Chattanooga - Backgroud - Overview

Few cities are so identified with a song as CHATTANOOGA , in the southeast corner of Tennessee. Though visitors expecting Tex Beneke's and Glenn Miller's Chattanooga Choo-Choo may be let down to find that there is no longer even an Amtrak service, the town continues to celebrate its railroad history, and has plenty more to offer besides not least its beautiful location on a deep bend in the Tennessee River , walled in by forested plateaus on three sides. This setting led John Ross, of Scottish and Cherokee ancestry, to found a trading post on the spot in 1815, and its strategic importance made it a great prize during the Civil War; victories here in 1863 were the springboard for Sherman's march through Georgia.

A taxi downtown from Chattanooga's airport (tel 423/855-2200), three miles east, costs around $12. Greyhound connections with Nashville, Knoxville and Atlanta arrive on Broad Street downtown. The visitor center , adjacent to the Tennessee Aquarium (daily 8.30am5.30pm; tel 423/756-8687 or 1-800/322-3344, www.chattanoogafun.com ), provides the usual range of help, along with a useful guide for travelers with disabilities. The obvious place to eat in Chattanooga is the Choo-Choo complex, where the enclosed but well-lit Gardens Restaurant serves standard meals for around $10; the more romantic Silver Diner serves steaks and seafood in a railroad car permanently parked on the platform behind, and there's also an Espresso Caf (all tel 423/266-5000). For inventive southern cooking in a stylish atmosphere, try the Southside Grill , 1400 Cowart St (tel 423/266-9211). The Big River Grille & Brewing Works , 222 Broad St (tel 423/267-2739), is a cavernous brewpub and restaurant near the Aquarium.