chattanooga, tennessee

When I was in college, I was seeing a guy who mentioned taking me on a trip to Chattanooga for the weekend.

Chattanooga? That little po-dunk town 2 hours north of Atlanta? I had been before and was not impressed, and I told him as much. It was a cool town, but there really wasn't much to do.

Believe it or not, he didn't drop my ungrateful behind right then and there – probably because he had a whole host of faults that I don't have the time or energy to mention at the moment. Now, about a decade later, I had the itch to getaway, but we have a baby in tow, and the budget won't allow for an extravagant vacation at the moment, so where did I turn? Chattanooga.

Granted, it's probably changed so much since 10 years ago, but it's such a cute little town! The downtown area is small in comparison to Atlanta, but it's super easy to navigate, not nearly as congested with traffic, and filled with lush greenery and cute little local shops. And! There was a Peet's Coffee coffeeshop across from our hotel! It honestly made me never want Starbucks again. We need one in Atlanta. But I digress.


We took our time getting ready Tuesday morning, packing, dropping Raven at the kennel, etc., and left Atlanta around 2pm. A bit before 4, we were checked into our hotel (separate post coming later) and ready to explore – and eat. So we set off, on foot, in search of some BBQ. Because you have to try at least one BBQ restaurant when visiting any southern town, except maybe Miami.


Sticky Fingers BBQ hit the spot. I ordered smoked chicken with a side of fried corn on the cob, collards and sweet potato casserole. It was delicious and the second best corn on the cob I've ever had. Elotes still take the number one spot.

On the walk back we got caught in some torrential downpour. We took refuge under an awning of a building about a block away from the hotel, but decided to run for it after about 15 minutes. We got absolutely soaked, but our stroller kept Gabriel completely dry. He stayed sleep throughout the whole ordeal, so this stroller system gets a 5-star review in my book.

Once the rain let up, we went to whole foods for snacks, wine and beer in hopes of a chill movie night after Gabriel went to sleep.

The next day we woke up early and went to breakfast at Maple Street Biscuit Company.

Turns out there's a couple locations around metro Atlanta, so I'll be trying them again for sure.

With our bellies full, it was time for more exploring. The morning breeze was glorious, and the views weren't half bad either.

So much greenery!

And such pretty blooms!

We'd visited the aquarium a few years ago, so neither of us felt the need to go again during this trip. Instead, we headed off to Ruby Falls for the afternoon. I took so many pictures inside the cave, so it needs it's own post – soon come.