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 After much pondering and research, we have completed a list of things that we want to see and do while we are here.  Today we picked this one to do as we thought it would give us some idea of other things that we might enjoy checking out.  So we are taking a tour of Chattanooga on a double Decker bus!  We arrived an hour early so we could check the area out.  These are some pictures from in front of the aquarium.

Tennessee Aquarium, River Journey, fresh water exhibit

Another front of the museum

Here is a sculpture made of rail road ties

Made of all rail road ties

That was pretty cool.

They have this river of sorts that winds around the museum,  Children of all ages were playing in it.

Fun for all ages

This is the start of the “river”.

Start of “river”

As we followed the “river” around the museum, the place was packed with school age kids enjoying an afternoon at the museum.  I guess someone got distracted and left their sandwich by the side of the “river”.

“Thanks” who ever left me their lunch 🙂

While we were waiting for our bus to arrive we were watching the people come and go.  There was a mom with 6 little kids all playing by this section.

Start of “river” where the scene of the crime took place

The youngest kid, maybe about 5, said he had to pee, his mom told him to go in the water so the kid went to the edge and started peeing in the river!  His mom yelled at him and told him to stop and come here.  So the little boy went over by his mom and peed on the side-walk!  Man!  Just think of all those people down river!  Then his older brother took a water gun, sucked water out of the “river” and started squirting his little brothers!  Ish!  I hope they shock that “river” on occasion.

Well, after all that commotion our bus finally arrived

Our Bus, Eleanor

And wouldn’t you know it…my camera died :(.  I’ll have to take the rest of the pictures with my phone.  First of all we came to find out the bus’ was named Eleanor. We were their only customers that day so we had the whole bus to ourselves.  The bus was built in 1960.  All the seats were upstairs, they had none downstairs, good thing no rain was predicted for today.

All the seats to choose from

The other passenger

The bus could of used a few more screws to hold the seats in 🙂 but the view was great.

It was a little warm in the sun when the bus wasn’t moving.  According to a temperature gauge on one of the buildings, it was 91 °.  Gary poo poohed that and said it wasn’t that hot, but it sure felt like it to me when we stopped 😦 ).

The tour lasted a little over an hour and it was a nice drive around the city of Chattanooga narrated by the bus driver whose’s name was Rufus.  One of the first things we passed was a gym there called High Point.  It apparently has a very extensive climbing wall inside, and out

Close up of outside climbing wall

Outside rock climbing wall

This is the Children’s museum,

Front of Children’s museum

looks like fun :), and from what I have seen on the commercials for it, I wish a were a kid again so I could go in there and play ;).

This is a view crossing one of the overpasses

Over pass

Pretty nice retaining walls huh?

We noticed on some of the streets they had them marked as evacuation routes.  We were wondering what that was all about as Chattanooga is not in a hurricane area.  We found out it is for the nuclear power plant!  Hopefully we won’t have to use them while we are here ;).

Here’s the front entrance of the old train station which they have converted into a hotel, this is called the Chattanooga Choo Choo

Front window of hotel

This is one place we are definitely coming back to check out.  They supposedly have train cars that they have converted into hotel rooms.  Neat!

This is what the old hotel looked like back in the day.  Today it looks like no one has touched it in 50 years.  Some of the windows are open to the elements and some are boarded up.  So sad!

Old hotel, now in tough shape

After the flood they had in 1867 where the water reached 30 feet above their normal banks, the town slowly raised their street levels 3 to 15 feet so they didn’t have to worry about flooding the town again!  This is a picture of the top of a window that used to be the first floor of the building.

Fist floor window

Rufus was very informative (too bad the ride was too bumpy to get many more pictures), there were also some low hanging trees and wires we had to duck under, but that just made the ride more fun :).

They even have the International Towing and Recovery Museum here in Chattanooga. (http://internationaltowingmuseum.org/).  We may have to check that out and send big bro some pictures.

When the ride was over we received a MoonPie (remember those from Orange Beach parade?) and a Double Cola.  We had a good time and decided this was a good first thing to visit in Chattanooga, we’d highly recommend it if you’re ever in town :).