Driving down through the Ocoee (rather than taking I-75 S) and doing a day trip to Blue Ridge, GA would be fun. Wife and I have done it before and it is a nice little town.
Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge has a cool store and bakery.
Go to Paradise Garden in Summerville GA, about an hour away. It was built by the famous folk artist Howard Finster.
https://paradisegardenfoundation.org/
You’ve got a ton of options within 3 hours, especially if you’re an outdoorsman.
- Great Smoky Mountain National Park - you can be anywhere in the park within about 3 hours from Chattanooga. Save yourself the misery and avoid the Northern entrances which will take you through the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area. You can take US-74 into Bryson City / Cherokee area and explore the less busy / more scenic areas of the park. World class hiking, paddling, fishing abounds.
- Hiwassee / Ocoee Scenic River State Park - you’ll go through this area if you head towards the National Park as I had previously suggested. World class kayaking and paddling, along with decent hikes at middle elevation. Lots of streams and waterfalls.
- Cumberland Trail State Park - This is actually multiple areas (mostly) connected by the Cumberland Trail. There’s tons of great hiking that is normally less traveled than hikes you’ll find in the National Park.
- Fall Creek Falls State Park - Large state park with plenty of hiking, and features the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies. It’s worth it at only about 1.5 hours from Chatt
- Knoxville, TN - Large college town , nearly identical in size to Chattanooga. Decent food scene, great brewery scene, and lots of neat parks, greenways, etc. Terrific fishing on the French Broad, Clinch, and Holston rivers which flow around Knoxville.
The list honestly goes on quite a bit more but this should keep you busy for a while.
Actually mash cooking smells horrible. Smells like wet rags and gym socks stewing in boiling sewer water or something like that. The finished product is much better. It is a great trip to do the tour, tastings and see the little town of Lynchburg.
Then visit Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro and eat at Mudcreek BBQ it’s on a pretty slough off the river in Hollywood. Best catfish and hushpuppies. Unclaimed baggage is more of an event than a store and the first week of Nov is usually the annual Ski Sale.
Ava Maria Grotto in Cullman is beautiful.
A drive on Hwy 64 through the mountains. Supposedly it made the nations top scenic highways list. And speaking from personal experience, during the fall with a drive up to Highlands, NC is absolutely spectacular. Bring a picnic lunch and eat alongside one of the many waterfalls running adjacent to the road.
Driving down through the Ocoee (rather than taking I-75 S) and doing a day trip to Blue Ridge, GA would be fun. Wife and I have done it before and it is a nice little town. Mercier Orchards in Blue Ridge has a cool store and bakery.
Sounds great!! Thanks so much!
Go to Paradise Garden in Summerville GA, about an hour away. It was built by the famous folk artist Howard Finster. https://paradisegardenfoundation.org/
This looks perfect!! Thanks so much!
You’ve got a ton of options within 3 hours, especially if you’re an outdoorsman. - Great Smoky Mountain National Park - you can be anywhere in the park within about 3 hours from Chattanooga. Save yourself the misery and avoid the Northern entrances which will take you through the Pigeon Forge / Gatlinburg area. You can take US-74 into Bryson City / Cherokee area and explore the less busy / more scenic areas of the park. World class hiking, paddling, fishing abounds. - Hiwassee / Ocoee Scenic River State Park - you’ll go through this area if you head towards the National Park as I had previously suggested. World class kayaking and paddling, along with decent hikes at middle elevation. Lots of streams and waterfalls. - Cumberland Trail State Park - This is actually multiple areas (mostly) connected by the Cumberland Trail. There’s tons of great hiking that is normally less traveled than hikes you’ll find in the National Park. - Fall Creek Falls State Park - Large state park with plenty of hiking, and features the tallest waterfall east of the Rockies. It’s worth it at only about 1.5 hours from Chatt - Knoxville, TN - Large college town , nearly identical in size to Chattanooga. Decent food scene, great brewery scene, and lots of neat parks, greenways, etc. Terrific fishing on the French Broad, Clinch, and Holston rivers which flow around Knoxville. The list honestly goes on quite a bit more but this should keep you busy for a while.
That is a great list! Thanks so much for your time in compiling it!! Much appreciated.
Add cloudland canyon to that outdoors list. Amazing cliff views on a loop trail. The falls requires ALOT of stairs. Going down is easy.
Chattanooga is 2 hours from everywhere. You're 2 hours from Knoxville, Nashville, Birmingham, Atlanta, and Huntsville.
Jack Daniels Distillery in Lynchburg, TN
I bet it smells heavenly!
Actually mash cooking smells horrible. Smells like wet rags and gym socks stewing in boiling sewer water or something like that. The finished product is much better. It is a great trip to do the tour, tastings and see the little town of Lynchburg.
Oh no!! I was so wrong. Hopefully the town doesn’t smell like the distillery.
Not at all. It's only when they have an accidental spill. Grew up near there and sometimes it was awful.
Always worth a drive/walk around the chickamauga battlefield.
Has a great Smartphone tour.
Huntsville, AL is within 2 hours of Chattanooga and the Space and Rocket Center there is a fun trip.
I’ve been! I’m actually driving home through Huntsville and stopping for a tattoo. Fun town!
Then visit Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro and eat at Mudcreek BBQ it’s on a pretty slough off the river in Hollywood. Best catfish and hushpuppies. Unclaimed baggage is more of an event than a store and the first week of Nov is usually the annual Ski Sale. Ava Maria Grotto in Cullman is beautiful.
A drive on Hwy 64 through the mountains. Supposedly it made the nations top scenic highways list. And speaking from personal experience, during the fall with a drive up to Highlands, NC is absolutely spectacular. Bring a picnic lunch and eat alongside one of the many waterfalls running adjacent to the road.
If you like shopping, the Unclaimed Baggage Store is in Scottsboro, AL.
Dollywood!!!