I am beyond excited to share that the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway has been completed and now connects with the Tennessee Riverwalk, which actually connects with the Virginia Avenue Greenway in St. Elmo. This opens up an incredible amount of opportunities to get out and explore the great outdoors within the city limits of Chattanooga.
South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Section
On the morning of April 30th my friend Jason and I set out to bike the newly connected 27-mile path from Camp Jordan in East Ridge all the way to the end of the Virginia Avenue Greenway in St. Elmo. We met in St. Elmo to drop off a car at the finish, loaded up the bikes in one car, stopped for a cup of coffee at Goodman Coffee Roasters in St. Elmo before driving across town to Camp Jordan to start our journey. Once we unloaded the gear the clock read 9:52am.
We started by taking the two mile path around Camp Jordan before crossing the creek and officially started on the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. The path goes underneath Interstate-75, behind the Walmart Supercenter, crosses over Brainerd Road, and then continues on to the Brainerd Levee and Shallowford Road.
In this section of the path you will pass over the Brainerd Levee, which was built in the 1970’s to prevent flood waters from the South Chickamauga Creek from damaging the neighborhoods in the Brainerd area. The paved path is raised and, with the help of the levee, creates a freshwater marsh with animal habitats home to the Great Blue Heron, Great Egret, Sedge Wrens, Palm Warbler, and the North American Box Turtle.
The path continues north on Shallowford Road away from the Circle K and after about half a mile crosses over at Caine Lane. If you keep to the sidewalk the path connects back with the apartments and homes by the large field on the other side of Camellia Drive. The paved path continues by the old dead tree before turning into a wooden boardwalk beside the creek. This is a very fun section because it goes downhill for about three quarters of a mile before reaching the crossing of railroad bridges behind the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. There is some interesting history here which you can read about in my “Exploring the Newly Completed South Chickamauga Creek Greenway” post here.
The boardwalk continues on up and down some slight grades, passing under many more railroad bridges over the South Chickamauga Creek. After a few more miles, the path leads to a bridge under Bonny Oaks Road, continuing onto a potentially stopping point at Sterchi Farm with a covered patio and public restrooms. The path is pretty self explanatory all the way from Sterchi Farm to the Tennessee Riverwalk trailhead at Lost Mound Road. You will go underneath a large road, Amnicola Highway, and come to a fork in the path. Take the path up the hill to the right, this will bring you to a rest stop with public restrooms and the blue metal bridge to again cross over the creek to continue on the Tennessee Riverwalk.
Tennessee Riverwalk Section
The Tennessee Riverwalk is a very straightforward path traveling behind the industrial buildings and restaurants on Amnicola Highway, the rowing center on Riverside Drive (with public restrooms), Manker Patten Tennis Club, all the way up the hill on Battery Place and on the bridge over Georgia Avenue into the Bluff View Art District.
We made a short pit stop here for some rest and cold drinks from Rembrandt’s Coffee House. At this point, Jason and I had biked for 18-miles nonstop and appreciated a little break before hopping back on the bikes and continuing on the Riverwalk. To continue on the Riverwalk you will need to bike in front of the Hunter Museum of Art and take the path to the left to take the zig-zag path downhill and under the Walnut Street Bridge to the river level area by the Tennessee Aquarium. One the day that we went, the Tennessee Aquarium was hosting an event on the Chattanooga Green event celebrating its 30th anniversary. There were tents, food trucks, and a live music stage.
The path continues down the river underneath Interstate-27 and along Riverfront Parkway before taking a sharp turn by Ross’ Landing Boat Ramp to go behind Scottie’s on the River and the Cameron Harbor Townhomes. At the large vibrant modern structure you can go up the hill to find public restrooms at the Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead or can continue on the path behind more industrial buildings. There is one doozy of a hill in this section between Blue Goose Hollow Trailhead and the Chestnut Street Trailhead just past the Interstate-24 overpass. You’ll find “YAY!” spray painted in yellow at top of the hill to celebrate your hard work. The path continues behind abandoned industrial buildings, in a small tunnel with a sign inscribed “Wheland Foundry Pass” and onto the newly developed area by the Publix in St. Elmo. You’ll need to cross over Broad Street at the crosswalk to go onto the path along St. Elmo Avenue.
