Just southeast of Nashville, Chattanooga is nestled in the beautiful mountains of East Tennessee and features lots of attractions perfect for families on the go. Located about seven hours from St. Louis by car, Chattanooga offers a wide range of outdoor and indoor activities, delicious restaurants, and great lodging opportunities for the ultimate road trip.

Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel
1400 Market St., Chattanooga, Tenn.
1-800-TRACK-29 (872-2529)
www.choochoo.com
For a unique lodging experience, consider a stay at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel where you can sleep in a Victorian-era train car. The hotel offers 48 rooms aboard restored Victorian-era train cars. Each car includes a queen size bed, and some cars also have a daybed with a pull-out trundle bed. There are also suites and regular hotel rooms available. Grab breakfast at the nearby Café Espresso, and enjoy the hotel’s indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, gardens, and onsite shopping.

Tennessee Aquarium
1 Broad St., Chattanooga Tenn.
800-262-0695
www.tnaqua.org
Cost: $24.95 for adults; $14.95 for children
The award-winning Tennessee Aquarium is a must-see destination (and a great place to hang out if the summer afternoon heat gets a little, well, too hot). Featuring both freshwater and saltwater marine life, the aquarium offers several cool packages for a truly unique experience. For a special behind-the-scenes look at the aquarium, check out their new Backstage Passes, which allow families to touch and feed aquarium animals. Or consider the Aquarium’s “Sleep in the Deep” program. Tour the River Journey and Ocean Journey, end the night with a snack, and bunk down alongside the largest exhibits, where you can literally “sleep with the fishes.”

Photo courtesy of Todd Stailey, Tennessee Aquarium

Creative Discovery Museum
321 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, Tenn.
423-756-2738
www.cdmfun.org
Cost: $10.95
The Creative Discovery Museum has several hands-on permanent exhibits, Riverplay, Inventor’s Clubhouse, and Bee Garden, as well as temporary exhibits. Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body is at the museum this summer through Sept. 6. Kids will learn about all the slimy, oozy, and stinky aspects of the human body. The exhibit is based on the best-selling children’s’ book, "Grossology," by author Sylvia Branzei. Parents who prefer to not get grossed out can grab lunch at Café Dino-Mite, open 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lookout Mountain Incline Railway
St. Elmo Station
3917 St. Elmo Ave., Chattanooga, Tenn.
423-821-4224
www.ridetheincline.com
Cost: $14 for adults; $7 for children and seniors; children 2 and under are free
Journey to the top of Lookout Mountain on the famous Incline Railway, the steepest passenger incline in the world. Originally built in 1895, the railway has been ridden by millions of residents and tourists. The original train cars were made of wood and were powered by huge coal-burning steam engines, but today, the train is run on electric power. Soak in the breathtaking views on the way up, and spend some time on the observation deck at the railway’s top deck. On a clear day, you can see the Smoky Mountains, more than 100 miles away!

Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Rock City Gardens
1400 Patten Road, Lookout Mountain, Ga.
800-854-0675 or 706-820-2531
www.seerockcity.com
Cost: $17.95 for adults; $9.95 for children ages 3-12
Rock City is just a short 6-mile drive from Chattanooga, on top of Lookout Mountain, Ga. The park features massive ancient rock formations, gardens with more than 400 native plant species, and breathtaking panoramic views that let visitors see seven states. Kids will enjoy the magical Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, and the regional gift shops and Big Rock Grill will fulfill all your souvenir and hunger needs.

Ruby Falls ZIPstream Aerial Adventure
1720 S. Scenic Hwy, Chattanooga, Tenn.
423-821-2544
www.rubyfallszip.com
Cost: Varies between $16.95 to $30.95
Looking for a little high-flying adventure? There is a new kid in town, and it’s called a zip line. Ruby Fall’s Zipstream Aerial Adventure courses are perfect for some family excitement and feature a series of fun and progressively challenging tree-to-tree activities.  Ruby Falls ZIPstream Aerial Adventure includes 30 highwire challenge elements including ladders, nets, walkways, bridges, tunnels and zip lines. The Green and Blue Diamond courses are for ages 11 and up, and an Orange Diamond is perfect for children ages 6-10.

Ruby Falls
1720 S. Scenic Highway, Chattanooga, Tenn.
423-821-2544
www.rubyfalls.com
Cost: $16.95 for adults; $8.95 for children ages 3-12
Ruby Falls is the nation’s largest and deepest waterfall open to the public and has been a destination for travelers for more than 75 years. The waterfall itself is 145 feet tall, and is located more than 1,120 feet beneath Lookout Mountain. The journey to the waterfall will take visitors through twists and turns of deep underground caverns, where kids will be fascinated by ancient rock formations like stalactites, stalagmites, columns, drapery formations and flowstone. At the end of the tour, you can enjoy the view from the top of Lookout Mountain.

Photo courtesy of Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park
1730 Lakeview Drive, Rossville, Ga.
877-525-3946
www.lakewinnie.com
Cost: Admission is $5; unlimited rides for $21
Tucked away in nearby Rossville, Ga., Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park offers thrills and chills for every member of the family. The first rides at the park were the antique Carrousel, built in 1916, and the Boat Chute, constructed in 1927. Both still operate today. Most recently, the park added the OH-ZONE!, a free fall ride where visitors plummet toward the ground. For the less daring, the new Stay & Play Hideaway is a great place for visitors of all ages to play and refresh.

The Blue Plate
191 Chestnut St., Unit B, Chattanooga, Tenn.
423-648-6767
www.theblueplate.info
Refuel with some comfort food with a classy twist at The Blue Plate. Just like the name suggests, this diner-inspired restaurant puts a new perspective on some old favorites and offers a menu that will please any taste buds, small or large. With appetizers like the Loaded Blue Plate Potato Chips (fresh-cut potato chips with black bean queso, cheese sauce, mixed cheese, and pico de gallo) or the fried green tomatoes with cheese grits and remoulade, you might get full before the main course arrives. The kids can choose from options like all-natural beef hotdogs or black forest ham and cheese. And if you happen to have any room left, try a special Blue Plate shake. The Blue Plate is open Tuesday through Sunday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Photo courtesy of Eric Brice Swartz

Sarah Christine Bolton has more than 10 years experience as a freelance writer, editor and photographer. She has published work in various publications, including Dance Magazine, Edible Memphis, Memphis Flyer, Memphis Parent, Romantic Destinations, and Memphis Business Journal. She has a BA in dance and creative writing from Belhaven College and an MA in journalism from the University of Memphis. Find her blog at thesocialnetworkisalwaysgreener.wordpress.com.