On a visit to Chattanooga during Labor Day weekend, we strolled the bridge after dark one evening…read more Beautiful sights, sounds from local musicians, and numerous photo opportunities. You cannot park on the bridge, so be prepared to walk to it. This is a perfect free activity for date night or if out with the kids.

Neat place to check out the views of the river! Even though it was pretty cold, there were a lot of…read morepeople walking their dogs, jogging, or comtemplating the views from benches. There are little placards explaining the history, but thy were a bit worn and had a lot of tiny text on them. Some of the wood planks are uneven so watch your step. There's limited free parking in nearby Coolidge Park, as well as bathroom facilites. Across the bridge is the Bluff View Art District. Since I went early in the morning, nothing was open yet other than some coffee shops.

Love that I can walk past this lovely downtown spot daily if I like!…read more One of my favorite spaces downtown. Miller Plaza is owned and managed by the River City Co and hosts everything from the very popular concert series, Rhythm at Noon (Friday, lunchtimes) and the annual 17 week Nightfall series, to art exhibits, wedding receptions....spelling bees . . . and it is also a great spot for a lunchtime outdoor excursion on a pretty day! I think it's something just aesthetically pleasing to me that makes me like this spot so much - maybe the red brick, squared off grassed spots and simple patio tables . . . it just makes me smile. Chattanooga Now will update you regularly on events (in the print edition or online - http://www.chattanooganow.com/places/miller-plaza/). If you are in town and staying nearby, say down the street at the Read House or a few blocks away at the Choo Choo, or are semi-new to town like me and looking to explore downtown, swing by.

From May to August, Nightfall brings local, national, and international music downtown here every…read moreFriday for free! In its 32nd year, I just experienced The Daybreaks for the first time last week. https://youtu.be/0mzc7fZIo5k It's an awesome way to experience new music with your locals.

THE HISTORICAL RINGGOLD DEPOT…read more The Ringgold Depot, built in 1850, is one of the oldest antebellum railroad depots in Georgia. The depot was once used in the Civil War as a supply point for Confederate troops. In 1862, the locomotive, "The General" passed through the depot after being stolen from the Kennesaw station in a failed attempt to disrupt Confederate operations. The chase came to an end just two miles north of the depot. After sustaining damage from Union artillery during the In 1863 battle of Ringgold, the building sustained heavy damage and evidence of the repair is apparent as it is a lighter shade than other parts of the building. I love that this building is now being used for community events such as musical performances (the Christmas show is tonight), weddings, and other programs. It is a beautiful building that has been lovingly restored, (2003). We were very fortunate today to discover a couple of employees in the building who were able to give us a bit of history about the building and how it was used. Looking at the front of the building, you will see two identical doors, the door on the left was used for "colored people" who purchased their tickets and then had to wait outside until the train arrived. The door on the right was for "whites" because it was closer to the train and of course they were allowed to wait inside of the station. The young lady providing this information mentioned that she did not like talking about this racial history and it obviously made her uncomfortable but I really appreciated her honesty and openness. It was priceless! The original doors that lead to the train have been replaced but they are covered by huge sliding structures. These structures were moved away from the door so that we were able to stand on the platform and see what it was like to wait for the train. I was surprised at how close it was. I could have leaned out and licked it! We were also given information on how items, (including the mail) were loaded on the train.

Pre and post civil war History. It was there and used during the battle of Chickamauga. If you are…read morea civil war era buff then this is a great place to start. It is next to the Chickamauga Battlefield which has a great museum and loads of tours and the cannons and placements were placed by veterans who fought in the actual battles. This whole area is packed full of history.

