Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?

Is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? Why yes, it is. We’re here in Chattanooga enjoying the sites. The trip down was pleasant. Every time we drive through Virginia, I think we should move there.

The first day driving through the Shenandoah Valley and Blue Ridge Mountains was beautiful. The eastern red buds, and forsythia were in full bloom decorating the roadside. Cruising down Rt 81 singing to the radio is a wonderful ride.  Steve had the pleasure of listening to me sing for hours on end.

During the trip we started getting an alert every time I hit the brakes: “Service Advance Trac”. Huh, I wonder what that means. Steve works at Acton Ford and he’s friendly with the mechanics so he gave them a call. His friend Dave advised us that it probably is not a major issue.

The second day we drove in rain, sometimes torrential. We also got an additional alert: “Pre Collision Assist Not Working”. Luckily, I don’t plan on having a collision. Every time we hit the brakes it dings and flashes. At the very least it’s annoying. Again, no one thinks this is alarming. I guess I won’t worry about it. Thankfully, we arrive at our campground Raccoon Mountain safely. Let’s check out Chattanooga.

Steve is a car guy. The Coker Auto Museum is right up his alley. I’m not usually interested in transportation museums, but this place is amazing. Dozens of antique motorcycles are displayed 3 high along the walls. They look incredibly dangerous to ride and I’m sure they were. The car collection is diverse. Everything from an Italian luxury auto to delivery trucks to roadsters. The museum is connected to an auto restoration garage. You can see all the projects they’re working on; it’s fascinating. They also have a carpentry shop where they make wooden spoke wheels. I thoroughly enjoyed The Coker Museum.

In the afternoon we visited Montague Park sculpture field. I like sculpture parks. The size and scope of the park was enthralling. How much time, energy and money goes into creating and displaying these massive works of art? Steve is less enthused, but he goes along with me.

I planned Thursday’s itinerary, so I left Friday up to Steve and he knocked it out of the park. I have been looking forward to riding the incline railroad, but they closed it for repairs April 8^th. Can you believe it? We missed it by a couple of days. Instead, Steve planned on driving up Look Out Mountain to take in the view. We accidentally found Rock City. We had no idea what it was. It turned out to be the most incredible botanical garden I have ever seen. Steve isn’t really into gardens, but it was his turn to be pleasantly surprised. We both loved it. I’m devoting one whole page to the photos. After Rock city we stumbled upon Point Park. A national park memorializing the battle of Lookout Mountain. What a great day to wrap up our stay in Chattanooga.

Saturday we’ll hang out and get ready for departure. On to Hot Springs Arkansas. Thanks for following along…