Were going just to do a few things we havent done before. We dont get down to that area often and have worn out all of the local things around here. We planned on just taking a nice weekend and enjoying a few things.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad is a fun little trip. We took our grand daughter this year. About a 20 minute ride to their shop where they restore old engines and then a 20 minute ride back.
There's a trail from the bottom of missionary ridge to the top of lookout mountain. It passes by the Cravens house that was a major part of the battle.
I would vote downtown if you can afford it. Next week, Rock City will have the Christmas Lights going and ice skating will be resuming at the Choo Choo soon. The South Side near the Choo Choo is the happening place now. Tons of good restaurants now. There is also a music venue, comedy club and guitar museum at the Choo Choo campus. There is a free electric shuttle that takes you from the Choo Choo down to around the Aquarium and then the North Shore and back. There are several breweries and 1 distillery now too.
Eat:
Main Street Meats
Opa (Awesome greek food in coolidge park)
Tremont Tavern (best gourmet burgers in East Tn)
Il Primo
Champy's Chicken
Two Ten Jack
Flying Squirrel
1885
Bitter Alibi
Bluegrass Grill (breakfast)
The Daily Ration
Taco Mamacita
River Street Deli
Aretha Frankensteins (breakfast)
Shuford's BBQ (just ignore the Alabama crap everywhere)
To Do:
Tennessee Aquarium
High Point Climbing gym
The best things to do in Chattanooga are outdoors:
Walk to the bluff view art district/ Hunter Museum, then
walk over to Coolidge park acroos the pedestrian bridge and get some coffee/ice cream on the north Shore or at Rembrandt's in the bluff view.
Fishing in Lake Chickamauga or the river
Lot's of good rock climbing
Lot's good kayaking
Tons of mountain bike trails
Good road biking
Chickamauga battlefield and Missionary Ridge
Riverwalk system