Tony and I happened across this lovely plantation style home on one of our drives in the back…read morecountry roads of Tennessee in Chickamauga, Ga and there was mention of this Mill...so we went looking for it. It is located a few towns over in Ringgold, GA, it was closed so we just walked around and took some pictures. Found some history about it so I thought I would share and review. I would definitely go back here again. Seems very interesting. Great for a day trip from Nashville only 2.5 hrs one way ...if you like taking a driving and seeing what's around the next turn..you must go!!! History: Lee and Gordon's Mills, one of the oldest mills in the state of Georgia, is located about 2 miles east of the center of town on the west bank of the Chickamauga Creek. The mill was built by James Gordon, who came from Gwinnett County, Georgia in 1836. The mill served as the first general store in the area. A blacksmith shop was located nearby and the stagecoach and mail passed twice each week. Some time after the War Between the States a covered bridge spanned the creek by the mill, eventually torn down in the early 1900's. Click on the painting above and you'll see all of the early structures plus many of the citizens of the day. During the War Between the States, on September 9-10, 1863, the mill served as the headquarters of the Confederate Army of Tennessee, commanded by General Braxton Bragg. On September 10, Gen Bragg moved his headquarters south to LaFayette Georgia and Union troops occupied the mill and surrounding area the next day. Skirmishes between the opposingPost War Mill photo armies occurred September 13-18 with the major Battle of Chickamauga drawing the troops to the north on September 19-20, 1863. The mill then served as a headquarters for Wheeler's cavalry corps, but was recaptured in the winter of 1863 by Union troops who used the second story as a Masonic Lodge. The wartime mill burned in 1867. Shortly thereafter, James Lee, a partner in the mill, rebuilt the mill on the same site, which still stands today. The mill was operated by different owners until 1967 and stood empty and neglected until 1993 when Mr. Frank Pierce purchased the mill and restored it to operating condition and rebuilt the dam. Corn meal, ground by the mill, can be purchased today at the mill and rental buildings on the property may be used for all types of gatherings. The following photos show the mill as it appears today, ready for your visit. The City has recently entered into a lease agreement to operate the Mill. For more information, please feel free to visit their website. Parking is plentiful and free and no admission is charged. Winter Hours: Tues-Sat 9 am to 5 pm, closed Sunday and Monday. Phone 706-375-6801 for more information on tours or rentals.

Tony and I happened across this lovely plantation style home on one of our drives in the back…read morecountry roads of Tennessee. We had to park and get out and check it out. I was so excited. I always get excited when I find old mansions like this. So when I got home I had to find out some additional history about the home and the site. The mansion property was bought by James Gordon after the removal of the Cherokee in 1836. Mr. James Gordon previously built the Gordon Mill, which served as the first general store in Walker County. With the success of the mill Mr. James Gordon wanted to build a permanent estate and construction began in 1840, but due to labor and financial problems it wasn't completed until 1847 The Gordon Lee Mansion was originally the Gordon residence built by Mr. James Gordon, who with his two brothers came from Gwinnett County, Georgia in 1836 to Crawfish Springs, now Chickamauga Georgia. Construction was started in 1840 and completed in 1847. The bricks used in construction were made on the residence grounds. The walls of the house range in thickness from sixteen inches at the base to twelve inches at the top. Later a piping system was installed to pipe water from Crawfish Spring up to the kitchen, then bath house, then the spring house, and on to the watering troughs for the animals. During the War Between the States, the main house was used by the Union Army for General Rosecrans Headquarters just before the Battle of Chickamauga. During the battle the house became a hospital and reports show that many soldiers died in the house, the floors were so blood-stained they were later covered with mats. Many soldiers scribbled a last message to loved ones on the walls, and the girls of the James Lee family made copies of them and tried to contact families of the soldiers after the battle. Mr. James Lee purchased the homestead from the heirs after Mrs. Gordon's death. He was married to Elizabeth Gordon and was the son of a Methodist minister, and was one of the principal organizers of the nearby Methodist Church later named in honor of his wife (Elizabeth Lee Memorial Methodist Church). Mr. Lee had a school in his front yard for his children and others in the community. The teacher was usually a male graduate of one of the well know institutions of learning of that day. In his will, Mr. Lee donated $250,000 and 15 acres to be made into a high school. Gordon Lee Memorial High School stands proudly today on the very land donated by Mr. Lee. After Mrs. James Lee's death, the house was purchased by one of her sons, Mr. Gordon Lee, who served the Seventh District of Georgia in the United States Congress for 20 years. He completely remodeled the house in the early 1900's changing the double front porch to the present large one with tall, white columns. In 1974, Dr. Frank Green acquired the property and extensively restored and remodeled the Mansion and grounds. Today, the Mansion stands on the hill overlooking the spring just as it did when it was first built over a century ago. The City has recently entered into an agreement to purchase the Mansion and grounds. Please visit the Gordon Lee Mansion website or phone them at (706) 375-4728 or outside the Chattanooga area phone (800) 487-4728 for operating hours.

