I Am a Motorcoach . . .

. . . and I am back in the mountains, back where ascending and plummeting from tall peaks confuses my turbo, shows off my “horses,” tests my metal, utilizes every advancement of my sophisticated technologies, and keeps passengers gazing out my picture windows with constantly renewed anticipations of amazement. These mountains are less naked then those out west. These are the Appalachians. I’m taking you on a quick “Bet you didn’t know . . .” tour of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Let’s go . . .

Selfies

(which by definition means I’m in them . . . though you might have to look for me)

Bet you didn’t know the International Towing and Recovery Museum is in Chattanooga. This is where you can learn all about the invention and history of automobile towing. You can also walk through an impressive array of pristine early model tow trucks and read their stories.

Bet you didn’t know the Southeast is home to more fishes, turtles, and salamanders than anywhere in North America, and that the Tennessee Aquarium is not only a dynamic place to see them, but its research arm, Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, is a leader in restoring fresh water ecosystems.

Bet you didn’t know that there is more rock climbing surface within a twenty-five mile radius of this hilly Appalachian town than Boulder, Colorado, which makes it a climbers and hikers paradise.

MEETING THE NEWS on the roadways of America, first-hand, real time, real world news—going out and discovering the news . . .

TOWING NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the first tow truck was a modified 1913 Cadillac built in Chattanooga by a mechanic named Ernest Holmes, and that the earliest history of towing didn’t include the word truck because it was all about cars modified to be haulers of other ailing cars.

CHOO CHOO NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel was originally a railway terminal and that in its lobby is the largest free standing brick dome in the world.

MILE-HIGH and MINIATURE NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the one-mile “straight up” Look Out Mountain Incline Railway has been in operation since 1895, is one of the steepest passenger railways in the world (72.7% grade), and that somewhere on that mountain miniature golf was invented (Tom Thumb Golf on Lookout Mountain – 1927).

CIVIL WAR NEWS: Bet you didn’t know the Chattanooga and Chickamauga Military Park is the nation’s first and largest National Military Part. The park is made up of six locations throughout the Chattanooga region, the largest being in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia (the park’s headquarters). The park’s 9,000+ acres of Civil War battlefields range from forested areas in rural valleys, to rocky mountain peaks and ridges, and hilltops overlooking urban Chattanooga. In the late 19th Century, Chattanooga – a vital railway junction – was known as the “Gateway to the Deep South.” The title proved prophetic during the Civil War, as Confederate victory in the Battle of Chickamauga gave way to Union conquest of Chattanooga, which paved the way for the subsequent Atlanta campaign, and ultimately the march to Savana, Georgia. The Chattanooga and Chickamauga Military Park preserves this important national history, tells its stories, and highlights the significance of these pivotal events in the American Civil War.

NIGHT FALL NEWS: Bet you didn’t know that every Friday night from the beginning of May to the end of August (rain or shine) Chattanooga hosts a huge party (kids, pets, lawn chairs, streets blocked off, etc…) to which everyone is invited. This shindig in downtown Chattanooga is equal parts FREE concert, way-cool motorcycle rally, and food-fest, and has been going on for over three decades (2019 is year 32). It goes like this: early acts get things going at 7:00 and a nationally touring headliner takes the stage at 8:00 and everyone just kind of grazes the concessions while enjoying multifaceted fun.

(Unlike selfies, these are not about me, but about travel discoveries I think you’d like to know about.)

The Tennessee Aquarium is two buildings and one path following the flow of freshwater to the sea. Focusing on the biodiversity of the Southeast, exhibit presentations that are second to none have attracted 25 million visitors since the aquarium opened in 1992.

Quote Of The Day samples

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” – Rumi

“In every battle there comes a time when both sides consider themselves beaten, then him who continues the attack wins.” – Ulysses S. Grant