March 2012 -- Lisa and I had an amazing trip to see dear old friends in Alabama the past couple of days and surely this was an adventure.
Saturday: We had the fortune or using some standby passes on Delta Airlines. I say fortune because even though you are at the mercy of the airline to get to your final destination, it's the hard work of all the Delta employees that allow you to fly in such a manner. We spent the day in airports trying to get to Chattanooga, Tennessee. We luckily made it via Salt Lake City to Seattle to Atlanta to Chattanooga. When we finally arrived in Chattanooga we were so late that we couldn't pick up our rental car and simply got a cab and picked up our car the next morning.
Sunday: Had an amazing day exploring Chattanooga. After picking up our rental car we made it to sacrament meeting in the LDS Chattanooga Branch located in downtown Chattanooga. The little branch of about 60 members meet in a historic mansion that was commandeered by Gen. Braggs during the Civil War as both the Union and the Confederates battled over the city and gateway to the deep south.
There was a great spirit in with the members of this small branch and members were kind to tell Lisa and I the best places and historical notes about the city.
After church we changed and got some lunch at Sticky Fingers an amazing BBQ restaurant in the heart of downtown. You can't be in the South and not experience the mouth watering taste of slow cooked BBQ. I had pulled pork, hand-rubbed ribs, deep fried corn and mashed potatoes...ah, heaven. The only regret I had was not saving enough room so that I could have a Moon Pie and a RC Cola from the Moon Pie factory across the street.
With food in our stomachs we had the energy to explore the Art District and walk across the pedestrian bridge spanning the Tennessee River.
Out next adventure was exploring Chattanooga-Chickamauga National Historic Park. The National Park just outside of Chattanooga is one of the largest Civil War sites open to the public.
After exploring Chickamauga battlefield we headed up Lookout Mountain to see Point Park with it's sweeping views of Chattanooga, more of the memorials to those who fought, and the beautiful homes high atop the mountain.
For dinner we enjoyed an eccletic restaurant,
Good Dogs which served “designer” hotdogs. I must admit I absolutely loved my hotdog with nachos, salsa, and jalapenos.
Always open to an authentic experience, I had booked a night on the Historic Delta Queen which is now permanently docked. The old steamboat has been converted into a hotel with a bar and breakfast restaurant. Our “suite” was a cabin with bunk beds and small bathroom. I can't imaging cruising the mighty Mississippi for multiple, but one night was certainly memorable.
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| Photo courtesy of tnaqua.com |
Monday: After a southern breakfast on the Delta Queen we spent the morning in at the Chattanooga
Aquarium. The Aquarium is fantastic spanning two buildings (a fresh water building and a salt water building) with exhibits including penguins, butterflies, stingrays, sharks, turtles, otters, and every other water creature imaginable that you can fit in an aquarium.
After the aquarium we headed down Interstate to Albertville, AL and enjoyed our dear friends for the next two days. What a wonderful experience it was to simply sit and talk, play cards, reminisce and enjoy each others company. We hated to have to leave. After a drive back to Chattanooga flights through Atlanta and Chicago we made it home to Utah. With so many other adventures waiting around the corner it's hard to say when we'll make it back down to the South but certainly there is a big piece of our heart that will always remain in Dixie.
