Check out Chattanooga

On a recent balmy, beautiful spring evening, I fell in love. Not with a man, but with a game ... baseball. No, it wasn't the Yankees or the Rangers that captured my heart. It was the Chattanooga Lookouts.

Yes, you heard me – the Lookouts, Chattanooga's Minor League baseball team, a Southern League affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.

I've always been more of a football and basketball girl, but the exuberance of both the players and the crowd cheering them on at the city's impressive new Erlanger Park won me over, and reminded me of why so many are enamored of the Boys of Summer.

Chattanoogans may love the Lookouts (named for the mountain that looms over the city and occupies a pivotal place in Civil War history), but they are equally enamored of the $115 million stadium designed as a year-round entertainment venue.

Erlanger Park is the most exciting thing to happen to this city just a hop, skip and a long jump from the Georgia line since the Tennessee Aquarium opened on a deserted stretch of the Tennessee Riverfront in 1992.

One of the world's largest freshwater aquariums, with exhibits focusing on life in rivers and lakes from the Chattahoochee to the Congo, it's considered one of the Top 10 aquariums in the U.S. From my perspective, I'd rank it Number 1 (sorry, New Orleans, Chicago and Monterey Bay.)

With river lore as the subject, the aquarium tells the story of a raindrop falling in the Appalachian Mountains and ending its journey in the Gulf of Mexico.

Major exhibits include the Appalachian Cove Forest, where songbirds share the space with unusual fish species such as the hog sucker; Delta Country, with Alligator Bayou as the centerpiece; Rivers of the World; the Tennessee River; and a favorite of nearly everyone, River Giants (ever seen a redtail catfish or a giant pangasius?)

If you insist on seeing the tropical coral reefs typical of most aquariums, the Ocean Journey exhibit occupies a second building (opened in 2005), but for me, the real excitement of the Tennessee Aquarium is its emphasis on freshwater life.

That, and its role in the development of Chattanooga's riverfront and points beyond.

What today's visitors find proves that there is life beyond Ruby Falls and Rock City, two iconic sights that were mandatory stops during the road trip era of the 1950s and '60s.

Even the iconic Chattanooga Choo Choo has had a facelift.

The train and its terminal station began operating in 1909, and by 1941 had become so much a part of pop culture that Glenn Miller and his Orchestra recorded its namesake swing tune featured in the movie "Sun Valley Serenade."

You never could "have your ham and eggs in Carolina" as that route was musical fantasy, but the train's spirit lives on.

The station complex features the Hotel Chalet, with restored train cars that make for a stylish sleep, along with entertainment venues from a comedy club to a caboose cantina.

I enjoyed a whiskey tasting at Gate 11, a lively bar in the spot occupied by the original train's gate. Pull up a stool and let owners Bill and Wanda Lee guide you through a tasting of their platinum-medal-winning gin, along with absinthe, rum, agave and a variety of whiskeys.

For a change of pace, plan to spend a morning exploring the Bluff View Art District. Overlooking the Tennessee River, even the air here smells artsy … OK, it actually smells of magnolia blossoms, but you get the idea.

Start with breakfast in the shaded courtyard of Rembrandt's Coffee, and between oohhing and aahhing at the cute babies in strollers and the cute dogs on leashes, you can concentrate on delicious pastries and gourmet coffee.

Then it's off to the Hunter Art Museum. Perched atop the bluff, the classical-style museum located in what was once a private home showcases a collection of American art from Colonial period paintings to contemporary glass.

Chattanooga's renaissance goes beyond art, culture and sports. Its food scene has also hit the refresh button.

For another elegant breakfast spot, pop into downtown's Petal and Pour, a combination bakery, flower emporium and upscale gift shop.

For something a bit (all right, a lot) more substantial, head to the Northshore District and Big Bad Breakfast, where James Beard Award-winning chef John Currence, owner of the iconic City Grocery in Oxford, Mississippi, puts together a bountiful breakfast found only in the South.

Dinner options are just as interesting. If you can't imagine a fusion of southern cooking and Middle Eastern cuisine, the Jordanian chef at Calliope will introduce you to dishes such as mushroom couscous and Gulf shrimp jazzed up with Moroccan spices, saffron, garlic, lemon and crispy pita.

For a different kind of culinary experience, Little Coyote is an ode to the chef's time in Texas. Yes, this is the place for smoked meats and tortillas. Be sure to ask the bartender to make you one of her specialty tequila concoctions.

For the best view of the Chattanooga skyline, book a table on the roof terrace of the Waymark Hotel at Iris, one of the city's most sophisticated dining experiences. Signature cocktails and small plates make for an elegant dinner, and if you're in the mood for a nightcap, head downstairs to the speakeasy in this former bank building's vault.

What is a city without a landmark hotel, and in Chattanooga that hotel is the Read House. The property – built in 1872, making it the oldest continuously operating hotel in the Southeast – is on the National List of Historic Places.

It has hosted practically every notable who has passed through Chattanooga, from the King of Rock and Roll (Elvis) to the King of the Crime World (Al Capone.) Elvis's stay was doubtless more enjoyable than that of Capone, who was confined here under lock and key during a federal trial.

Some guests are eager to book Room 311 in hopes of communing with the spirit of Annalisa Netherly, the Read House's resident ghost.

My room may not have had a ghost, but I was more than content with the large picture window offering a magnificent view of Lookout Mountain.

That mountain gazes down on a city that has – through revitalization – transformed itself into a must-see destination for any visitor to the Southeast.

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This story was originally published July 6, 2026 at 1:20 AM.