Shotts #43, part 4

finally, here is BETTY's travelogue from Sunday:

first stop: International Towing and Recovery Museum.  you know, most people who visit Chattanooga go to the Aquarium (cool but overpriced) or Ruby Falls (exceedingly lame and also overpriced), but not us.  we've done all that stuff.  what i wanted to show BETTY is the other side of Chattanooga - the complete redneck side (lol, j/k).

so Munchkin and i went to the ITRM, featured on Roadside America and Weird America (though i couldn't find the link for that one).  clearly the highlight of the ITRM is the brand-new statue out front, in memory of fallen towmen all around the world.  there's also a memorial wall listing their names.  but the fun is just getting started!

inside the museum, we signed the guestbook, then headed for the exhibits.  first up: the world's fastest wrecker, then another wrecker which bore this sign: LOOK VERY CLOSELY! O_O  i never did figure out what we were supposed to see up close, except maybe that it's Canadian?  (da mn Canucks!)

as a quilter, i really had to give it up for the tow truck quilts (yes, there were two of them, i don't know why i didn't take a picture of the other one).  they had some really old trucks (this one is towing a Model T)... AND THEN there was the WORLD'S LARGEST TOW TRUCK (i have a hard time believing that claim...)

then we went down the street to one of the bona fide tourist traps, one that i remember from childhood trips to Chattanooga - the Incline Railway (bad picture of the gate).  when we were kids, tickets were 3 or 4 bucks, now they're 14.  14!  what a rip off.  ugh.  anyway, it's still fun.  the incline is the world's steepest railway (72.7 degrees at its steepest).  it's been running since the 19th century, when people actually used it to get up and down the mountains before roads, instead of using it to get their kids out of their hair.  here's the view on the way up, are you sure you want to do this?    when you get to the top, the view is amazing.  on the way down is a classic reminder that we're still in the south. 

today: hopefully the Choo-choo, and then tonight we're going out drinking.  then off to SLIK!

Originally posted by venus_df

Shotts #43, part 3

well, as the weather and my head cleared up, and Munchkin needed to get out of the house and get her mind off the imminent arrival of Tooth #6, we decided to take BETTY to the Bluff View Art District, where i used to work.  it's a historic area of old homes turned into museums, galleries, restaurants, a bakery and roastery, a coffee shop, and a glass studio.  i thought we'd take a stroll through the Sculpture Garden on the side of the bluff; unfortunately, they've changed the hours since i worked there and now it closes at 5   anyway, we did get a couple of pictures: sculptures r kewl  also, more sculptures

the whole shebang is right next to the Hunter Museum of American Art, and since we can't take pictures in there anyway, i thought we'd just skip the actual museum and just tour the grounds.  there's a number of great statues outside: this is my favorite  she got cut from Eureka seveN

we wrapped up our quick tour with a game of bocce and a cappucino in the alcove.  One of the galleries was having an opening, and we were told there would be "FREE WINE!"  BETTY was super-excited; however, we realized that a glass of FREE WINE would probably interfere with my ability to keep Munchkin's hands off the priceless works of art, and therefore the visit could end up costing me much more than the FREE WINE was worth.  so, reluctantly, we decided to call it a night. 

more tomorrow... 

Originally posted by venus_df

Shotts #43, part 2

now it's time for the next installment of... BETTY's Adventures in Chattanooga

since i was feeling under the weather, we kept it nice and low-key today. I took BETTY (and my daughter) to one of our favorite places in town, the North Shore. On Frazier Avenue there are lots of cool shops and restaurants, and it adjoins our awesome park, Coolidge Park. Munchkin and i go here all the time to wander, chill and relax, and to ride the carousel and play in the fountain. more shots of Coolidge: here you can see Market St. Bridge and Signal Mtn; the Market St. Bridge has one of only two working drawbridges left in the US. this is the Walnut St. Bridge, the world's longest pedestrian bridge (1/2 a mile).

Coolidge Park is a real treasure, with the river view, a kayak ramp, interactive art exhibits such as a percussion installation, an outdoor stage, and a climbing wall; but by far the best part is the carousel. All the animals are hand-carved by local artisans (some of them put their own stamp on the animals; check out the Grateful Dead bear and the Narnia lion [his saddle says "Aslan", it's hard to read]). BETTY chose a goat for her ride (rest assured, she did not actually ride the goat, but rode on the bench with us ). the carousel features a working Stinson player organ; they usually pipe in music, but will turn the Stinson on if requested - of course, i requested that our out-of-town guest be allowed to hear the organ.

stopped at an artist enclave and toy store for a couple of souvenirs - i found the most awesome statuette of Saint Vivian, the patron saint of hangovers, so i couldn't resist picking one up to accompany BETTY on more adult adventures than the one she had today.

tomorrow, depending on circumstances, we might go to the Dragon museum, or maybe to Nightfall (free weekly concert). haven't decided yet. or we might throw caution to the wind and do something completely different. ^_^

edit: i realize in one of those pictures, it looks like i'm holding BETTY over the side of the bridge.  i'm totally not! 

Originally posted by venus_df

Shotts #43

anyway, today i have a cold, so i'm taking a shot of cold medicine from BETTY. :smileysad: here's some pictures from yesterday's arrival:



BETTY arrives

opening the box

BETTY's entourage

closeup 1

closeup 2

BETTY wants to check the boards

hi duzi! *waves*

introducing BETTY to my krewe

hanging with my anime collection

preparing for my first shot (gin and juice - gauche, no? :smileyvery-happy: )

down the hatch!



today, i went looking for hometown tchotchkes, but the visitor's store was closed until further notice :smileymad: and i ended up going to another store that isn't as good. however, there's one more place that might have the cute stuff i'm looking for. the itinerary for BETTY and i will include some of the following:



* Tennessee Aquarium
* Rock City (maybe)
* International Towing and Recovery Museum
* Houston Museum of Antiques (maybe)
* Bluff View Sculpture Garden
* The Pickle Barrel (local watering hole)
* Dragon Museum (maybe)
* Coolidge Park Carousel
* Choo-Choo (definitely!)

more to come later... stay tuned...

Originally posted by venus_df