Virginia Avenue Greenway
At this point, the Tennessee Riverwalk has come to its natural end, but if you cross over the road at Mr. T’s Pizza & Ice Cream and turn right you will find the beginning of the Virginia Avenue Greenway at Sawasdee Thai Restaurant. The Virginia Avenue Greenway is a simple, mostly level paved path that cuts right through the historic St. Elmo neighborhood. You will pass behind beautiful homes with unique features and designs for about two miles before coming to the end of the path by the Avocado Little Library at the end of Virginia Avenue.
We ended our 27-mile journey here at 1:05pm. Our bike trip took just over three hours and was accessible entirely by safe, paved or wooden paths. It passed by numerous natural animal habitats and the beautiful South Chickamauga Creek and Tennessee River. To celebrate our hard work we grabbed burgers at The Tap House & Empyreal Brewing Company.
If you were doing this trip solo or wanted to really push yourself, you could turn around at the end of Virginia Avenue and make your way back along the path you just traveled to Camp Jordan for a rigorous 54-mile bike trip. You could count it as practice and then compete in the annual Hincapie Gran Fondo for the 55-mile Medio race.
When it comes to a hike with kids there are a few things that you should keep in mind before setting out. You want to plan for success and be proactive. If Stephen Covey puts “Be Proactive” as his #1 Habit for Highly Effective People, then it should be considered here too. He’s a pretty smart dude!
Plan. Plan. Plan.
Determine what your route will be. (check out some ideas here)
Plan the mileage of the hike. (I use AllTrails for mapping and planning)
Look at the map, two or three times.
Find the directions and drive time to get to the trailhead.
Check the weather.
Plan for the estimated total hike time.
Prepare. Prepare. Prepare.
Bring more than enough water.
Bring more than enough snacks. (check out the my snack post for tips here)
Wear weather appropriate clothes.
Have a towel, just in case.
Wear and bring extra sunscreen.
If you’ve got an untrained or recently potty trained little one, make sure you’ve got the diapers, wipes, and a bag to pack it out.
Execute. Execute. Execute.
Keep it easy and have fun.
Bring a wilderness scavenger hunt checklist.
Go on a bear hunt (inspired by the classic children’s book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”)
Make up some other imaginary game to keep the morale high.
Have you got a little one who might struggle with the hike? Consider a baby carrier or jogging stroller, if the trail is appropriate. (check out my Stroller vs. Baby Carrier post)
If you are picture-taking people, snap some shots to save for the memory collection.
I tend to get caught up in the daily activities and weekly planning to manage our gaggle of geese with activities, outings, and the like. Of course, there is long term planning for things like major holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, appointments, and the like, but I may be like some who sadly neglect to prioritize the day that acknowledges and celebrates the category of people who are the reason that human kind continues to keep spinning the proverbial thread on this planet. Let’s talk a little bit about this…
In our society, and from a cursory scan of other non-Western cultures, women tend to be the primary child caregiver. So much so, that it has become an assumption that people make. Meaning, we don’t have a second thought about who meal plans, who cooks, who cleans, who changes the diapers, who puts on the band aids, who gives the kisses, who is the emotional soother, who plans the birthdays, who makes the magic happen at holidays, who will sacrifice time and time again to take care of the family, and who is the one that is constantly NEEDED. Well, the answer is always, always “mom”.
As Tupac penned in “Dear Mama”, his 1995 masterpiece, “Lady, don’t you know we love you? (And dear Mama) Sweet lady, place no one above you. (You are appreciated)”
Moms make this world go round. They truly are the glue to our society. Let’s rise up and truly see the mother’s out there hustling, not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.
