Seeing the Scenic City – Page 6 – Exploring Chattanooga, Tennessee and surrounding areas

Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights

This week we went to Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights. This is the second time we have been to Rock City.

We have been to quite a few Christmas light set ups in a few different states. Most of them have been bigger than Rock City, but I think Rock City holds up to the others!

There was one initial disappointment. I was looking forward all night to taking a photo of the star on top of the waterfall, from the little balcony that juts out off to the side.

Turns out, we completely bypassed that area. The waterfall was actually shut off. We did see the star at the top and off to the side, though.

We went through the whole thing and ended up at the exit, and I said, “But what about the view of the waterfall????” At first I thought that we had missed an entire section, but that wasn’t possible because there were workers guiding us down the paths at each section.

Later that night, I was still concerned about it, so I watched YouTube walk through videos! When I realized that yes, we did see the whole thing, I felt better. But honestly, I think this is a missed opportunity on Rock City’s part!

My favorite section was the Arctic Kingdom, which was filled with penguins. There were tons of string lights there, and they were all in frosty colors like blue, purple and green, which just happens to be all my favorite colors. It was so pretty there.

We also enjoyed the view of the city lights from Lover’s Leap, and the synchronized lights to music in the Magic Forest. The synchronized lights reminded me of the lights in Hershey Park, Pennsylvania, which we have seen many times.

There were social distancing measures in place as usual. Tickets have to be bought online, where a timed entry is reserved. In certain spots where distancing was difficult, masks were required.

This was a nice holiday themed outing, and I recommend it to anyone looking for something festive to do in the Chattanooga area.

A new job

This year has been filled with ups and downs, with the bigger share being downs.

One good thing has happened to close out this year, and that is that I have a new job. Actually, it’s not new at all, and that’s what is good about it.

I was hired as the news editor for the Dade County Sentinel, a weekly paper based in Trenton, Ga. My first job while living here was as the editor of the Trenton Daily News, a start-up paper, also located in Trenton.

Unfortunately, that job only lasted four months, as the publication had to shut down. I reported just long enough in the community to get to know everyone, and learn the ins and outs. Now I am back, and it feels good.

I actually was offered this exact same job back in March, but I turned the offer down to work in the marketing industry.

One big lesson I learned this year was that writing is what I do best, and I needed to get back into the journalism field as quickly as possible.

I was able to get started right away, and did not require any type of training period. It will feel good to see my first set of articles published in the paper, after a nine month hiatus.

In some of my past journalism jobs, I’ve been known to do it all, sometimes doing the job of two to three people. At this job, all I have to focus on is writing, which is a nice, and slower change of pace. My job is to fill up pages 1 and 2, or the front page and the article jumps. The Dade County Sentinel has a great partnership with the community. We have lots of local columnists, and people from different organizations who submit articles in each week, which helps fill up the rest of the paper.

My two co-workers are nice and welcoming. They have both lived in this community for a long time, so they have given me lots of article ideas, which is helpful.

I am allowed to work from home on Wednesdays. The paper comes out on Wednesdays, and there are no meetings ever scheduled on that day, so it’s a slow day. I am thankful for the opportunity to work from home because it saves me gas money, but honestly I am happy for the opportunity to go into work the other four days of the week!

I am looking forward to the upcoming weeks, months, and hopefully years as news editor of the Dade County Sentinel!

R.I.P Ginny; Veterinary Care and Specialty Group

This is something that no pet owner wants to write about. Yesterday our cat Ginny passed away. She was 12 years old, and had been sick for a few months.

I wouldn’t normally write about this in this type of blog, but our team at the Veterinary Care and Specialty Group (VCSG) in Chattanooga was wonderful, and they deserve recognition. If you’re in the Chattanooga area, you can find more information about them at www.vcsgvets.com.

Our vet was Amy Holford and our nurse was Evelyn Greter. VCSG is a 24 hour emergency care office, and while we didn’t need them during overnight hours, they were available for us during weekends, and any time during the week, which was extremely helpful.

Over the months, we became familiar faces and voices to the team at VCSG, and Amy and Evelyn became familiar to us, too.

We spoke to Evelyn the most, and she was always helpful. Each time we called (about once a week) we had a list of questions and she would give us advice.

We tried many things to help Ginny out, but it was touch and go the entire time. She would seem better for a week, but then we would run into another issue.

Something that was important to us was that they tried to find cost effective options for us. We had to give Ginny steroid and B-12 injections, and they gave us websites where to order in bulk, to save the most money.

Her health declined in the last two days, and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Amy and Evelyn were concerned enough for Ginny that they asked us to bring her in during their lunch break.

Ginny passed away at VCSG, in their care.

Amy kneeled down to my level — I was sitting in a chair — and looked directly in my eyes and said, “I want you to know that you did everything you possibly could.” That was important to hear.

