The Tennessee River winds through the Chattanooga area and its surrounding massive limestone bluffs. We were hoping to get a boat ride while visiting here so we could check out the local gorges so we got onto the ‘net and started searching. The Chattanooga Aquarium used to run a boat called the Gorge Explorer that went into these gorges but they discontinued the tours in January. Drat! We fell back onto a riverboat called the Southern Belle which advertises great views of the area and takes off from the area near the aquarium.
Unfotunately, Chattanooga is hosting an ironman competition this Saturday and all the roads into the aquarium neighborhood were blocked. We ended up parking some distance away which certainly did nothing for my mood because the walk over to the boat passed through about 90 degree temperatures and 90 percent humidity. I was quite soggy by the time I made it to the boat. They told us to arrive an hour early and we almost did it but once we got there we found we could not board the boat for half an hour. They stored us in an adjacent overpriced gift shop with dreadful calliope music playing on an endless loop. Playing Chattanooga Choo Choo on a calliope is a loathsome concept and inappropriate for everyone except the stone deaf.
We finally got onto the boat but the listed departure time passed without the boat moving. Upon query, I was informed that we were going to be privileged to be accompanied by some 200 children who arrived late. About 20 minutes later and with most of the vermin aboard, we departed the dock but soon found we would be returning to the dock to pick up some particularly late straggling parents and their little unruly charges. The kids looked like they were between 10 and 12 years old and they were all at a particularly obnoxious phase in their young lives. They were either blocking the exits or staircases, fixated on their phones or screaming in an attempt to contact their compatriots at the opposite end of the boat. They were of a perfect size to toss over the railings into the river. The actual tour was shortened due to untimely rugrat arrivals and extra dock stops so our trip ended up being a slow trip about 4 miles down river and one mile upriver from the dock. No gorges were entered and by the time our $25 a head ride was over we had seen about the same as we could have seen from the dock. About the only really dramatic views were of Chattanooga’s beautiful riverside museum of modern art and aquarium, both perched on the limestone bluffs adjacent to the Tennessee River. I would not recommend this attraction. However, we did spot an advertisement for YeeHaw beer downtown. Never heard of this brand.
We elected to split from the riverfront and returned to Raccoon Mountain where the TVA has built a massive reservoir at the top. They use excess power (like at night) from their dams to pump water into the Raccoon Mountain Reservoir and then let it descend through penstocks to feed turbines when additional power is needed. We spotted several deer and some successfully fishing osprey along the way. The reservoir, hydro plant and pumping system were pretty good, too.
We got a few pix. Click here