Let’s break this thing down into 6 categories: who, what, when, where, why, and how.
The Who
This is a time to recognize and go out of your way to appreciate all mothers and female caregivers:
Your own mother(s)
The mother of your children
Your step-mother
The step-mother of your children
Your grandmother
Your mother-in-law
You aunt who is a mother
The neighbor across the street who is a mother
Any mother at your work (working mom’s have a whole ‘nother bag of culturally ingrained guilt they have to deal with)
The single mothers in your life
Transgender mothers
The woman who is pregnant
Any woman who has struggled with infertility or miscarriage
If appropriate in the relationship, both parties of a surrogate pregnancy
Adoptive mothers
Foster moms
The woman who is the primary caregiver for a child, whether or not they have had their own biological children
Any person who identifies as a woman who has tried to, has conceived, has delivered, or has cared for and provided for a child
The What
According to History.com, Mother’s day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908, although it wasn’t an officially recognized holiday until 1914. Like most every holiday widely celebrated in America, it quickly became highly commercialized. While attention is given to mother’s, we all know that “King Capitalism” is the true hero of the story on Mother’s Day.
In 2013, InvestorPlace.com made a post sharing the “5 Mother’s Day Stocks for Many Happy Returns”, which included: (1) 1-800-FLOWERS.com, (2) Signet Jewelers, (3) Steiner Leisure, (4) Shutterfly, and (5) Best Buy. With a quick historical search of stock prices and share totals for these companies from this period, it was a pretty accurate prediction. Just last year Startup.info shared the industries that are set to benefit the most from the commercialization of Mother’s Day. Here are a few:
companies that sell flowers
companies that sell technology
companies that sell chocolate
companies that sell jewelry
companies that sell greeting cards
companies that sell wine and alcohol
The particular companies that profit from the holiday may have changed over the years, but the sentiment has remained the same. In fact, it isn’t any different from the early 20th century. Anna Jarvis actually despised the way the holiday moved away from her original vision of honoring the sacrifices that mothers make for their children by providing acknowledgement and space for mothers and moved to big businesses marketing to the masses for their own personal gain. She spent the remainder of her life trying to get Mother’s Day removed from the American holiday canon. I’m not saying we need to abolish Mother’s Day, I’m just providing some historical context.
The When
Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May.
In 2022 it is May 8th.
In 2023 it is May 14th.
In 2024 it is May 12th.
In 1914 it was May 10th.
In 2069 it will be May 12th (again).
The Where
The countries and territories that celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May include:
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
Germany
Honduras
Iceland
Italy
Latvia
Malaysia
Malta
Netherlands
New Zealand
Puerto Rico
Switzerland
Taiwan
USA
Ukraine
Venezuela
There are 25 other countries and territories that celebrate Mother’s Day, just on a different day of the year. No matter where you are, Mother’s Day happens everywhere because there are mothers everywhere that deserve some attention.
The Why
We have already gone over this one. I’m thankful that men and women over the years have advocated for a day that honors the sacrifices and love that mothers and mother figures share for those around them endlessly, day in and day out. We shouldn’t just consider a candy bar and a pink carnation enough to “check off the box” for Mother’s Day. We all should pay our time, our words, our affections, our energy, our entire day to unequivocally show love and honor to the mothers and mother figures around us.
The How
You know that mother in your life best. If all they want and need is a Hallmark Card, a heart shaped box of chocolates, and for you to do the dishes and make some pancakes, then by all means do that. But, don’t just rely on the “Top 10 Things to Do for Mother’s Day” blog posts online. Think for yourself. Use your knowledge of that mom and mother figure. Maybe consider asking yourself the following questions to find a meaningful gift:
What does she mention that she wants in passing conversation? (not necessarily a physical item)
What does she do in her spare time?
What does she want to do in her spare time?
Is spare time even a reality for her?
How does she treat herself?