We were given all the time we wanted and needed to say good bye to Ginny. Afterward, they gave us an impression of her pawprints set in foam, inside a keepsake case. In addition, they included some of her fur in the corner of the case. Ginny was a calico, mostly white, but with orange and black spots. She had two big black spots on her back. The cut of fur that they included was one of her spots, and it may sound silly, but I was touched that they picked that area to put inside the case.

Going forward, I hope to bring our other two cats to them, since we have established a good relationship with VCSG. We have extra cans of wet food (one of the things we tried for Ginny was a new diet) and we will donate those to them.

If you are reading this and have pets, give them extra loving today. I will be doing the same with our other two cats, Sabrina and Chessie.

Ice on the Landing

We went ice skating this afternoon. The ice skating rink is set up in the gardens outside the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel.

I have not been ice skating in at least 12 years. Usually I am too afraid to go ice skating, because I am afraid of falling and hurting myself.

We have been to the Choo Choo a few times since the rink was set up, and we learned that it is $10 per person to skate for 80 minutes, which we thought was an excellent deal. They also offer “ice buddies” for those who are not as surefooted on skates.

On a Monday at 2 p.m., the rink was mostly empty. There were actually three older adults, me included, using the ice buddies. This made me feel a little less embarrassed. I think using one was great, because I was able to have a better time, not having a fear of hurting myself.

Newsflash: I ended up hurting myself at the end! But more about that later.

In the middle of our skating session, we got a crepe and hot drinks at the Adelle’s Creperie food stall. Adelle’s has been set up specially for the rink, which was a nice addition to our afternoon.

I enjoyed starting out skating with a buddy, because I got comfortable with knowing how to move my feet. Eventually, I tried pushing the buddy a little bit ahead of me and skating toward it, and then skating while holding on with just one hand.

Toward the end, I skated a few times around the rink without the buddy at all. I even managed to go one whole time around the rink without needing to grab onto the edge. I’m proud of myself!

Derek did end up falling twice himself. The first fall wasn’t so bad, but on the second fall he went down on his knee, which he said hurt pretty badly.

After the fall on his knee, Derek went to sit down outside the rink. I said I wanted to go around one more time before we left. I went around about 95 percent of the entire rink when I fell backwards! I was close enough to the edge that I grabbed the wall, but the force of me falling down was so great that I think I pulled a lot of muscles in my arm and shoulder area. It hurt badly! But I was able to pull myself back up and get over to Derek.

It’s laughable now, that I was SO CLOSE to finishing without falling at all. Oh well. My arm is still pretty sore, and it’s hard to move it in some directions, but I took some aspirin and a hot water bottle is helping.

Even thought we both took some spills, we had a great time doing something new.

Derek ice skating around the rink. You can see some other people using the buddies in the background.

Skating on my own!

Three Civil War sites in one morning

On Thanksgiving morning, we visited three Civil War sites, one for each battle.

The Battles of Chattanooga lasted over three days, from Nov. 23-25. The first was the Battle of Orchard Knob. The second was the Battle of Lookout Mountain and the third was the Battle of Missionary Ridge.

Our first stop was Cravens House on Lookout Mountain. We have already been here once, starting a hike from this point. You can read more about it and see more pictures here.

The Battle of Lookout Mountain included fighting around the Cravens House. The house was used as headquarters for both the Confederates and Union.

Then we went to Orchard Knob, which is a grassy hill that spans for two blocks, and is filled with monuments. On Nov. 25, General Grant stood on top of Orchard Knob, and watched the Battle of Missionary Ridge unfold. There is a great vantage point of the city from Orchard Knob.

I enjoyed this spot in particular, because by seeing Missionary Ridge, you can picture and understand what it was like for General Grant.

Our last spot was the Sherman Reservation, at the very north end of Missionary Ridge. This area preserves the spot where Sherman’s troops fought against Confederates at Tunnel Hill. The Sherman Reservation features a small walking trail through a wooded area to get to a grassy area with monuments and plaques.

There are still so many sites to see, particularly along Lookout Mountain, with more trails to hike, and more reservations along the length of Missionary Ridge. I am glad that we made the time to see some new sites, and tick some boxes off.

Civil War Sites0 — The view from the Cravens House.

Civil War Sites19 — Lookout Mountain as seen from Orchard Knob.

Civil War Sites30 — Missionary Ridge as viewed from Orchard Knob.

Civil War Sites35 — The front entrance of Sherman Reservation. It’s a short hike from here to get to the monuments.

EPB Holiday Windows 2020

Chattanooga’s Electric Power Board decorates their office windows with a holiday scene each year. This year’s theme was Santa’s Workshop.

The easiest hike with the greatest view

Yesterday we went to Snoopers Rock, which is within the Prentice Cooper State Forest, offering an amazing view of the Tennessee River Gorge. At that overlook, you see a bend in the river that curves around Elder Mountain.

From our place, it took about 35 minutes to get there. This is partially because once in Prentice Cooper State Forest, the road that leads to the trail, Game Reserve Road, has a 25 mph speed limit. I think the drive is well worth the view!

