A Weekend in Chattanooga

Chattanooga is my place, my memories, my hometown!!! I was born in Chattanooga in nineteen eighty something and truly enjoyed the time I lived there. While it has a small-town vibe, Chattanooga now features everything you need from great shopping, fascinating attractions and great dining. But its best feature...it is the home of my memories.

Recently, me, Rob, Emma and Lauren took a weekend trip to Chattanooga. My goal for the trip was relaxation; share my childhood memories with my family; and to have a lot of fun. Chattanooga did not disappoint.

Chattanooga is only a 2-hour drive from Nashville, score!! We drove down after I got off of work on a Friday and checked into our hotel...the historic Read House Hotel in downtown. The Read House was established in 1872 and is celebrating 150 years this year!!! It also holds a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. It is breathtaking. While upscale and updated in every way, it still stays true to its roots and gives you that historic vibe.

We got there later in the afternoon so we wanted a quick but fun dinner. The hotel concierge recommended the City Café Diner which was right across the street. Oh my goodness!!!! What a find! We had the BEST time. We got there just in time. The space is small so the wait can be long if it is busy but we got right in. We ordered our “cokes” - Which were a variety of soft drinks. We call all soft drinks a coke in the south. It is true. Then we were served bread! SO GOOD. I encouraged the girls to butter the bread and then sprinkle a little salt on it as will. BOOM. Mind blown!!!! So good. I had a plate of lemons for my sweet tea so as we waited for our dinner I also encouraged the girls to sprinkle a little sugar on them and try it. BOOM AGAIN! They loved it!!! Me, Emma and Rob had the most amazing burgers you could ever have!! SO GOOD!!!! Lauren had a fried chicken sandwich. The piece of chicken was as big as her face! She loved it!!! It was such a good find and I will always recommend it to everyone.

After a good night’s sleep we woke up to a morning of Chattanooga memories. We grabbed some breakfast and headed on a tour of my childhood. We visited the three homes I lived in in Chattanooga as well as my grade school and high school. It might have been more fun for me but hey – I will take it. We ate lunch ag Gondolier. It is a tiny hole in the wall restaurant but oh my goodness their pizza and sandwiches and salads are amazing. We ordered from Gondolier a ton when I lived in Chattanooga. It was as good as I remember!!!

That afternoon we visited Rock City! So much fun! The girls took the more “ambitious” journey while Rob an I took the calmer, more level walk through the park. It was so much fun. Great views, nostalgic and just pure enjoyment. It was super-hot so we grabbed a lot of water afterwards and headed back to the hotel for a ghost tour!!!

The Read House is a haunted hotel. The Greene’s love some ghosts! Just sayin’... We are “confirmed ghost story and horror film addicts” (if you watch The Shining – You will understand that quote!!). We booked a room at the Read House not only because it is AMAZING but also because it is haunted. Room 311 is the haunted room. So when we checked in....we were SUPER SURPRISED to know that we were in room 302!!!! WHAT???? We took a guided tour of the Room 311 and it did not disappoint. I highly recommend it. I was seriously not phased by staying in a haunted hotel. I believe in ghosts but I was not concerned by this. Emma and Rob were also not phased.... Lauren was a bit concerned. The first night, we all slept fine. I am not gonna lie. The second night...I struggled. It was legit the weirdest thing ever. I felt panicked, stressed, pressure on my chest...the ghost of Annalisa was not happy we were there! Check out the Read House website for more on her story! Beautiful hotel. Champagne was amazing. But Annalisa...she likes to make her presence...well...present!!

All in all, it was an amazing trip to Chattanooga. If you are from Tennessee and have a few days to spare, definitely plan a trip. If you are from out of state...there is enough to do in this great city for a week so don’t hesitate to plan your getaway!