What things does she keep putting in her online shopping cart and then removing?
What companies does she follow online or share on her IG stories?
I’m just a dumb dad (for real, I’m super dense), but a good idea might be writing letters that mention all the things that you see that mom doing that goes unrecognized most everyday, maybe set up a date for that mom to get time by herself or with friends without you or any kids, maybe put together a photo book of photos of that mom with the kids. A 2021 Marist Poll shows that on average 13% of family pictures include pictures of just mom with the kids. We can see that the majority of the remaining 87% are pictures of just the kids doing stuff or rather pretending like they are just doing stuff for the pictures. (disclaimer: all statistics are entirely made up, however they do accurately represent this sad reality).
BUT, since this is a Chattanooga blog here are some local ideas:
1. Mom’s Night Out: Cake Decorating at The Chattery
On Friday, May 6th from 7:00-8:30pm mom’s can get out and learn from the fabulous foodie Meghan Splawn how to decorate a cake provided by B’s Sweet Bakery. Maybe before decorating cakes at The Chattery, grab some tacos, guac, and margs at Taqueria Jalisco and then afterwards take a little stroll down to Exile Off Main Street, Fountainhead Taproom, or Heaven & Ale Brewing Co. for some evening drinks.
*The price for admission is $25. Ticket sales end Tuesday, May 3 at 5pm
2. World’s Best Mom Market at The Chattery
This market is on Saturday, May 7th from 10-2 again at The Chattery. There will be plenty of booths and vendors with mother’s day kits, flowers, bags, cocktail kits, and more. Neat Pony will be doing a live screen printing of “World’s Best Mom” shirts with purchase of select BloomHeart Flower Co. bouquets. In addition, check out the caffeine offerings from Sleepyhead Coffee! All moms need a jolt of the juice.
3. Mother’s Day Celebration at the Chattanooga Market (First Horizon Pavilion)
The market is now open for the 2022 season, including Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 8th, from 11am – 4pm. There will be specially themed Mother’s Day items provided by the vendors. Word on the street is that moms are small business owners too. Support your local small businesses and support your local moms.
4. Music & Mother’s Day on the Patio at 1885
On Sunday, May 8th from 12-3 there will be food, live music, and *mimosas*. Non-mom’s won’t be “turned away” per se, however, let’s give all the mom’s a chance to enjoy some time without you or the snottlings. Live music will be provided by Amber Fults, Rossville native and dog mom rather adept with rocking the music scene in Chattanooga.
Whatever you do, make that mom feel genuinely seen, loved, and appreciated in a way that they value and personally connect with.
Photo Provided By: Lynae Glass
*Special thanks to Lynae Glass for the photography and Jason Moore for some edits and suggestions.*
One morning last summer I decided to take my middle child for a walk on the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. I loaded up the BOB Revolution jogging stroller, some snacks and water, and we were off. We started at the Faith Road Trailhead over by Bonny Oaks and Highway 157. The descent from the parking area to the paved trail is a doozy with its steep incline. At the bottom by the South Chickamauga Creek I noticed thick trees covered by lots of orange tape, cones, and signs saying, “Under Construction”. The posters mention that work was being done to connect the greenway from Faith Road to Shallowford, connecting the path from Camp Jordan in East Ridge all the way to the Tennessee Riverwalk at Lost Mound Drive in Chattanooga. There wasn’t a proposed date of completion, so I just logged it away and carried on with the walk. My son and I had a great time, singing songs, talking about bugs, and just enjoying the calm nature scene.
