This contest started at just the precise time that I started learning to enjoy Localism.
My top 5 for Chattanooga are a mix of events and places, historical, geological, and man made. Chattanooga is an exciting town that is just now enjoying the benefits of the imagination and vision of it's leadership starting about 30 years ago. We have undergone a complete renaissance from a city recognized for its pollution to a city known for its cooperation between goverment, business and community.
Chattanooga has been voted one of America's Top Family Weekend Getaways by Southern Living Magazine and 1 of 50 Best Family Vacations by Disney Family Travel.
I love Chattanooga. Here're some reasons why.
1. Tennessee Aquarium and the IMAX Theater.
These form the focus of the down town renaissance. Many other activities and businesses contribute to our vibrant downtown area, but the Tennessee Aquarium must be considered the top attraction. The IMAX
Theater is an experience.
The Tennessee Aquarium is the second largest freshwater aquarium in the world. There are two basic themes. One is a River Journey following the path of a raindrop from high in the Appalachian Mountains to the Gulf of Mexico. One is an Ocean Journey.
The newest exhibit is a Penguin Exhibit.
Tennessee Aquarium, children at the River Journey entrance
(These YouTube videos are not my content. They can be discounted from the judging, or they can disqualify me. But they are good and I wanted to show them.)
Penguin Exhibit, taken from YouTube video
The aquarium is all about the animals. Here is a link to the Meet Our Animals page on the website.
Tennessee Aquarium - Meet the Animals website link
Tennessee Aquarium Seahorse Exhibit
The aquarium is also a major research and conservation center.
The IMAX Theater is part of the same ticket as the Tennessee Aquarium. It is a 3D movie experience.
Imax Theater in Chattanooga, TN
2. Ruby Falls
Ruby Falls is one of the area's caverns. It was formed 240 million years ago when the Tennessee area was under a shallow sea. Sediment collected at the bottom of the sea which formed the limestone making up Lookout Mountain.
Photo take from Wikepedia artile on Ruby Fallls.
These photos are taken from the photo page on the Ruby Falls website.
You Tube video of the Ruby Falls water fall
(This YouTube video is not my content.)
Other local caverns are Raccoon Mountain and Lost Sea Caverns.
3. Chattanooga area parks
When we moved to Chattanooga, the thing that impressed me the most initially was the care and the number of local parks. The Riverwalk itself is one large park, but I am treating that as part of the Tennessee River attraction.
There are several major parks in Chattanooga. All of them receive abundant use. Here are photos of Coolidge Park, which was developed on the site on the old Naval Reserve Center, where I actually drilled for several years in the 1990's.
The park is named after one of Chattanooga's WWII heroes, Charles H Coolidge. His son and family still live in Chattanooga.
(all remaining photos and videos are mine)
Coolidge Park, on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga
Other major parks include Chester Frost Park a great camping area on the Tennessee River, the Nature Center and Reflection Riding wonderful respites in the mountains.
The Tennessee River itself is one of the top 5 attractions for Chattanooga. For many it is the boating that makes the Tennessee River so much fun.
We have sponsored collegiate rowing regattas, speed boat races, and up the river a bit, on the Ocoee, we even witnessed the 1996 Olympics for the whitewater slalom. The Ocoee River is a fun white water rafting river.
Boating on the Tennessee River at different ends of the Chattanooga area. The photo on the left is in North Chattanooga, near a marina. The photo on the right is downtown, at Coolidge Park.
The river is also the focus of the Chattanooga River Walk. This is a 14 mile tour used by walkers, runners, bike riders, picnickers throughout the year, but mostly in the spring, summer and fall. It is a beautiful walk along the river from the dam in the north city to the Coolidge Park downtown. It consists of small park grounds and boat ramps, ponds, wooded areas and small water inlets.
I love the River Walk. When I do my once or twice a year 2 hour run, it is always on the Riverwalk. My wife and I love to stroll it. And frequently we meet friends along the way.
5. The events of Chattanooga.
It is the events that round out the excitement of Chattanooga. The Riverbend Festival is the biggest of the area events. Known as Chattanooga's Homecoming, it is in its 28th year. This year's festival just finished last week. I put 9 different posts on my blog to try to give some sense of the event.
Hundreds of musical performers play on several different stages, The main stage is sponsored by CocaCola and features a top talent from R&B, Country, or Rock music, each on various nights. There are 5 stages that have outstanding performances each night from 6 to midnight through out the 9 days. Many known performers play here, many not so well known but excellent. Every year several local performers are featured.
