Adjoining the aquarium is a commercial area that includes the city’s visitor center, a gift shop and several restaurants. Across the street is an IMAX Theater and within a few blocks there are numerous restaurants and attractions. If the immediate downtown area isn’t enough to entertain you there is a free shuttle that will take you about 15 blocks up to the famed Chattanooga Choo Choo. A number of hotel are along the way and offer overnight accommodations to fit most budgets.
I spent a few hours walking around the downtown area and decide to
sit down at a nice restaurant for dinner. After enjoying a great
New York Strip steak I waddled my way back to the boat. Untying the
mooring lines I swung the bow around so it was pointing down stream and
eased on the throttle. Because I was again unsure of the time that
would be needed to run the locks I decided it was best that I head back
and cover a few miles before sunset.
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Unlike
many river cities Chattanooga’s business district is situated right on
the rivers edge. After securing my boat against the fairly strong
current I walk off the dock and up a flight of stairs. There I find
myself standing at a traffic light and in full view of the focal point
of the downtown area – the Tennessee Aquarium. It is an unusual shaped
building that houses the worlds largest fresh water aquarium featuring
over 9,000 animals that swim, fly and crawl in natural habitats.
Besides
their down town areas most good size cities have a lot of interesting things
to do but in my estimation Chattanooga as far more than the norm – Lookout
Mountain, Ruby Falls, Rock City, Raccoon Mountain Caverns just to name
a few. But somehow this “boating” story has changed in to a travelogue.
Lets get back to the trip.