Then comes April 17th, 2022. It is the morning of Easter Sunday and I just had the urge to check in on the current status of the work done to the new section of the greenway. I found some articles from March of 2022 saying the path was completed, but others were inconclusive. After breakfast I took my oldest son and a pack filled with snacks and water to set off on an exploration of the new greenway section. My goal was to determine for myself if it was in fact completed, and if so, how much was finished and where it ended. I didn’t know for sure how the journey would end, but yet, we went into the “wild unknown”. (cue “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” from Ennio Morricone)
We started our journey in the same location, the Faith Road Trailhead. After making the treacherous descent to the path we find that all the orange tape, cones, and signs are gone and the path is clear, so off we went. The path is paved for about an eighth of a mile before you come to the boardwalk. It climbs over the steep slope of the hillside and the plant life below. After some time the path comes to the bridge at Lightfoot Mill Road. After this you will take the boardwalk as it winds underneath the old train bridges and pipelines that crisscross the South Chickamauga Creek.
Near the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a display of the original location of the 1859 railroad track and a sign showing the height of the water from the Great Flood of 1867. This was the largest flood the city of Chattanooga has had on record. There was a four day long rainstorm that caused the water of the Tennessee River and South Chickamauga Creek to rise 58 feet above its normal level. By March 9th most of Chattanooga’s streets were four to eight feet of water. After the waters receded the city acted to raise the streets higher to prevent such a degree of destruction in the future. You can still see some older buildings downtown with doors and windows sticking just barely poking out from the sidewalk or basement doors that lead nowhere. This storm and flood destroyed the only bridge crossing the Tennessee River and the city of Chattanooga was without one until the Walnut Street Bridge was completed in 1891.
Back to the greenway, the boardwalk continues on the banks of the river just outside of the reach of Cromwell Road. After a while the boardwalk path turns back to concrete behind the apartments on Camellia Drive. The path winds its way to Caine Lane following the sidewalk to the intersection at Shallowford Road. If you use the crosswalk and turn right, continuing south towards North Moore Road, you may see a red Circle K gas station in the distance. It is at this place where you will find the Brainerd Levee Trailhead for the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway.
The section from Shallowford at the Brainerd Levee continues and crosses over Brainerd Road by the Walmart Supercenter. It continues onwards underneath Highway 75 and over the bridge into Camp Jordan. The new section of the greenway does in fact connect Brainerd Levee to Faith Road, creating a 12 mile path from Camp Jordan to the Tennessee Riverwalk at Lost Mound Drive. In fact, if you are brave enough you could even take the 27-mile journey from Camp Jordan to the Tennessee Riverwalk and all the way to the end of the Virginia Avenue Greenway in St. Elmo.
I am very excited about this extension of the South Chickamauga Creek Greenway. It opens up so much for local and traveling explorers to get outside, unplug, and see all that Chattanooga has to offer! This path has been in the works since 1994. The reason it has taken so long is because there are about fifty different land owners along the now completed greenway. The Trust for Public Land had to ensure that all the landowners were willing and agreed to the plans for construction. The project also needed support from all living Chattanooga mayors since the beginning of the work in 1994. In addition, because of the robust wildlife along the creek bank, an environmental regulator needed to inspect and ensure that the greenway would not harm protected wildlife habitats.
I greatly enjoyed my Sunday morning walk along the banks of the South Chickamauga Creek using the new greenway. Get out and explore all that Chattanooga has to offer!
(If you know anything about Chattanooga you know that it is an event city: music festivals, farmers markets, marathons, marathons, marathons, ultra-marathons, bike races, the Little Debbie Ironman, and more marathons. Or at least it seems that way if you try to spend time near the First Horizon Pavilion on the weekends. We have had the misfortune of hyping up the skatepark only to (1) not be able to go or (2) have to park blocks away and walk because of seemingly countless events. Don’t get me wrong, I love that Chattanooga is an event city, but if you don’t proactively plan in the “good” weather months of the year than you might find yourself in endless traffic and detours.)
This morning Lynae, my wife, went out to grab coffee with a friend at Mean Mug on Northshore. After dropping her off we scooted over to the Chattown skatepark near Finley Stadium and the First Horizon Pavilion. Well, there was another event blocking off the whole area near the skatepark, but today it wasn’t some athletic event, it was a car show, the Riverside 7 Spring Meet. I walked and the boys rode their bikes a few blocks to get to the skatepark as I reminded them again and again to “keep your eyes forward”. It’s easy to get distracted with super fancy lowriders cruising right next to you, pull your bike handlebars towards the direction of your eyes, and then scratch a car that is worth more than an average house prior to the 2020 market inflation.