This year was especially good with Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad and the Ohio Players coming. The main stage acts were Black Crowes, Anthony Hamilton, America, Rodney Atkins, Little Big Town, ZZ Top, Josh Turner, and Burton Cummings of the Guess Who.
The event also includes a nationally recognized 10k road race. And for the last couple years it has also featured the construction of Habitat Home.
Please look over my previous blog posts for more information. Here are some photos from this year's Riverbend Festival that I did not put in my blog posts.
Water Park video, taken during the Riverbend Festival, boat gathering for concert.
(my video)
YouTube, Mark Farner of Grand Funk Railroad video of performance at Riverbend Festival, playing Bad Time. (my video - you can tell it's mine by the poor quality. I'm working to improve that.)
Some of the other major events that we have in Chattanooga are:
Pops in the Park. this is coming up in two weeks. The Chattanooga Symphony and Opera perform a Fourth of July celebration annually in Coolidge Park.
Night Fall. This is a free weekly concert series on Friday nights throughout the summer. It is a great deal of fun and very well attended. It is out in the open, right in the middle of downtown. Families can attend.
Winter Days. Not to let the winter months be outdone, Chattanooga holds a series of winter events. This series takes place on 4 different days and includes a parade, and some seasonal concerts.
Not making my top 5 include the world famous Rock City, with its grand view, the Incline Railroad, hang gliding, the Bluff View Arts District, the Hunter Museum, the Creative Discovery Museum, the Chattanooga Lookouts baseball team, the dinner theater, the planetarium and observatory, all of the events held by UTC and the several other local universities and colleges, Civil War sites and the Chickamauga Battlefield, or the Chattanooga Zoo.
I will add this link to a terrific YouTube picture show of Rock City. It is very good.
Rock City on YouTube . (It's not mine, you can tell because of the quality.)
Chattanooga, the Scenic City.
I love your background! Have a great night.
Richard, Awesome Localism post!! Have you read my post about the birds? Check it out!!
Have a great weekend!
YVETTE
Richard: Wow!! You spent quite a long time with this post. Great job!! When I was a kid, we visited Chattanooga many, many times. I'll have to admit, I haven't been there since we went down for a wedding a couple of years ago. But, what a great place!!
Richard: Chattanooga looks like a wonderful place to live and VISIT! The underwater video--AWESOME.
Jan,
Thanks for commenting. I did put a lot of time. When the contest came out, I was just finishing the Riverbend posts, and was all pumped with a new interest in pictures and videos and adding links and alt tags, etc.
This contest was the perfect way to reinforce these new skills.
Thanks,
Richard
Kat,
Chattanooga is a terrific town. I was not excited when we first moved here, but like the opportunity on the internet, I just did not know.
This town has the perfect blend of community, family, government and business cooperation. People here are participating in a vision.
Of course the video underwater is one that I took off of YouTube, but it was too good to omit. It was needed to convey the magic of the aquarium.
My favorite though is the penguins. If you have not done so, take time to watch it. I did not embed that video, I just set up a link to the YouTube video.
Thanks,
Richard
Richard - supercalifragilistic post. I can't decide which was cuter, you trying to film Mark Farner, the credits at the end of Me's video about Rock City, or those penguins - I love the way they jump out of the water and end up standing on a rock.
Really, outstanding post, I hope you win the top 5 contest.
We were up that way on the way from LA to Georgia, we kept stopping in Tennessee to take pictures, beautiful area and you showed it off well.
Actually, I didn't know there was that much to do - I thought everybody just went fishin'.
Virginia,
My video skills are lacking. Thanks a lot for noticing. :)
Mark Farner has a significant following on YouTube, evidently. My pitiful upload there has had over 72 visits.
I cannot believe that you watched all the videos, down to the really cute credits on the Rock City video, by Me. She pretty much did a great job. Rock City should use that as a promotional piece.
But the penguins are my favorite, the Rock Penguins. I posted that to Brad Andersohn's vidoe challenge.
Thank you for your vote of confidence in the contest. It is really suppose to be Own Content, and I will likely be disqualified on that basis. Several of the photos are taken off the websites, and the better quality videos are not mine.
Always good to know you are around.
Richard
Richard - You did an outstanding job here. I've always wanted to visit Tennessee and I want to even more now.
