C is for Chattanooga

I am blogging from A to Z in April!  My theme is THE WORLD AS I HAVE SEEN AND EXPERIENCED IT.  It isn’t really a travel log … although it involves a wide variety of locations!  You are invited to come along.

In case you missed the first 2 installments, they are linked below:

A is for America

B is for Britain (and Blenheim Palace, Bath, and Burton-on-the-Water)

Today, C is for CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee.

While Chattanooga probably isn’t on the top of most people’s list of MUST SEE destinations, it is worth taking a look at if you are in beautiful East Tennessee!

Chattanooga was my college town.  I transferred here for my Sophomore year and spent my 19th, 20th, and 21st birthdays in Chattanooga.  There are so many memories tied up in this city for me – to include some great, life-long friendships and meeting my husband (with a little help from my roommate and best friend, Tanya!!).

 

If you like Civil War history, there is much to learn in Chattanooga – from the Battle of Lookout Mountain to the nearby Chickamauga Battlefield.

The views from Point Lookout are amazing – one can see the Tennessee River winding by the city from the pinnacle (you can ride a monorail up the mountain or drive).  My first “date” with my husband was walking and talking along the trails up there.

Chattanooga also has an aquarium (my husband proposed to me in its garden on September 21, 1992!) and an art museum.

You can also visit near by Ruby Falls and the famous Chattanooga Choo-Choo (hotel and actual train cars to stay overnight in).  The Choo-Choo, of course, was made famous by the big band song by Glenn Miller in 1941.

We stayed here on the 2nd day of our honeymoon.

I wasn’t the biggest fan of college (and couldn’t wait to graduate!) so I escaped Chattanooga as often as possible (my family and friends I grew up with lived in the nearby Knoxville area).  I had such great freedom compared to my high school life (my parents actually were living in Germany during this time – another story for another day!  Basically, they gave me a car and left the country – although I got to visit Germany during this time, too).

I held a variety of interesting jobs in Chattanooga mostly work scholarship or in retail, but it included a stint at McDonald’s, working the drive-thru (thankfully, my friend Tanya shared this misery with me and made it tolerable – that, and the apple pies and other food we got to take home after working a night shift!).

Attending a liberal arts Christian university held many positives for me – I had such a variety of professors, many had a part in forming my Christian world view – and we heard some wonderful, knowledgeable speakers in chapel services.

And of course, the fun with friends – Krispy Kreme (HOT NOW!) donuts, pizza, or Taco Bell late at night, pranks, long talks about life and guys and the future … Not sure I realized then what a carefree time in life that was despite sometimes wondering how to pay the school bill or what to major in (I changed majors twice and barely graduated on time!!).

[I miss you, Tanya – here’s another picture to remember our time together at old Temple U – my graduation day!!  I see Tim and your parents behind us, too!!]:

My college is no longer at its location – the buildings have been sold, and it has moved to another area of town under totally different leadership and philosophy … but the memories of Chattanooga, they remain dear.  I kind of became a real adult there!  Even though I can’t quite believe that was almost 22 years ago.

(source for some information and picture of city view from Lookout Mtn:  Wikipedia)