After some time refining BMX skills we walked through the rows and rows of shiny, “race cars”. Again I had to remind my boys to keep their hands to themselves and look where they were walking. But, I can’t blame them, the cars were pretty awesome. 90% of the cars were homogenous, but there were some very unique cars. In papanooga-style, I took time to point out the vans that were dropped down low, loaded with custom rims and interiors. There were two Honda Odyssey’s and one old model Toyota Sienna. I’ve seen my fair share of MTV’s Pimp My Ride and I can recall one particular episode with a lowrider, hot pink older Dodge Caravan. These weren’t quite tacky, in fact they were very tasteful.
We stopped for some snacks of oranges, kid protein bars, and some jelly beans from a nice vendor, put in some more time at the skatepark, and then walked/rode back to the car to pick up mom from Northshore. It was a nice surprise to our morning, especially when I saw the traffic and road closures expecting yet another marathon. Looking forward the St. Elmo Corgi Parade on April 3rd and the 4 Bridges Art Festival by the Association for the Visual Arts on April 9th-10th.
My 5-year old took this photo. Call NatGeo we got a prodigy.
We are all about getting out and exploring the great outdoors. Take your kids on a hike, a walk, on an art crawl around Southside, Glass Street, Montague Park, or the Riverview Art District. Take your kids to explore downtown or Northshore. Just get out and go, but be prepared.
Little legs get tired and then the little bodies get whiny. Sometimes, the little legs aren’t able to walk yet. So, what do you do?
Baby carrier or stroller? Let’s break this down.
Baby Carrier
We have used three different baby carriers with our three kids: WildBird sling, SollyBaby wrap, and Ergo baby carrier. My preference is the Ergo. However, the SollyBaby is the runner up, but only for newborns. The SollyBaby is the better option for newborns because it holds them tight and close, but it has a weight limit as your baby gets older (around 25 pounds). I’ve found it yanks uncomfortably on your sides and begins to stretch out as your baby gets past 6 months.
We have had and used the Ergo almost daily for six years. The Ergo 360 is amazing because you can wear them in front or, as they get older, on your back. The Ergo 360 can hold up to 50 lbs. Which according to the internet is an average 6 year old! It is designed well with support straps that spread out of the weight of your little tanker truck so as not to cause discomfort.
Carriers are also great for getting stuff done around the house. Pop your little potato in the carrier and wash some dishes, make a meal, stand and fold laundry, sweep, vacuum, mop, whatever! There are times when my kids make it impossible to get anything done around the house (I know that absolutely NONE of you can relate) and the only way to make it work is turning on some showtime for the two bigger kids and popping the baby in the carrier.
Whatever carrier you chose, you will also benefit from the all-loving snuggle nap. The gentle sway of your walking combined with the warm embrace of the carrier will almost guarantee that your kid will fall asleep. There have been seasons of our parenting with all three of our kids when I have gone out on a walk with the sole purpose of having my kid nap. I began to start reading while walking and was able to power through over fifty books every year from 2018-2020, but then the world changed and life got more complicated. Anyways…carrier naps can be a life saver.
Stroller
For some people the go-to is a stroller. Which is totally get, less stress on the body, a little easier to get out and go, and the STORAGE! You’ve got the whole gamut of strollers from $20 umbrella strollers that I associate more with a child pushing around a babydoll to the $8,000 Silver Cross Surf Aston Martin made in collaboration with the luxury car brand Aston Martin. Just as some people are obsessive about the color and type of their baby carrier, you find staunch defenders of “this” stroller or “that” stroller.
