October 18: Chattanooga

Hello everyone,

We have arrived in Chattanooga and have had some time to begin exploring. Of course, it is after the public heads home and we have eaten. We are presently at Ross's landing and in front of a little park. It might be hard to see from the view above, but for some reason the most popular thing to do on this hill is for people to slide down it on pieces of cardboard!  They do it all day, every day. 

There are other boats here that give rides up and down the Tennessee. The Delta Queen is docked across the river and is a hotel now.


There are also a couple of boats that are on our docks that are connected to the Tennessee Aquarium.  These are incredible cruisers that are piloted by remote control joy-sticks from anywhere in the boat.  They can also turn on a dime, which is amazing to see.  One of the fun things about being on these ships is that they are almost always docked by ultra modern boats. Very cool to show the contrast of several hundred years of shipbuilding history! 

Last evening a few of us explored the waterfront area and found the Bluff View art district. It is a mix of Garden District homes that curve around a bluff and a sculpture garden.

There is the Hunter Museum of American Art there which we will go to on Thursday evening. It was designed by a protege of Frank Gerhy - it hints of the Weisman Gallery on the banks of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis.  We also found a bocce ball court which is right on the edge of the bluff.  No tossing the little ball anywhere you want to! This is a more precise game played on clay courts.  

We also discovered the most fabulous patisserie that looked like it came right out of Paris. it is called Renaissance commons. The group enjoyed truffles and chocolate cherries.

Being that this is an unusually long port of call (until Nov 2) we get more than our usual amount of days off. But still there is so much to see here that I would probably want to return.
This is a very active community that hikes, kayaks, and rock climbs at the river nearby.  Today was my day off so i am taking care of personal business by computer at the Chattanooga Library which is about 10 blocks from the docks. Next I plan on going to the aquarium, then out to dinner at a nearby microbrewery called Big River. While i enjoy my crewmates and living on the ships, it is a relaxing treat to get away and get some alone time.

That is all for now as I have only 10 minutes left on the computer.

Take care everyone!
Kathy