I have wanted to visit Chattanooga for many years, ever since I learned that you could spend the night in a (stationary) train car!! Bill and I are huge train aficionados, having circumnavigated the globe by train, our favorite mode of transport. And not only could we sleep in a train car in Chattanooga, we could sing a great train song while doing so! Oh the kids were so excited.
We were pleased to learn that Chattanooga is much more than a great hotel room. The cosmopolitan city is situated in a picturesque green river valley, filled with lots of public art, and populated by friendly people out strolling, running, or riding the free (!) public bus.
(Notice Lookout Mountain in the distance. Have you seen Rock City?)
The choo choo exceeded my wildest dreams.
We immersed ourselves in all things train. The station-turned-hotel lobby:
The extensive toy train model of Chattanooga:
And, the comfort of our compartment, er, hotel room:
Now, as if a town overloaded with train attractions wasn’t enough, Chattanooga also has baseball!! And what a history — the Chattanooga Lookouts have played 125 seasons and are a farm team for the Dodgers!
A defining moment in the sport’s history occurred here. In 1931, the Lookouts hosted an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. On the mound for the Lookouts, was a 17-year-old named Jackie Mitchell. SHE (yes, she) struck out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Now, today we might think that’s fantastic, but in 1931, the powers that be were not so keen on female baseball players. A few days after the game, the baseball commissioner voided Jackie’s contract, saying that baseball was “too strenuous” for women. I know one baseball-playing young woman (wearing a Lookouts batting helmet, below) who would’ve loved to take on that commissioner. But it might have been too strenuous for him.
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You know how we love good food, whether haute cuisine or classic junk. We loved Chattanooga’s contribution to the culinary world: the Moon Pie, a tasty graham cracker sandwich with marshmallow filling, covered in chocolate or other flavors like vanilla or orange. Back in the day, the workman’s lunch was apparently a Moon Pie and an RC cola, for 5 cents each. We found (of course) a store that specialized in Moon Pies. We bought (of course) several varieties. We ate (of course) every last morsel and discovered that Moon Pies are especially tasty when microwaved for just a few seconds.
We try to visit local markets or grocery stores on our travels, to get a peek into the lives and shopping habits of the locals. In Chattanooga, we stumbled upon a market that was overflowing with meat products. This place sold every single part of the hog. In large quantities. They also had the largest cans of beans I have ever seen in my life, along with huge buckets of cheese curls. I’m not sure we really wanted this peek. We balanced this place against the assortment of delectable restaurants in town, and concluded that Chattanooga pretty much has all of the culinary bases covered.
Speaking of shopping, we really should’ve found this souvenir shop a long time ago. We could’ve saved a lot of time and effort by just coming here to buy 50 spoons or magnets and be done with it.
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We bid farewell to fair Chattanooga, hollered “all aboard” and headed north. along I-24, I-40, I-65, I-75, and US 27. I was deeply disappointed that our route did not take us to Graceland, another Tennessee attraction that I have longed to see. Graceland is another of those iconic American sights that I feel compelled to visit, as an American, an Elvis fan, and a fool easily parted from her money. Next time. For now, we’re headed to the heart of country music, Nashville.
Now here’s something you probably don’t associate with Nashville: the Parthenon.
Yep, the Parthenon. About a hundred years ago, someone in Nashville decided to build a Parthenon. I have no idea why. Perhaps it’s just a coincidence that this building looks remarkably similar to the one in Greece. Or perhaps one hundred years ago, Nashville and Athens were sister cities. Beats me. Beautiful building, though.
Anyway, country music is what Nashville is all about, and we heard plenty of it as we drove the city streets. We also saw plenty of people out and about, dancing, laughing, and enjoying all that music.
What happened next was not pretty.
One member of our group (that would be me) was enchanted by all of the fun and liveliness on the streets of Nashville. The other members were not. I wanted to stroll the streets and get to know the city! The others did not. I wanted to listen to the music! Dance on the sidewalk! Buy a funny hat like this one:
The others in my group were not interested. At all. Not the tiniest bit.
Excuse me, but who invited these people on the 50/50 tour with me? What is wrong with them? Where is their sense of adventure? And why won’t they do what I tell them to do?
It gets worse. Their reluctance to tour Nashville was fueled by their desire to arrive in neighboring Kentucky before 7:00 pm. Why? So we could go watch a baseball game. Yep, a baseball game. Because we just really don’t have enough baseball in our lives. Now, don’t get me wrong. I truly do love the game, as you’ve noticed by all the baseball talk on this blog. Like, about 10 paragraphs ago. But look, it’s taken me 50 years to get to Nashville, and instead of exploring this welcoming city, I’m supposed to race on to a baseball game because it has been, oh let’s see…, less than 24 hours since I’ve seen one?
Voices were raised.
I haven’t been this annoyed with my family since Little Rock. I bet all the other families on 50/50 tours do exactly what their mothers tell them to do. None of this nonsense about compromise and family harmony, especially for those not wanting to be on this ridiculous quest in the first place. Once again, I was out-voted, and left to grumble about it. Loudly.
At least we managed to stop by the Grand Ole Opry on our way out of town. The kids were completely clueless about the whole country music scene. I realize now that we have been derelict parents, causing our kids to be at a distinct disadvantage in life because we have not introduced them to that classic — and so classy — American production, Hee Haw.
Unfortunately, their education in country music was postponed further because the Opry’s museum was closed following a huge flood last spring that left the building under 3 feet of water.
It’s definitely time to hit YouTube and show the kids the stars behind these imitations. I have a feeling, once they’ve watched a few priceless episodes of Hee Haw, the kids will be clamoring to return to Nashville to join the street revelers. I’ll be ready. But for now, we’ve got a baseball game to watch. In the name of compromise and family harmony.
36. Tennessee
The Grand Ole Opry