There is a parking lot on Game Reserve Road (listed as Game Reserve Road on the GPS, but signs there say Tower Road) at the start of the short trail to Snoopers Rock. Funnily enough, we accidentally took the “wrong” way! You can walk either the section of Mullen’s Cove Loop, which is on the right, or take Snoopers Rock Road, which is on the left. We didn’t know, and we walked the road. I suppose either way is fine, they both lead to Snoopers Rock!

It was a short walk, about 5-10 minutes, with some stops for photos of the season’s last fall foliage.

If you want an even shorter walk, there is a pull off spot with space for about 2-3 cars on Snoopers Rock Road, where you are just steps away from Snoopers Rock.

In the area, there are long trails such as the Mullen’s Cove Loop and Pot Point Loop, both of which lead to Snoopers Rock, so you can hike as little or as much as you want.

Since we went on a Wednesday morning, we were all by ourselves. We took as many pictures as our hearts content, and then ate our packed snacks on the rock while enjoying the scenery. With each place that we visit, I am reminded of how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful area. Chattanooga truly is the “Scenic City.”

Snooper's Rock7 — I’m glad we got to see the last of some gorgeous leaves!

SnoopersRock_Panorama — A panorama shot of the view from Snoopers Rock.

Snooper's Rock72 — Enjoying all of these hiking adventures together!

Wildflower Tea Shop and Apothecary

Yesterday Derek and I went to Wildflower Tea Shop and Apothecary for the first time. We loved it! Our only regret is that we did not go sooner.

As I’ve mentioned before, I do not like coffee. I am only a tea drinker, so this place is perfect for me. They only sell tea, there is no food here. However, they do sell a small amount of apothecary related things, like oils, soap and bath bombs. Of course, there is also loose leaf tea for purchase, too.

I loved the inside of this shop. It was so cozy feeling, and everything was so photographable! I had been coveting a photo of myself on the yellow settee that I have seen in photos on social media.

We ordered a pot to share of coconut crème chai. We got raw sugar as a sweetener and oat milk. It was delicious! The cups were small, and we were able to get about four cups of tea each. There is also an option to order one smaller personal pot, or just one cup.

I’d like to try something different next time, perhaps like the Chocolate Chai, Vanilla Oolong or Chamomile Lavender, but Derek and I are creatures of habit when we find something we like so no promises!

Pioneer Day

This past weekend Derek and I headed up to the town of Soddy-Daisy to check out their Pioneer Day event. A thank you goes out to the Chattanooga Times Free Press for publishing an article with the weekend’s events, otherwise I would have had no idea this was happening! It is helpful to follow local news!

Now, I will admit, with no fault to Soddy-Daisy, that the living history event was, well, a bit dinky. This feeling of mine only stems from many, many years of reenacting at very large living history events! Still, I was glad to get out and do something new and different for an hour.

Pioneer Day was held at Poe’s Tavern Historical Park, next to City Hall. Poe’s Tavern was originally constructed in 1817, with a replica on the original foundation now.

According to soddy-daisy.org, Poe’s Tavern was Hamilton County’s First Courthouse and County Seat. The tavern was also used as a hospital for both Union and Confederate troops during the Civil War.

At Pioneer Day, there was a woman in a historical outfit cooking cornbread on the fireplace. Everyone got free samples.

There were also booths showing historic rifles, locally found arrowheads, basket weaving, coal mining supplies and an 1800s cider press, which I got to take a turn on for a bit.

The big draw for me was a Civil War set up, presented by the Tennesseans for Living History. We were treated to some music by a banjo and fiddle player. I really miss reenacting sometimes!

There was a Robert E. Lee impersonator there, but I only wish I hadn’t seen him walking around the grounds with a can of beer — or soda, I’ll try to give him the benefit of the doubt — in his hands!!!

A new Swedish bakery in town

If you’re in Chattanooga, and you want to support new, local businesses, let me suggest Fredriksson’s.

Fredriksson’s has just been started by my former co-worker, Sarah. She has always enjoyed baking, and recently decided to start her own business.

Her husband is from Sweden, and they lived in Sweden together before relocating to Chattanooga. She’s got the inside scoop on authentic, Swedish baked goods.

She’s told all of us about fika, which in Sweden is basically a coffee and cake break. Fika also is about slowing down and enjoying time with friends or family.

Fredriksson’s is taking orders online at https://fredrikssons.square.site/. She was also at the Chattanooga market for the first time last weekend. We bought six of her buns in four different flavors: cinnamon, cardamom, blueberry and saffron. We also bought almond caramel cake.

According to Sarah, the cardamom and cinnamon are the two most quintessential Swedish flavors. These were also the two I enjoyed the most. The buns were not overly sweet, which I like. As a person who does not have much of a sweet tooth, something slathered in icing can be too much.

I look forward to buying from Fredriksson’s again in the future, and enjoying fika at home with my husband.