We didn’t even have a stroller until our second kid was six months old. We just made it work with an Ergo 360 and occasionally a tricycle with a push bar. The type we got was a BOB single jogging stroller. It’s great for long walks when I had both kids, the littlest was in the carrier and the older one in the stroller. It’s nice because it has that little footrest that another kid can sit in and you can squeak out a fake double stroller with your single. Obviously, it’s great for taking on a run.
There are some downsides to a stroller. First, they are big and if you don’t have a garage like us then you have a storage problem. We tried leaving it just on our covered porch, but that didn’t work out. So, we have resolved to just leave it in the trunk of the car rendering our trunk entirely useless. Second, if you are using a jogging stroller with the front wheel locking feature, make sure that you actually lock the front wheel when going for a run. One day I took my kids out, the oldest was biking and I was running with the middle child just sitting in the stroller. Well, unknown to me he had unbuckled himself and I had forgotten to lock the front wheel. Well, long story short… a speed bump flipped the stroller over and sent my son flying through the air like a t-shirt from one of those cannons at a New York Knicks game. Talk about a very “middle child” situation.
Summary
It’s probably a little obvious that I prefer a baby carrier, but it should also be known that my kids are young enough that the carrier is mostly all we need. The only times I use the stroller is for a run, which usually is with my oldest son who is riding his bike, and when I have all three kids with me on a walk. In this case, my baby is in the carrier, middle kid in the stroller, and oldest on the bike.
One day in the late fall of 2020 we were having an emotional day at home. We were months into quarantine and feeling low being in a new place with no friends. In hopes of raising morale, one weekend I drove to the Belvoir neighborhood in the Brainerd area to set up a scavenger hunt.
There is a 3-mile “urban hike” trail loop that winds through the neighborhood marked by 20 birdhouses aptly called the Belvoir Bluebird Trail. At each birdhouse I left a “clue” and a small trinket that connected to the next clue. I had arranged to hide some snacks in the mailboxes of some colleagues from work. We also drew up a treasure map that my kids followed to get from point to point. It was a magical afternoon full of excitement and wonder!
The Belvoir Bluebird Trail has a mission: promote a healthy population of bluebirds in the area. In addition to the 20 birdhouses from the trail, there are 7 larger birdhouses designed by the University of Kentucky, and individual, private birdhouses. The number of fledglings has steadily increased from the trail’s beginning in 2006 to a rough estimate of 560.
It is a very safe neighborhood to walk, scooter, and ride bikes. The neighborhood has a cautious driving culture, in part due to the winding roads and roundabouts, but mostly because of the general values of the community. There are a couple places with larger hills that may present a bit of a challenge to some, but the majority of the trail is relatively flat.
There is an accurate trail map with birdhouse locations and directions at the “trailhead”. The start and the end of the trail is located at Triangle Park (4402 Mayfair Avenue), the community green space. Depending on when you go, there may be printed guides for the trail available.
We all try to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. However, sometimes things never go according to plan. You run out of snacks. You are in the middle of an outing. You need food, but don’t want to break the bank. What do you do? Dads, I got you.
1. McDonald’s
I know. It isn’t the “healthiest”, but your kids are beating each other with their shoes and you need cheap, yummy food fast! Whether it’s breakfast time or after, you can grab a couple things from the $1 or $2 menu and a large Sprite for under five bucks.
2. CVS
If you aren’t a CVS Carepass member you are missing out my friend. Not only do you get enough coupons to turn your preschooler into a mummy for Halloween, you also get a $10 reward a month. It’s literally free money, but you’ve got to spend it all in one go. If you are in a pinch hit up your local CVS and splurge on some bars, chips, and drinks to keep the little monsters at bay.
3. Little Caesars
Yes, the pizza isn’t authentic Italian, but it is good enough and it’s cheap. You can share a whole pizza with your kids for $5.55. There literally isn’t a better deal out there that won’t give you worms.
