Planetfurry BBS

[Jaymee Fox]

Greetings everyone!

I have a long list of things with hours of operation, prices, etc etc. My family and I are planning to head out there last week of July or first week of August. I am wondering if there are any other places that are impossible to find online in traveler's guide or recommendation that you think we should see.

Nextly.... I am a shy fox *hides behind tail* If anyone would like to meet me in person (finally about time Jaymee!) Let me know. With limited time, I need to know so we can make plans. I haven't decided on the road trip - where we'll head on from wherever we leave from. I am still planning it and all of that. I should have it in stone by end of June.

let me know if you want to meet me


JF

[PrincessB]

I've been to Chattanooga many times (it's about 3 hours from me) even went there for my honeymoon. Also lived for a few months in a town just north east of Chattanooga.

Of course the Chattanooga aquarium is good, as is Ruby Falls. Raccoon Mountain caverns is kinda nice, not too expensive for a little tour of a cave and they also used to have go carts and stuff. I think there may be some sort of law that states you cannot visit Chattanooga area without seeing Rock City (it's enjoyable, I've been there at least twice). The Chattanooga Choo-choo is neat and if you like trains then there is the a little train trip you can make (Tennessee Valley Railroad), you park at the station, buy a ticket, hop on the train, it takes you for a ride a ways down the tracks, stops, lets everyone off while the turn the engine around, then bring you back. All the cars are old ones that have been restored, they show you a little shop and yard with other trains (and you can move around while on the train, I went to the back and got great pictures one time I rode). That little stretch of tracks is where "Long Black Train" music video was taped and just recently Larry the Cable Guy was down there with a few cameras taping something, not certain what. Incline Railway is neat, but if you have big fears of heights it may not be for you. At the top of Incline Railway is a bunch of gift areas and just down the road a bit is a war museum and just down from it is an old cemetery, I believe holds some war soldiers. Also right near the aquarium is an IMAX theater and a children's museum and many other small things that I can't remember off hand.

Less fascinating but still enjoyable to some is, there is a hang gliding area, even if you don't want to hang glide (it is fairly expensive) follow the signs to go to it, but instead of turning down the road that drops off the mountain go just a bit farther down the road and there is a pull off that has a beautiful view of the hang gliding valley. Also I think it's called River Front park it can be pretty packed on nice days but there is a big carousel that you might enjoy taking your boy to and just outside of the carousel building is one of those ground fountains, where random shoots of water fly around, it can be fun to play in on a hot day. I believe that next to the aquarium there is a building to one side (I think next to the place where you get tickets) that has various stuff in it, including tourist info and souvenir shopping. If you are a reader there is a McKays in Chattanooga (used to be in front of a great thrift store but McKays moved). McKays is a buy and sell media place, has books, movies, video games, etc for fairly cheap (sometimes extremely cheap, I got a hard back Mary Higgans Clark book for 50 cents once). McKays only has stores in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville.

If you are looking for where to stay consider around Raccoon Mountain. It is just north west of Chattanooga so not too far to most things but tends to be cheaper then actually staying in Chattanooga.

I'd be interested in meeting you. Might even possibly be talked into coming down to Chattanooga area for a day or two to enjoy some stuff with you. We haven't really been down there since we moved from there around March 2005. Or if you stop through Nashville I'm sure Leonato, Journye, IronTiger and myself will do our best to work out at least a meal with you.

[Wulfie_Vulphyre]

If you are able to poke anywhere near Nashville and I know about it soon enough, I can try to make myself available to join you. If its early august I could even take a vacation day or two.

[Jaymee Fox]

Ni hao!

(I'm learning mandarin Chinese because of the tv show that my son watches which is a learning show... )

I finally got the date of my husband's vacation which is July 24th to August 6th. I am still figuring out the bits and pieces of the vacation which blends well because the last weekend of July... I want to go to Saint Louis MO and surprise my husband a birthday present which is a baseball game at the STL Cardinals! *new stadium and everything* that's his bday present. SOOO I think that the first weekend we are going to see my uncle in Wichita KS then drive through the southern states toward Cha. TN. Will go upward on HWY 24 which for sure we will be going through Nashville around July 29th or 30th That's a very good estimate date to give!

[Concolor]

It would be pretty cool to get to meet another PFer. I was born & raised in Ringgold, GA, just south of Chattanooga, and my parents and siblings live in the area. I'm over there not infrequently. I'll see if I can't arrange my schedule so I'll be in the area the weekend of July 31.

Princess B did a STELLAR job of outlining the cool things to do in the area (thanks, PB!). One other [sort of] local attraction (at least it is for me, being a history buff) is the Chickamauga/Chattanooga National Military Park just over the state line in Georgia. It's the largest military park in the country, and has miles and miles of pretty little macadam back roads leading to or past tons of monuments and markers and fields and forest. There is a really extensive museum near the Fort Oglethorpe entrance where they do a multimedia thing about the battle. The second-largest publicly accessible collection of antique guns in the country is there, too.

Hope to see you in a few months!

[Jaymee Fox]

[Wulfie_Vulphyre]