Tom,
Tennessee, as most places, is a great place to visit. What I have found is that Chattanooga is a great place to live.
Thanks for your compliment.
Richard
Richard,
WoW, your area certainly is beautiful and has tons of attractions. I hope to visit some day and when I do, I'll be sure to print out your post before I go.
Jo
You come to Chattanooga, you better look me up. I cannot wait to make my first AR in person connection. The people on AR are so terrific, what a community.
And I am really looking forward to the top 5 in Ontario. We have a great annual event this week on July 4. I have my new Vado ready. Pops in the Park - featuring the Chattanooga Symphony in Coolidge Park.
There is a brief mention of it in this post. My wife and I enjoy it every year. The fireworks are impressive.
Thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard,
You did a great job on this post! You have a knack for writing. I like your use of photos and videos, too. Tennessee is one place I hope to visit some day. I would love to do the Chattanooga River Walk and visit Ruby Falls! Thanks for sharing your love for your city!
Deborah,
Thanks for visiting. When you mentioned the writing, I went back to reread the post and found an embarrassing number of errors Maybe I found them all.
This blogging format does give a vehicle to do a little writing. I enjoy that.
I do love Chattanooga. More now that localism gives me a little more motivation to get out of the house, and see.
Richard
Richard,
If it makes you feel any better--whatever mistakes you made weren't noticable. I found it to be very readable. It's apparent that you like to write... any books in your future?
I have to admit, I don't fully understand Localism yet. I guess that should be on my to-do list.
Deborah
Great post and representation on your area. I think I may go back and add my youtube videos too!
Deborah,
You sure know how to make a writer wannabe feel good. When I grow up I will be a teacher and write important research. One of the best things about blogging on the internet is that freedom to write, and you have read me correctly, I love to write. I appreciate your compliment. It means a great deal.
Richard
How could you not fall in love with a place called Chattanooga? Yeah I debated as to whether or nt use videos........oh well..........beautiful presentation
Richard, looks like Chatanooga is a beautiful place with lots to do.
Awesome post/blog about Chattanooga! Great info here.
Liz, Christine, and Christina,
Thanks for looking over the post. I enjoyed putting it together.
Richard
Goodness Richard..there certainly isn't a lack of things to see and do in Chattanooga!
I know you said you hadn't lived there long...but you sure have crammed a lot in!
Richard - Excellent post. Lots of information and love the pictures. There is so much to do and your enthusiasm for the area comes through.
Wow - Chattanooga has a lot going on. It must have been hard to decide what to talk about. I'm calling on you if I come that way!
Joan, Pam, Georgina,
This contest and localism in general have kindled some enthusiasm for Chattanooga, probably because it has provided an outlet for expression.
One of the listed events on this post is Pops in the Park, which they now call Pops on the River. It is the main Chattanooga July 4 celebration.
I wrote a post on that over the weekend.
Take a look.
Thanks,
Richard
Richard, you have made a very educational travelogue. I learned more than I had ever known about Chattanooga. BTW, I always liked Mark Farner. Too bad the YouTube video didn't feture one of his guitar solos!
Richard, Congratulations on your third place win in the contest!! Excellent work and beautiful post....
Jo
Congratulations Richard - for making the 5 Best Localism Trifactor! :-)
Richard, Great post on Chattanooga. Very good information. I have been through Chattanooga many times but the only time I have stopped is for conventionsand golf. So, I haven't taken in any of the sight. We had a family trip scheduled with the In-Laws a couple of years ago but I hurt my back and couldn't walk. So, the family went without me. The kids really enjoyed the children's museum and Ruby Falls. We will make a weekend trip sometime and I will be sure to refer to your blog for ideas. This post should be an excellent addition to the new Localism. Keep up the good work and happy blogging.
Jimmy,
I appreciate you taking time to comment. I guess tomorrow is the big day for the new Localism. Can't wait.
Richard
Hi Richard, just wanted to say congratulations on being in the top three in our contest!! You did an outstanding job on your post. Bravo! I'm looking forward to your future book. :)
Deborah,
It brought a smile when your comment came up in my Outlook yesterday. So nice to hear a compliment like that. If I do write a book, I will mention you for encouraging an old man.
Thanks,
Richard
Richard, first off congrats! Chatanooga is such a great place to visit. It has been many years since I have been there, but we hope to get up there this fall.