"Chattanooga-A Great City" a Chattanooga Travel Page by soundsgoodtome

Chattanooga is a beautiful city, rich in history, architecture, and natural beauty. It is quickly becoming one of the nations nicest mid-sized cities in many facets. It sits along the Tennessee River, which starts in small Appalachain streams in East Tennessee, flows thru Knoxville, Chattanooga, Huntsville, and Paducah before meeting up with the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Nestled between numerous mountains and ridges, Chattanooga boasts the best of outdoor activities, just a few of which include hanggliding, rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, hiking, and bicycling. Tourist activities abound, from the TN Aquarium to Lookout Mountain's Rock City and Ruby Falls. The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, with multiple spots located throughout the valley, showcases some of the most important Civil War sites in the nation's first military park. Soon to become Moccasin Bend National Park contains not only Civil War sites, but was also home to the capital of the great Cherokee Nation. Archealogical evidence shows that Native Americans lived there for at least 12,000 years, and the public will soon be welcome to come see and learn about their great cultures. There are museums, shops, restaurants, hotels, bed and breakfast type inns, and cultural activities all around downtown. There is something for everybody in Chattanooga.
By the way, I just wanted to comment on an error by VT. According to them, Chattanooga is in the Central Time Zone, which is not true. We are on Eastern Time, the same as New York, Atlanta, etc. The western half of Tennessee, which includes Nashville and Memphis is in the Central Time Zone, but if you check a map, you can see that Chattanooga is in East Tennessee. Just thought this info might be useful to anyone planning a trip here so they don't become confused. Maybe someone at VT will see this and correct their mistake.
Anyone planning a trip to Chattanooga, or considering doing so, is welcome to contact me and ask me anything you wish to know. I can provide lots of helpful information that is not on my vt pages yet. Also, I would love to meet any VTers coming to Chattanooga, so please contact me if you wish to do so and we can make arrangements.

From Lookout Mountain looking north one sees downtown Chattanooga and the surrounding area, which stretches from Missionary Ridge on the right to several other area mountains straight ahead and to the left. The nearly undeveloped land jetting out into the river on the left is Moccasin Bend. As I mentioned above, it is in the process of becoming part of our national park due to its archealogical importance. They are currently working on a main access area and interpretive center, but I am not sure what else is planned.

Lookout Mountain is about 2100 feet high, the tallest mountain in the area, and is home to civil war sites, tourist spots, and some of the richest Chattanoogans. Locals say that Lookout Mountain owns the city, referring to the rich, powerful families who call it home.

Just a tiny example of Chattanooga's architectural heritage, this steeple is the last of what remains of the Centenary Methodist Church in downtown Chattanooga. The neoclassical structure was built in 1921 and stood for fifty years before the congregation merged with that of the First Methodist Church and built a new building nearby. The church was then demolished in the mid-seventies for reasons that I do not know, but the steeple was alone saved. It is located near the corner of McCallie and Lindsay Avenue. This picture, as you may well be able to tell, was taken near sunset. Preservation of historic buildings and structures has become an important part of Chattanooga's Resaissance, and thanks to the local non-profit organization Cornerstones, it will continue to happen for long to come.