We spent another day in downtown Chattanooga. We took a river cruise, visited the National Cemetery and, yes, we saw the Chattanooga Choo Choo.
The day started with a river cruise on the Southern Belle.
Wow, we thought, she is rather large. HAHA, jokes on us. This side is a dock/restaurant, gift shop, offices, restrooms, etc. The real "belle" is hidden behind what you see here.
Our cruise fee included a nice buffet lunch, cold cuts, salads, breads, etc. After our meal we boarded the Southern Belle and the cruise began. Here you can see the other side of the dock/restaurant, etc. Pretty fancy dock, eh???
The calliope. They do play it for you while you are cruising. Want to hear?? Sure you do. Here! Personally, I think it sounded better in person than on this 16 second sound byte.
We got to see Point Park, part of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Parks, on Lookout Mountain from the river.
Barges take cargo up and down the river. From this Wikipedia page we learn about amounts of cargo, fascinating numbers:
These tows can move "about 22,500 tons of cargo as a single unit. A single 15-barge tow is equivalent to about 225 railroad cars or 870 tractor-trailer trucks."
The cruise goes westerly for a while, and then turns around and you go east back past the docking area, under the Walnut Street Bridge (the walking bridge), past the Hunter Museum of American Art. Just a bit further and you turn around once again and go back westerly to the point of origin, the dock.
Below, the Hunter Museum. That colonial looking building in the middle of the photo according to the signs is the site of the Battery Smartt Confederate Work Gen. Cheathams Division.
Now, this gal has no idea what that this Battery Smartt Confederate Work is all about, but, wow, look at this building from the front. I do know a good looking building when I see one!
Some artwork on the banks below the Hunter Museum. Wonder if the fellows caught any fish?
Peaking at the Tennessee Aquarium as we cruise under the Market Street Bridge
Yes, they ARE sliding down that hill. Cardboard sleds, economic, recycling, and fun by the looks of it.
Every one knows if you go to Chattanooga, you really must go see the Chattanooga Choo Choo
And, so we did! The passenger first train (March 5, 1880) leaving Cincinnati for Chattanooga was nick-named the "Chattanooga Choo-Choo". This trip opened the first major link from the north to the south. The Choo Choo was operated by the Cincinnati Southern Railroad.
That wrapped up another wonderful day in Chattanooga Tennessee. It was time to head back to our campground, where we visited one more Civil War monument.
This monument was not in the middle of one of the National parks, it was right in the campground we stayed in. We actually were camped on the site of a battlefield which served as a skirmish site in 1863 preceding the Battle of Chickamauga. (You can read about the history of the 84th Indiana Volunteer Infantry on this Wikipedia page.) We found the monument by walking a few feet on a foot trail that was marked, but not terribly obvious. It was a quiet place to reflect for a few minutes on all Man and I had seen during our visits to the battlefields around Chattanooga.
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