The good friend of mine and I scoped out a day trip to Chattanooga, Tennessee aka Chat Town aka Rock City. I want to take you along so let’s rewind and run it back, Turbo.
We drove an hour and a half from the outskirts of Atlanta, GA to Chattanooga, TN. It was a straight shot accompanied with a tiny bit of rain. The ride was scenic as we scurried up the Smokey Mountains.
We pulled up to Ruby Falls, home of the world’s tallest underground waterfall. Before seeing Queen Ruby at our scheduled cave tour, we went on a hike up Lookout Mountain. In real adventure form, we actually didn’t have a map of the trails. We just followed the signs. The first mile was flat and damp from the rain. We ended seeing a sign for Sunset Rock. The name in itself was enough for us to follow the sign with no hesitation.
The real hesitation kicked in half way up this .6 mile hike to Sunset Rock. The distance sounds short and simple but the incline put us to WORK. Huffing and puffing while contemplating the U-Turn calculations , we still marched forward. Thanks to my friend packing some delicious grapes in addition to our water because otherwise a helicopter would’ve had to airlift me home. I recommend clearer/more frequent signage along the trail because when the brushes started slapping us in the face – I was wondering if we were even heading the right way. I was certain a snake was going to tap me on my shoulder .
With the help of a fellow hiker, we FINALLY reached Sunset Rock. The view was impeccable even though it was foggy. As soon as we started snapping pictures, the fog slid up our way. We were able to really witness the city below. Similar to childbirth, taking in the natural beauty made me forget about the pains from the hike up. I guarantee sunsets up here are absolutely breathtaking. Soaking up the god-given serenity gave us sooo much more pep in our step heading back down the trail. We were proud of ourselves to push through and take in the privilege of witnessing such a remarkable natural wonder of Chat Town.
We made it just in time for our scheduled tour of the Ruby Falls Cave.We descended 26 stories in an elevator for a group guided tour that lasted about an hour in a half. The tour spun you through tight cave alleyways while teaching you fun facts about the founding of Ruby Falls in 1929. That was cute and all but I wanted to see the waterfall. Once we arrived, the guide hit the switch to some multi-million dollar lights to showcase the world’s tallest underground waterfall. God is so talented. It was a thin stream of water which our guide informed us that they still don’t know the geographical true source of the waterfall. Next time, I’d like a moving sidewalk to escort me to the main attraction.
After several hours of standing on our feet, you’d think we’d sit down right. NAH, we still got some ‘xplorin to do. We freshened up and headed to the city. We walked the rustic Walnut Street Bridge. It was a railway bridge but now it is solely pedestrian-only. It is a picturesque location to relax, stroll and soak in the breeze coming off the river. It looks like a hot spot for photoshoots. Once we crossed over into the Art District, we perused a few restaurant menus and street murals.
We decided to try Taconooga for a taco to give us the energy to get back across the bridge. I could have eaten 6 tacos. The Al Pastor was so juicy and well seasoned. The meat was finely chopped but they filled the taco with just the right amount. Their avocado lime sauce was a perfect match to drizzle on top. I fell in love and it broke my heart to leave. To dry my tears, my gal bought me my first Jarritos, Mexican soft drink. The mandarin flavor was delicioso.
It was game time once we made it back across the Walnut Street Bridge. We drove to the other side of town to double down on some bangin’ burgers at Urban Stack. The building is very inviting but the staff really make it feel like home. Every staff member I saw and interacted with was very chill and helpful. Have you ever been to a restaurant and the staff make YOU feel like a burden? Well, this is far from it!
The joint is housed in the old baggage room for the Chattanooga Choo Choo railroad, one of the oldest buildings in the city. All the original brick gives it such character and I feel like Magnolia Plantation signed off on the decor. The menu was extensive with burger combos that never crossed your mind. For example, I was eyeing an Asian-Q Burger which was American Wagyu Beef, wasabi savory slaw, Asian ginger barbecue sauce, kimchee, and a 5 pepper dry rub. Geez, typing that just made me have non-buyers remorse. Is that a thing?
Urban Stacks is here to serve everyone as they have vegan options, Whole Wheat Buns, and lettuce wrap availability. They have plenty of Low carb sides. Keto wasn’t on my mind so I settled on the Philly Cheese Steak Burger that had sauteed pepper, onion, mushrooms, cherry pepper relish, chipotle ketchup, vinegar mayo, and provolone while my co-adventurer had the Vegan on Shroom – Vegan mushroom patty, roasted red pepper, tomato, lettuce, balsamic onion and vegan garlic mayo with a side of chickpeas. All burgers are sold solo in the $6.99 – $11.99 price range. I think the price point is BOMB for the quality. Everything was cooked to perfection. The patty was tender, the bun was soft and the fries were crispy. I kept saying ” It is so SOFT”. It’s the only way to describe the smooth pallet is textured. Simple as that yet still mind-blowing. I worked HARD on that mountain top and deserved that burger. The fires were the fresh hand-cut you’d expect at this joint. Everything was superb. I can’t believe my bill was only TWELVE BUCKS for that stunning burger and fries.
Around 9 pm, we were hitting the road back to Atlanta. We pulled up alongside a snazzy ice cream shop called Clumpies. It looked like a good time. We slid in Clumpies and got just a little scoop of ice cream to top off the evening. Everything was so chill at Clumpies. The cartoon artwork on the walls and the tall ceilings were artistically pleasing. I randomly found myself gravitating to purchase one of their t-shirts. It was just a very welcoming atmosphere providing a comfort food like the fresh espresso chip scoop I had. It got me just right!
At the top of the morning , Chat Town was a success. I will say everyone we encountered in Chattanooga was very pleasant and hospitable. We covered a nature, tourism, art, food and joy. It was great bonding experience for my pal and I on top of a mommy break for myself. Great memories for life. Go check out all Chat Town is serving up and putting down.
