Chattanooga is great! (imported from Myspace)

nother blog related to my weekend trip to Chattanooga. When I was young, I spent every summer for about six years with my grandparents and relatives in Trenton, GA, which is about thirty minutes away from Chattanooga. I would go up just as soon as school got out and come home just as late before it started as possible. Once, I even had my aunt Vivian take me school clothes shopping to get to stay longer! Anyway, I was always around Chattanooga and it always appeared to me to be significantly inferior to Jacksonville. Never seemed to be as clean or have nearly as much personality. Well, I am here to tell you - the town has been transformed! I got a chance to go into downtown Chattanooga and walk around. Plus we drove around and up onto Lookout Mountain and to Covenant College. The whole area is beautiful. Of course it is already the foothills of the Appalachians, so the backdrop is great. But the downtown is alive and well. Lots of great shops and eating places (non-franchise, which I love!) Got a chance to walk across the "Walking Bridge" over to Coolidge Park where kids were throwing frisbees and playing catch. It borders the Tennessee River. There is an indoor carousel that lights up so big at night. Plus, in the summertime there are statues shaped like wild animals (lions and such) that shoot water from their mouths. We passed the Tennessee Aquarium, which is great fun. I have been there many times, but they have added two new buildings to it since I have been. There is of course the IMAX theater and the Tivoli theater that shows neat movies in an old-time atmosphere. The local Bijou Theater also has shows-I think it places emphasis on the newer movies. We also passed two museums and a center for performing arts that was preparing to begin all-youth cast of Romeo and Juliet. Driving up Lookout Mountain was really peaceful, with its twists and turns and overhanging trees. Then up on top the roadsigns are made to look antique and the area is known as "Fairyland" (I guess this ties in to the theme of Rock City - which is nearby). And that leads into the other thing I was going to mention - the attractions like Rock City, Ruby Falls and the caverns. There are biking trails at the Chickamauga Battlefield and lots of history to explore.The whole trip made me miss the close proximity of a big city. I miss being able to walk downtown and eat at a new restaurant with lots of ambiance. Andy and I did so many neat things while we were dating, more than just seeing movies and eating out. We made so many good memories in downtown Jacksonville. And even though Jacksonville will always be my hometown area - I no longer see it as superior. I think Chattanooga has a very unique feel to it. I didn't get the rushed, overcrowded feeling that I am seeing develop in Orange Park/Jacksonville. The traffic wasn't nearly so bad. When we left Sunday morning, I left feeling like I hadn't had enough time to explore the "new" Chattanooga. I think that Andy and I will have to visit together soon - both to see more of the town and my extended family. Lord knows we don't take time out to visit them often enough!