The Gordon Lee Mansion is a beautifully restored old mansion steeped with Civil War history and…read morefull of interesting artifacts. The admission is just a few dollars and goes toward the historical society to help maintain the expansive property. There is the main mansion with two floors to explore, an outdoor kitchen in the back, a couple of smaller log cabins, a large garden, and a beautiful front yard with massive oak trees. Inside the mansion is about a dozen rooms to walk through. Most of the items in the house are not original, but they are period-specific reproductions or antiques that show off the house as it would have looked over a hundred years ago. It is very well maintained and presented, especially on sunny days when the light beams through the large windows. It only took about fifteen minutes to casually walk through the mansion, but if you come on a weekend and snag one of the interpreters you could be there for hours listening to stories about this place! It has been a Civil War hospital, headquarters, owned by a few families, and the current owner still lives on the property in a private log house! It is an interesting place I would highly recommend as one of those off the beaten path places to visit.

5 stars all around…read more We came at 5pm on a Sunday (it wasn't packed at all) with our pups. The valet/greeter helped us get a server and we were met at the back patio and immediately seated. The patio is awesome because it has fake grass and the pups loved it. We initially came for a cocktail because I've been wanting to try out this new space that they created in place of the restaurant that used to be here. However, once he saw the new menu and how very reasonably priced the items were, we had to try it out. I ordered the barefoot in the grass cocktail. It was quite tasty and refreshing. Not too much flavor even though the ingredients make it sound like you'd get a bitter chocolate sweet taste. I loved all of the cocktails on the menu and will have to come back to try others. We decided to order the duck egg rolls - and they were Egg-cellent - The food was served at a great temperature and although it was a little tough to eat in egg roll form (duck doesn't always break apart like chicken or pork) it was amazing. I loved the special sauce it came with. It is hard to comment on the service because we were one of about 10 customers in the entire area, but we felt like we were at home and never had to worry about water for ourselves or for our dogs. Just some facts that you need to know, this café was built in place of the restaurant, and all of the spaces in the Dwell hotel now have the same menu - they serve breakfast lunch and dinner items all day! See new photos of the menus! I feel like I will be visiting this place a few times because I was able to get a great appetizer and drink for $20 - but hopefully this review is helpful! :)

Four stars because it's just so beautiful. The wallpaper(s), the art, the plants, the bar...it's a…read morereally beautiful space. The service was excellent, and the food was a-okay (but not the highlight). My mom and I wanted to get dinner before services at the synagogue and a show at Memorial Auditorium, and we wanted to try some place new! My mom is vegan, but Solarium's menu looked modern and like a few things could be changed to be vegan if not vegan already. I sent them a Facebook message, and they confirmed - easy peasy to make some items vegan. We parked on the street outside the Dwell Hotel (where Solarium is located), and there was free parking for one hour - all we needed. When we walked inside, I was immediately struck by the decor. Both the bar to the left (Matilda Midnight) and Solarium to the right of the lobby are beautiful. We were eating really early and were told we could pick any table. One waiter arrived. We immediately told him that my mom was vegan and asked which dishes could be veganized. He said the salads. That didn't sound right to me given what I had been told on Facebook Messenger, and our waiter disappeared. A waitress showed up (she had taken over our table, I guess), and I asked again what could be made vegan. She gave us a list of dishes - not just salads - that could be made vegan. I ordered a glass of Malbec and then we ordered four dishes (all veganized) to try. We ordered the Veggie Primavera (zucchini ribbons, tomato, capers, oregano, and pinenuts - they took out the dairy that is usually in the dish); crusted cauliflower (shiitake dust, orzotto, sundried tomatoes, and peas - they took out the dairy that is usually in the dish); Mediterranean flatbread (hummus, olives, diced tomatoes, and feta on the side); and the cashew kale dip (crudites, root veggie chips, and lavash). They were all pretty good without being anything to write home about, but nothing was bad. I hesitate to complain about food that we requested modifications on, as it's hard to say whether a dish is well conceived or well cooked if you have them modify from how they typically serve it. But I will say that there wasn't anything I didn't like, and it was better than a lot of vegan options I've had. I would definitely go back to Solarium for appetizers and drinks before a show. It's a beautiful place to hang out and enjoy a nice glass of wine or one of their beautiful, interesting-sounding cocktails. I'd like to go again - and I want to try out the bar (Matilda Midnight) as well. Very enjoyable time here!

