Townsend to Chattanooga (Monday 12th March)

A milder night than the others at Townsend.  Packed up, said goodbye to our hosts,  the site owners, Don and Carolyn Curry – and put my 3 postcards in their mailbox to await collection. To AJ's Diner again for breakfast,  No buffet today,  Anna had blueberry pancakes (expected 2, there were 3!), Paul had egg, sausage, biscuit  and gravy – which was too salty, he said.  It was a long time coming as there seemed to be only one waitress on and a few customers.


Had decided – after meeting Randy McGiness yesterday – to return to the Wood'N'Strings shop to get one of his CDs (he said they stocked theem there and in the Townsend Heritage Center).  They were out of CDs, but sold us the demo one for $10.  Anna bought a Native American style pocket flute – five holes, pentatonic, A minor.  The sign with the larger flutes said that there was an instruction booklet and DVD free with every flute.  Anna asked if this applied to the small flutes. 'Would you like one?' asked the woman and gave us one, free.


Left Townsend at about 10.30 a.m. and arrived in Chattanooga about 2.30 p.m.   It was only 127 miles but we followed the quieter route 33 as far as Cleveland, the headed for Chattanooga on the 411.


In Chattanooga we booked into Raccoon Mountain RV Park, off route 41, close to Raccoon Mountain and Lookout Mountain.  Ate some lunch then headed for downtown Chattanooga to have a look around.  Got a bit lost finding our way to the Choo Choo, but did find a liquor store – which we had forgotten we were looking for.  They didn't stock the brand of mescal that Dan wanted, or the Wild Turkey 12-year old bourbon – and neither did the only other big liquor store in town (the owner rang for us) – so we bought 10 year old instead.


The Creek name for Lookout Mountain was Chattanooga and the settlers decided to use this name, after the 'removal' of the Cherokee from their ancestral lands (see below)


Modern, good architecture in downtown Chattanooga and interesting street sculptures (e.g. 'High Four' – dog with raised paw); wide streets.  Parked for free at the South Shuttle Park next to Chattanooga Choo Choo (RV too high to get into $3 a day car park there).  Got free electric shuttle to the North Shuttle Terminus by the Visitor Center and close by the Aquarium.


Walked half-way across Walnut Bridge, over the Tennessee River – 'the longest pedestrian bridge in the USA'.  We then took the path down to the river and to The Passage, beneath Market Street Bridge, near the Aquarium.  The Passage is an art installation, created by local artists of Cherokee descent.  It commemorates the 'removal' of the Cherokee Nation from their ancestral lands in 1838-9, when a quarter of them died on the 'Trail of Tears'.


Walked part of the way back from the river towards the Chattanooga Choo Choo, then caught the shuttle the rest of the way.


Drove back to Raccoon Mountain RV Park and cooked, then spent some time jointly making notes on where we've been and what we've done - there is still about a week missing from this blog I think - maybe more!