After a restful night at the Chattanoogan Hotel, we awoke to a steady rain. Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain were covered in fog. It's a great day to leave the bike in the hotel garage and visit the Tennessee Aquarium at the Chattanooga Downtown Riverfront. We borrowed an umbrella from the hotel and walked a few blocks to the City Cafe Diner for a couple of scrumptious omelets with toast and grits. We managed to find the Downtown Electric Shuttle bus that took us to our destination.
The Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga has been a centerpiece to America’s Scenic City in more ways than one. The original building, a freshwater and saltwater aquarium known as River Journey, debuted on May 1, 1992. It was the focus of the ongoing revitalization effort in downtown Chattanooga and capped a 20-year effort to bring tourists back to what was once a blighted downtown area. The attraction anchored the creation of Ross’s Landing as a destination within the city, garnering support from other businesspeople who showed faith in a “build it and they will come” philosophy.
When all was said and done, everybody did come, to the tune of 1 million visitors a year. More than a 100 new businesses were added in the multi-block area. Ross’s Landing, the original site of Chattanooga was expanded, adding a pedestrian walkway known as RiverPark. A second building, a saltwater aquarium known as Ocean Journey, was added in 2005 in an effort to keep the Aquarium on a competitive level with the planned Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The Tennessee Aquarium boasts more than 12,000 species of living animals and holds more than a million gallons of water between the two complexes.
Folks, you MUST visit this place. It's fascinating for all ages. We spent 3 hours there beginning with petting a stingray and following butterflies to a face-to-face encounter with a 10 foot shark. We would have spent more time touring the fabulous grounds, but the steady rain and chilly wind kept us indoors. Take a look at some of the photos I took in the complex.
Reminds me of a classic movie...
This honkin' fish is about 5 and a half feet tall. Who knew a
Blue Channel Catfish had such a white belly?
We were pretty worn out when we headed back to the hotel to meet our old friend, Beth Harris, who had invited us to spend the night at her home.
(Note: I didn't take this photo of our friends who live at Harris Haven Farm atop Signal Mountain. It's a slice of heaven, isn't it?)
It's a good thing Beth led us up the mountain road because it was still raining and the fog on top of the mountain was so thick we couldn't see a car length in front of us! I had been bragging to Sid about the incredible views from Dave's back deck...and he still hasn't seen them! Maybe it will clear up a bit tomorrow. We had a lovely evening with Dave and Beth sharing motorcycling stories and discussing the weather and its impact on our travels tomorrow. Thank you so much for sharing your home with us!