Grandview deserves 5 gazillion stars because they truly are phenomenal at what they do! Lenzie and…read moreNikki helped make all of my dreams a reality. Having a 3 year engagement, it allowed me many of times to change my mind, and Lenzie and Nikki were always so patient and accommodating to my indescisive nature. If you haven't been to this venue, it's really a show stopper. An old house with so much charm, and the views are breathtaking. The patio allows you to see beautiful views of CHATTANOOGA, and then having the opportunity to take pictures at Rock City the day of the wedding, there really is just no bad place to take a picture at this venue. I honestly can't rave enough about the staff. The professionalism, sincerity, and overall patience of the staff is out of this world. If you love the outdoors/nature, this venue is your best bet. Oh and did i mention they are dog friendly! My pup Ella was there the entire day for the wedding. They truly take care of you here, and make the process so much easier in an already stressful process. Thank you so much Grandview for giving me the wedding of my dreams.

This has been the worst experience of my life! Brides stay far away from this venue! I originally…read moresigned a contract for $5,250 via esignature for the venue only on 9/9. I made an appointment on 11/11 to tour the place and go over with details with Breanna or Hannah. I drove 2 hours there, got there and they say just show yourself around because I've got to take a call. I never saw them again during the visit. we had no idea where to go, so the caterer showed us around and spoke with us about what they provided. So, I got no where with numbers. On December 1, I received an email from the manager Jonathan stating that food amounts have increased. I still haven't at this point signed any contract about food or drinks or anything besides the use of the venue. I never received an updated invoice sent to me. I logged onto my online portal in January and my bill went from $5,250 to over $12,000 with my esignature from 9/9/21 on it!!!! Not only did they increase my bill without my permission, they added my esignature without permission!! Basically, they created a contract on a bunch of what ifs for my potential wedding and then signed my esignature via 9/9 to make it look like I wanted this from the very beginning. It is very misleading! The customer service was horrible! Please all future brides keep an eye on your contract. Terrible experience!!

Ruby Falls has been on my "must see" list for years and every time it pops up in a video on my…read moreinstagram account, I'm more determined to come for a visit. Finally, was able to do it last month. Purchased tickets in advance and showed up with enough time to shop in the gift shop and use the restroom. They have a very nice facility here with plenty of parking, a cafe, a large gift shop, and an observation tower. Spotless inside and well-run. Also, a penny press! Our tour guide, Chuck I believe, was wonderful. Extremely friends and funny and knowledgable about the cave but also about Chattanooga and the surrounding area. They are really doing a lot of tours. Since you walk 0.5 miles to the waterfall underground, it's a bit of a slog to keep getting to the side so groups of 30-40 can go by (tight space). We probably had to do this about 5-6x during our tour. The falls are amazing, but, walking the half mile through the cave and seeing all the other formations was wonderful too. There really are a lot of examples of formations and some unique ones like Angel's Wings, Western Sunset and Leo's Passage. Our group was large, but we had a good time and everyone was polite. The only thing I was disappointed in was that the waterfall wasn't illuminated for us to walk up to it - instead, we walked in in the dark and all crowded around it - so, when the lights came on, I wasn't able to get an approach or long shot of it in full length. They do have first tours of the day and adult-only tours so, if I come back again, I may look into that.

Ruby Falls was such a fantastic adventure! I was truly amazed by the beauty of the waterfall and…read moreall of the incredible rock formations we were able to see along the way. It was an unforgettable experience from start to finish. I was a little skeptical about whether my younger kids would be able to handle the walk, but it ended up being very manageable. We just stayed attentive and reminded them not to touch the formations, just as our guide instructed. I also thought the timed viewing at Ruby Falls was a really smart idea. I initially wasn't sure how I'd feel about the time limit, but the coordinated lighting gives everyone enough time to take photos, enjoy the waterfall, and then make room for the next group. It kept everything moving smoothly without taking away from the experience. My kids absolutely loved it, and so did I! We also enjoyed browsing the gift shop and picking up a few souvenirs to remember our visit. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and we'd love to come back the next time we're in the Chattanooga area.