Chattanooga

Chattanooga is pretty much the town that I grew up in. Actually I grew up in Spring City, a small town about 45 minutes north of Chattanooga, but Chattanooga is what I had to tell people so that they would at least have some idea of what part of the country I was from. I guess as soon as I opened my mouth, people would probably be able to get an idea due to my southern accent. Anyway, I have spent a whole lot of time up there and really enjoy the downtown area. The downtown area has seen considerable renovations over the last several years. The area is great during the summertime, as it sits along the bank of the Tennessee River. They do a music festival in June called Riverbend (quite possibly the most redneck music festival on the planet) as well as fireworks and other things throughout the warmer months. My restaurant and brewery of choice is Big River. Its located on Broad Street in downtown. They offer up some fantastic food (pizza and chicken fried chicken are my faves) and some good beer. My beer of choice is the 375 IPA. On my most recent visit, I had the special, which was a Scottish Ale, definitely not one of my favorites. It had a distinct butterscotch smell and taste to it, a taste that I am not very fond of. Big River has several pool tables and flat screens to watch major sports events. Its attached to one of the more popular music venues in the area, Rhythm and Brews. Just down the street from Big River is Taco Mac, a chain restaurant that you can find in most major cities. The major appeal of Taco Mac is the Passport Club. They offer up 326 beers from around the world, including more than 50 on draft. I have just recently joined the club, but plan on trying to make my way through the entire list. The only downside to offering that many beers, is that they are typically out of some, a lot on my most recent trip. Beers are moderately priced in the $4-$5 range, but can get as high as $9 for some of the 22 oz bottles. They offer up several Rogue beers on draft, one of my favorite brewers. Hair of the Dog is a bar that sits close to both Big River and Taco Mac. Its a cool place that stays open late and offers your typical beers. They even have $2.75 PBR 16 ounce cans, very classy. Its a good place to hit up late night before calling it a night. I typically only stay at one hotel in the area, one of the oldest and nicest in all of Chattanooga, The Read House. It was bought out by Starwood Hotels Group a couple of years back, but still has the boutique style hotel feel to it. Room rates are usually pretty reasonable. The only drawback is its location at the opposite end of downtown from the bars and waterfront area. A tourist hangout in the area is the Tennessee Aquarium, located along the waterfront in downtown. It has been many years since I have visited, but I am sure that it's just as good if not better than it was when I was kid. Its smaller in size than the Georgia Aquarium, but has a different layout. They have recently added a saltwater exhibit, one that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit. The minor league ballpark downtown (Bellsouth Park), is very nice and conveniently located in the downtown area. Tickets are cheap and the games are fun before a night out on the town. Overall, Chattanooga is a very fun place to spend a weekend. The days can be spent on the river and nights can be spent downtown.