Since we don’t live in southern California, we have to deal with precipitation of all types. There certainly are days when I prepare to take my kids out into the rain to get wet n’ wild, however, that often isn’t the case. If I am looking to take my kids out to explore and move their little bodies but I am needing to stay dry these are my go-to options.
I have broken them down into three price tiers.
Free Option Number 1:
This one is actually a circuit: Chattanooga Choo Choo → Warehouse Row → Downtown Public Library → Chattanooga Choo Choo.
My kids love the Chattanooga Choo Choo, although don’t tell the management that we haven’t ever spent a dime there. They love to play on the train, play with the bocce balls, walk around the bushes that are trimmed into “mazes”, and jump around on the “spent” ice from the ice rink’s zamboni and look at the giant tree during the winter months.
We love Warehouse Row because there is a glass elevator, a bridge hallway that connects the two sides, giant decorative tires, and stores to explore. It may not be exciting to your kids, but for whatever reason my kids LOVE Warehouse Row. The elevator lets you go up to the commercial offices where there is super cool seating and decorations, but if the security guards catch you they will have you leave and shame you for taking your children up there. But honestly, I get it. So, don’t do that.
The library in our previous home was really lame. Chattanooga’s Downtown Library is on a whole ‘nother level. They change out the scavenger hunt weekly, there is a ping pong table, rotating craft stations, magnatiles, legos, coloring, scrapbooking, video games, corn hole, toys and dolls, play house, obstacle course, and of course books.
The way to travel between these locations is with the free CARTA shuttles. The stop at every block between the Choo Choo and the Tennessee Aquarium and it runs every 15 minutes. We usually start at the Chattanooga Choo Choo because it is the depot for the CARTA shuttles, but you could totally start anywhere along that path. If you are needing a pit stop along the route (potty/snack break) then just hop off and hit up one of the many restaurants and get back on the next shuttle.
Yeah, I know that other than the library this free option may seem super lame, but hey man, we like what we like. Don’t knock until you try it.
Free Option Number 2:
If the mood is less “let’s roam” and more “let’s stay home”, but you still need to get them out of the house then I got you. There are over twenty thrift stores around Hamilton County and most of them have a toy section. I’ll literally take my kids to the thrift store to just play with the toys and read the kids books. Again… don’t knock until you try it.
Here are a couple of my favorites:
America’s Thrift Store in Hixson (248 Northgate Mall Dr. Suite 122, Chattanooga TN 37415)
Samaritan Center in Ooltewah (6017 Ooltewah Georgetown Rd, Ooltewah TN 37363)
Goodwill in East Brainerd (7601 E. Brainerd Rd, Chattanooga TN 37421)
Inexpensive:
If you are looking for something else, but aren’t wanting to break the bank for an outing then I suggest you check out Red Bank Bounce. It is a small warehouse on Dayton Boulevard with four MASSIVE bounce houses and a fully padded central movement space. It is $10 for kids 2-11 (kids 12 and older are considered too big and aren’t allowed) and kids under 2 are free with a paying child.
They advertise that you only get two hours of jump time, but a little bird told me that there isn’t anyone watching the clock. Just kidding, it was me. I am the little bird. Anyways, it’s a great option for kids 11 and under.
Although, word to the wise: CALL BEFORE GOING. Their hours are OFTEN changing due to parties and holidays.
Expensive:
If money isn’t a consideration I would consider Synergy Climbing and Ninja. Have you ever seen American Ninja Warrior and thought, “Gee willikers, I have a hankering for some dangle rope climbing.” Well, today is your lucky day. For anyone 13 and older it is $25 and for anyone 12 and under it is $21.50 for a full access to the gym, including bouldering, fitness, and ninja climbing sections. They have punch card deals if you are interested in more of an investment or just a day pass for a one-off visit. I might suggest High Point too, but their deal is more lead rope climbing. They do have bouldering and a kids section, but everything is wall climbing. Synergy has wall climbing and an obstacle course in the Ninja gym section.
