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 Checkin' Out Chattanooga Other than the humidity, one thing that always strikes me about the South is the slower pace here. Compared to most other parts of America, even the rural Midwest, life in the South seems to move in slow motion. Even a mellow city like Portland seems incredibly frantic compared to the South. Some people like a frenetic pace but not me.
There are some things I don't like about the South, like the aforementioned humidity and a higher level of intolerance and racism than in other parts of America. But the pace here is more relaxed and there's a greater emphasis on personal relationships rather than making (and spending) money. I guess you have to take the good with the bad.
It was still humid on Saturday morning, though a few degrees cooler, as I checked out of my motel room. This was my first visit to Chattanooga so I drove into downtown to look around for a few hours. Chattanooga was once an important railroad hub but it's now filled with lots of abandoned red brick buildings. Although I found some interesting sites, such as the Tennessee Aquarium and the Chattanooga Choo-Choo (yes, there really was a choo-choo), I thought the city was a little depressing and, despite the friendly folks I met, I was glad that I didn't live there.
I think the most interesting place in Chattanooga is nearby Lookout Mountain, the site of an important Civil War battle. However, I have to admit that the main reason I liked Lookout Mountain is that it's about 2,000 feet higher than Chattanooga and thus about 10 degrees cooler, so I lingered there a while. But after a few hours, I reluctantly dropped back down into the steamy soup (there's that word again) of the Tennessee River valley.
I left Chattanooga on Saturday afternoon with both of my truck's windows rolled down, not having air conditioning. I thought I'd have trouble finding a campsite that evening, since Saturday is the worst day of the week to find a quiet campsite (or indeed, any campsite). And sure 'nuff, the two campgrounds that I stopped at that afternoon, both on reservoirs of the Tennessee River, were overrun with huge RVs, beer-swilling guys wearing muscle t-shirts, and little kids zipping around on tiny dirt bikes. It was your typical power-boat crowd and definitely not my kind of place, so I got back on the highway and continued north.
Above left: This is what happens to your shoes when you travel through the South in the summer. It was between 93 and 102 degrees each day for a week here, with very high humidity. As hard as I scrubbed, I just couldn't get the mold off my shoes. I still can't. Above center: Broad Street, the main drag in downtown Chattanooga. Above right: The Market Street bridge across the Tennessee River.
Above left: Chattanooga has lots of old brick buildings that make interesting photographs. Above right: Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo? The Choo-Choo doesn't run anymore between Chattanooga and Cincinnati, but it's a popular tourist attraction. Idiots like me enjoy climbing into the cab and ringing the bell.
Above left: Cannon on Lookout Mountain, overlooking Chattanooga, an important Civil War battlefield. The Confederates defended the mountain top but the Union troops successfully stormed it in November 1863. Above center: A park ranger dressed as a Union soldier, loading his rifle during a demonstration at Lookout Mountain. Above right: Best friends.
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