WINTER DOESN’T USUALLY LAST LONG…
Well, here it is, FEBRUARY, already and our little Chattanooga bed and breakfast is sprucing up for a fantastic 2017 season. A quiet January gave us a chance to exhale after a very busy last quarter. We had many repeat guests come to stay with us and our Holiday parties, weddings and receptions made 2016 our best year ever. Thanks to all of you who contributed to that success, including our wonderful staff and our supportive family.
About this time every year, I think most of us start looking forward to Spring. I see daffodils across Palmetto Street on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus. And, I know that Josh and I will soon be working on landscaping and making the Inn ready for “front porch guests”!! Folks are already booking our Winter Package up to March 15 to take advantage of our cool-warm weather cycles here (For today, Feb. 9, 2017, the high will be in the low forties, by this Sunday, the mid seventies!!!! See what I mean?) . The great thing about our part of the country is that Winter doesn’t usually last long. It always feels to me as though we are never too far away from comfy outdoor weather.
In that vein, I’ve been thinking about outdoor activities in our area. Of course, the famous and iconic Tennessee Riverwalk (12 miles of linear park, mostly along the river, very scenic and flat for the casual biker) immediately comes to mind. Bike rental is available at several kiosks along the river and downtown and on the UTC campus. The Tennessee Aquarium owns a high-tech boat for Tennessee River Gorge tours. The Southern Belle Riverboat offers tours which may include dining on the river. Paddle-boarding and Segway tours are also offered for outdoor fun.
For really adventurous guests we recommend “Adventure Off Road Park” near South Pittsburg, TN (very close to Chattanooga). I’ve had guests rave about this experience, and, also the Chattanooga Skydiving Company and the Lookout Mountain Hang Gliding Company. BUT, firing up one of the rocking chairs on the Mansion’s front porch with a glass of wine and some cheese isn’t too bad either! (especially in light of the fact that we are so close to Valentine’s Day)
History buffs have always enjoyed our little town. We have Point Park, Chickamauga Battlefield, and several other Civil War sites which are “under the radar”. Chickamauga has a wonderful visitor’s center with multi-media presentations and the largest collection of vintage rifles you will likely ever see. There is also a ten station cellphone tour which lets you explore the battlefield at a level that doesn’t require you to be a hard-core buff.
One more thing I’m always excited to mention to our guests is the TVA Raccoon Mountain facility. Getting up to the top of the mountain to the lake is like driving through the Smokies. On top of the mountain, you can drive 4 miles around the lake, find rustic hiking trails, and look over the Tennessee Valley River Gorge (The Grand Canyon of Tennessee). The visitor’s center has recently reopened and it has a wonderful presentation on how the facility was built and a map showing all of the TVA sites and how they work together.
If you are enticed by all of this, realize that we have week-day and week-end lodging packages to help you take advantage of the city voted Outdoor Magazine’s Best Town (two-time winner).
Come stay with us,
Mark and Cindi Ladd
Owners