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March 2012
on an overcast winter day!), pack snacks (see our trail mix recipes in this issue) and be prepared to leave happy, smiling and tired. The Lost Sea 423-337-6616 140 Lost Sea Road Sweetwater, Tennessee 37874 Wilderness at the Smokies 1-877-325- WILD (9453) www.wildernessatthesmokies.com
The Lost Sea, its lessons and legends
The Lost Sea (www.thelostsea.com) is a terrific adventure for families. The caves, history, nature and science of the experience are a perfect example of learning cloaked in entertainment. Proud children will regale you with facts about stalagmites, stalagtites, columns, bats, mold and other exciting science after this tour. The guides are great, very knowledgable and happy to answer questions. Children learning about physical sciences and geology will find that the tour is the real-life of what they learned and students who are about to learn those lessons will carry them confidently to share with their teachers and peer students. The lessons of time, erosion, tectonic plates, the Civil War gunpower production are tangible experiences in these caves. The underwater lake and its inhabitants are an exciting mystery in nature that illustrates things children have (or will have) learned in class. The albino trout represent an animal changing because of its environmental influences, growing larger because of a lack of predators and losing pigment because of a lack of sunlight. Learning together is fun and providing a real life experience that illustrates a school lesson reinforces learning while building family memories. The Lost Sea is easily accessible from the highway. There is ample parking and lots of picnic benches so that you can bring lunch to have after your tour. Their gift shop is terrific and several art vendors are usually on site.
Ghosts, underwater adventure and absolute luxury in Chattanooga, Tennessee
It’s hard to go wrong in Chattanooga because there is always something to do and something new to experience. Do you remember the old adage “when Mother is happy everyone is happy”? Choosing the Chattanoogan Hotel as your base of operations is going to make everyone happy, especially Mom. When the Chattanoogan says that they are a AAA Four Diamond rated property they really mean it. The beds are luxurious, the property is pristine and the restaurants on site are taste treats. The Sunday brunch was so amazing I watched
in delight as my boys put away plate after plate of healthy and delicious food. They were so excited by the beautiful presentation and savory smells they were adventurous in their selections and discovered that they liked foods I have been trying to get them to eat for years! Whether they were staff or visitors everyone there smiled and when a mom is traveling with three boys smiles are important! The Chattanoogan Hotel (www.chattanooganhotel.com) has Spring Break special offers that include family passes to the Tennessee Aquarium and the location is so central that there is always something fun to do in walking distance or with a fun, free electric CARTA shuttle bus ride. The art tour on the property was fascinating and the historic forges provided interesting glimpses into what was happening on the same site over a hundred years ago. The pool was warm, inviting and relaxing with an amazing view of Lookout Mountain and was a perfect way to end a fun day of exploring. Visiting the River Journey and Ocean Journey at the Tennessee Aquarium (www. tnaqua.org) is a wonderful way to explore with children. Tickets allow entrance over a 2-day period so that families can enjoy both sites and the the electric CARTA buses provide for easy access to other adventures that will build memories. The River Gorge Explorer (www.tnaqua.org) is a breathtaking adventure on a revolutionary wakeless watercraft. Traveling through the Grand Canyon of the South you and your family will see birds of prey, magnificent mountains and a series of vistas that have drawn travelers and pioneers for hundreds of years. The IMAX experience beginning March is The Last Reef 3-D and is sure to be an inspiration to budding naturalists and future adventurers. The Tennessee Aquarium’s spring break program, Keeper’s Kids, is a really neat way for children to experience the behind-the-scenes action, interacting with the staff and the wildlife while Mom and Dad explore other Chattanooga attractions. Restaurants abound in walking distance of the Chattanoogan Hotel and the electric CARTA buses are an adventure for everyone. The Vaudeville Cafe (www.funnydinner.com) combines dinner with entertainment and is a neat opportunity to laugh with your kids as you join in the story with a delicious dinner. Ghosts are hard for anyone to resist and when we scanned the opportunities for a vacation evening activity the Chattanooga Ghost Tours (www. chattanoogaghosttours.com) was an instant must-see. Chattanooga’s downtown is a great place for walking and the Chattanooga Ghost Tour was a huge success. Our guide was a wonderfully engaging storyteller, Hope Holloway, and she led us on an adventure through the ghosts, mysteries and history that make Chattanooga such an engaging city to visit. From the Hunter Museum to the Sheraton Read House we were led on an exciting tour of Chattanooga’s past and present.
Hop a Chattanooga Choo-Choo for the afternoon at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum is a must-see trip for families. The TVRM (www.tvrail.com) is an important part of Chattanooga and its history.