Chattanooga, TN

It's time for another city review, this one a little closer to home. I have lived in the greater Chattanooga area for nearly two thirds of my life at this point. I travel a lot for work and I always get asked why southeast TN is home? The short answer is I haven't been anywhere I'd rather live yet, but there are other reasons...

Stuff to do--The area has a ton of outdoor activities to take on, like whitewater rafting, hanggliding, kayaking down the Tennessee river, or if you are more into spectating, the Chattanooga Lookouts have one of the best locations and ballparks in the minor leagues. Downtown has a great tourist district with the Aquarium as anchor, my son really loves the Creative Discovery Museum, and my wife is a fan of the various eclectic shops on the northshore. If you're a shopper, it's hard to beat the collection of chains in the Hamilton Place Mall area, CBL is headquartered here and they have done a good job bringing all the big boxes to their home town.

Food--Chattanooga, has a great local food restaurant scene, you can go as nice (St.Johns), or as casual (Big River Grill), as you like and can find a great meal in any price range. My favorites include the afformentioned along with Sticky Fingers, 212 Market St., Sushi Nabe, and if you want something really unique the drive to Cleveland for the Bald Headed Bistro and their wild game steaks is a trek you won't regret.

Places to stay--Downtown has several newer hotels within walking distance of the aquarium, ballpark, and river. The best are the Hilton Garden Inn and Courtyard, though there are some great B&B's and my personal favorite Bluff View Inn and their collection of rooms scattered through several buildings overlooking the River and adjacent to the newly expanded Hunter Museum of Art. Blurring the line between attraction and hotel is the Chattanooga CHOO CHOO, which at the least must be seen, also of historical interest is Missionary Ridge and the Read House hotel which was used as a hospital during the Civil War.

Chattanooga is a world class small city within an easy drive of many major metro areas and should not be missed. It will continue to evolve and grow with the recent announcement that Volkswagen will be building their first US manufacturing facility in the area, but one thing will not change, the friendliness of the people.