved this octopus! 

We went back to the hotel for a bit to pack and get ready to leave the next day. We didn't really get hungry again until nearly 4 p.m., so hubs and I sneaked out for cocktails, steaks and dessert at Hennen's. Due to the early hour, we were able to slip right into a nearly empty restaurant with no reservation, fill ourselves full of drinks, filets, veggies and sweets, and then slip right out again (with a to-go burger for our son) before many other diners showed up. This place was spendy, but the food was cooked perfectly, the service was knowledgeable and we felt completely safe due to being almost the only guests in the whole restaurant. 

After letting my food settle a bit, I said a fond goodbye to Chattanooga by taking an evening stroll on the Tennessee Riverwalk. This trail system connects to the arts district right near our hotel and leads walkers/runners/bikers through historic neighborhoods and down by the water's edge. I started near the sculpture garden and walked nearly to the Boathouse Rotisserie and Raw Bar, then turned around and came back. Parts of this trail feel distinctly industrial, but other parts offer nice views of the river. And I saw lots of other walkers and bikers. 

The next morning, it was one last breakfast at Whitebird, then back home! We really enjoyed our family vacation to Chattanooga, despite its impromptu nature, and I would definitely be interested in visiting the area again on a hiking or paddling trip! It's a great town!

Views from the Tennessee Riverwalk at dusk.