This is still Thursday afternoon of our trip. Believe it or not. But there was this one place I had read about on the internet that I thought we could find. It was Sunset Rock, on the steep western side of Lookout Mountain. We had a detailed map of the mountain and found the road that led us directly to a small parking area. There was a narrow path which we descended less than one-tenth of a mile, and we were rewarded with a panoramic view equalling some of the views we had paid for. This one also had historical significance, as the marker below shows.
As you just read, this vantage point helped the Confederate army prepare for the coming battles of Chattanooga. They failed in this attempt to block the Army of the Potomac.
For a Civil War buff like me, it was amazing to know that Judy and I were standing in the same spot two great generals, Braxton Bragg and James Longstreet had contemplated the state of their situation, 147 years ago. The bend of the Tennessee River allowed them to see how the Union was transporting its troops and where they were disembarking.
It always produces a sense of awe in me to think how the horrible battles of the Civil War and all wars could transform places where farmers tilled the land and generations raised their children into scenes of mass destruction we can scarcely picture.
We couldn't stay to see the sunset, but with this western outlook, I bet there are often some beautiful ones there. Notice, there are no handrails here as there were at the more "touristy" places. And if you happened to fall off the precipice here, who would your heirs sue, anyway? (And yes, it was scary!)
By 6:00 our car was back at the Doubletree Hotel. We would be on foot for the rest of the evening. We were starved, and decided to eat, then stroll some more. We had a hard time deciding where to eat, but settled on a rather fancy place called 212 Market on Market Street. It was billed as Chattanooga's only certified "Green" restaurant, and they were true to their word. Judy noted in our journal that it reminded us of 195, probably our favorite restaurant around home. Maybe it was the "number" thing. The dining was elegant, service excellent, and the meal rejuvenated us enough for at least a few minutes of walking by the riverfront.
This is a view looking back up Broad Street from the aquarium. We're atop an unusual stairstep structure, some sort of symbolic artistic statement, I suspect.
This is the Children's Discovery Museum, which we didn't have time to visit, but which seemed to be a significant downtown attraction. You could see and hear the fun children were having as you passed by.
Here are a couple more pictures that highlight the architecture of the two aquarium buildings. More interesting artistic sculptures are in the surrounding area. If you didn't know better you'd think you were in a skateboard park, but that was not the case.
We strolled on down to the Riverwalk Greenway and followed it a short distance to its western terminus. Apparently it goes on eastward for several miles, but we didn't have time or energy to explore it further this trip. As dusk neared, there was little going on, probably because it was after Labor Day on a school night. But no school for us! This bevy of kayakers found this time of day perfect to hone their paddling skills. Like us, there are times you're thankful for NO CROWDS!
I loved the scattered sculptures and rockwork, even though I was curious about their purpose. Maybe I can find some background info on the internet. If I ever finish blogging about this trip. : )
One place we passed by as we returned to our hotel was the MoonPie factory headquarters and museum. I've eaten a few MoonPies but I'm not a fanatic. A while back I did read some interesting facts about their invention. As far as I'm concerned their best product is a fairly new mint-flavored, medium-sized, chocolate-covered hard cookie. Think Girl Scout cookies and you'll have an approximation of the new MoonPie.
No MoonPie tonight, though. We were ready to crash again. Friday we would begin our two-day journey home. And we would start by fueling up our tummies at Aretha Frankenstein's. Curious? Check back soon to find out about this unique Chattanooga eatery.
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