Carolinas, Georgia & South Trips (Lonely Planet, 1st Edition) - Alex Leviton [146]
EAT & SLEEP
Las Paletas
The Mexican-style hibiscus or rice pudding popsicles from this minimalist shop are must-have treats. 615-386-2101; 2907 12th Ave S, Nashville; popsicles $2; noon-7pm Tue-Sat
Loveless Cafe
This well-loved rural roadhouse serves biscuits and fried chicken, and sells cutesy Southern souvenirs. 615-646-9700; www.lovelesscafe.com; 8400 Hwy 100, Nashville; dishes $8-17; 7am-9pm
Prince’s Hot Chicken
Mind-blowingly spicy fried chicken is well worth braving the seedy location and long wait. 615-226-9442; 123 Ewing Dr, Nashville; mains $4-8; noon-10pm Tue-Thu, to 4am Fri & Sat
Union Station Hotel
This castle-like former train station has crisp, contemporary guest rooms. 615-726-1001; www.unionstationhotelnashville.com; 1001 Broadway; r from $200
USEFUL WEBSITES
www.franklin-gov.com
www.visitmusiccity.com
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LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner
TRIP
57 48 Hours in Nashville
58 Country Music Capital: Nashville
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Return to beginning of chapter
TRIP 60
Outdoor Chattanooga
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WHY GO Surrounded by wide rivers and soaring sandstone cliffs, Chattanooga has become a destination for outdoor adventurers. Philip Grymes, director of Outdoor Chattanooga, lets us in on his favorite hiking, biking, paddling and climbing spots, and tells us where to relax with a beer at the end of an adrenaline-pumping day.
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TIME
2 days
BEST TIME TO GO
Mar - May
START
Chattanooga, TN
END
Chattanooga, TN
ALSO GOOD FOR
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“We live in a wonderfully remodeled town,” says Philip Grymes, a wilderness guide who has made his career supporting Chattanooga’s green renaissance. Called “the dirtiest city in America” in the 1960s, Chattanooga has cleaned up its act. The decaying industrial downtown has been completely transformed, with blocks of renovated warehouse lofts and grassy public parks. “The waterfront is always active,” Grymes says. “You’ll have large cruiser boats moored against the bank and above them, on the greens, will be people on bikes, people pushing baby strollers, picnicking on the lawns and throwing Frisbees.”
The waterfront means the banks of Tennessee River, which snakes through the city on its way to the Mississippi. To best enjoy the riverfront, Grymes suggests starting in Coolidge Park, across from Chattanooga’s Riverwalk. There’s an interactive fountain for kids to play, a carousel and a 50ft-climbing wall attached to one of the limestone columns supporting the Walnut Street Bridge - a popular pedestrian span connecting downtown to the North Shore neighborhood.
Fuel up on the North Shore at Aretha Frankensteins, an all-day breakfast joint in a lopsided, turquoise cottage. Try the Elephants Gerald, a Belgian waffle topped with ice cream and pecans. Or just have a beer on the porch and shoot the breeze with the hipsters from the neighborhood.
For a secluded hike, try the Rainbow Lake trail on Signal Mountain, about 15 minutes to the northwest. “Start at the parking lot trailhead and walk through mountain laurel and rhododendron, past large boulders, and across a beautiful mountain creek,” says Grymes. This area has a number of other primo trails, including a section of the Cumberland Trail, which when completed should cover 11 counties and 300 miles.
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OUTDOOR CHATTANOOGA
Formerly filthy, Chattanooga’s commitment to the outdoors and the environment runs deep. The city has even created a special agency, Outdoor Chattanooga (www.outdoorchattanooga.com), to promote an active lifestyle. Sign up for one of its many events, like Tennessee River kayaking trips and Civil War battlefield bike tours. Its helpful website has a full rundown of local recreation opportunities, with maps and directions to area hiking, fishing, rafting and climbing spots.
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Southwest of town, Raccoon Mountain Caverns appeals to both day trippers who don’t want to get their feet muddy and more adventurous souls. Grymes suggests the