Chattanooga CHOO-CHOO

For the first time the "new" Mann family took a family vacation.


Thursday morning at nap time we loaded up and headed out. The drive down went really well and Andrew did great and we got to the cabin just before bed time. He went down great the first night and slept all night- we were shocked and elated!

Most mornings were spent relaxing at the cabin until Andrew had napped and then once he got up we loaded up and he ate lunch on the road to Chattanooga. The little pig- all he did was eat ALL weekend, constantly!!!

Day 1: Although it poured down rain just as we finished getting ready for the day that did not damper our vacation excitement. We adjusted the weekend plans and opted for a day at the aquarium instead. What we didn't realize was that we were so intent on dinner the night before that we forgot to get gas. When we got out to the car we were almost completely empty; I'm talking like on E (but no gas light... yet). Brandon, thinking for sure that we had stopped, started to freak that we'd been siphoned somewhere on the road or at the cabin! Come to find out we're just forgetful; causing a classic loud deep belly laugh from me. Luckily we were at the top of the mountain and spent most of the drive down coasting in neutral. I laughed the whole way but Brandon didn't find it as funny as I did. :) It really was funny though... I mean, come on, knowing us- this would happen. lol.

The aquarium was SO much fun and came with plenty of Andrew exclamations of: wow, whoa, look, and giggles. It even came with some random break dance moves as we passed through a door way and the monkey heard music. The best part was when he would be looking at one fish and another would swim by, scaring him. His eyes would get HUGE and he would turn and asked to be picked up... I couldn't help but laugh each time it happened. The whole trip was hysterical and we had a blast! Dinner was at a Mellow Mushroom and the pizza rivaled our local Wick's.

Day 2: The temperature was in the WONDERFUL upper 70's so we opted for the Incline Railway and Rock City. Super excited about the Incline I found myself sorely disappointed at my terror on the dumb thing! The constant and slow feeling of "maybe" falling to my death at any moment didn't exhilarate my blood in the way I thought it would. Andrew was not impressed either. Although excited to get on the "choo-choo" the ride was too long to keep his attention and he wanted to move around before we were even 1/2 way up the mountain. The view from the top... a let down; I was ready for Rock City. :) Rocky City met my every expectation and Andrew loved hiking down the trail. I loved the swinging bridge more than my husband and son and might have upset a few strangers as I jumped, rocked, and bounced across it. Brandon and I both wished we had more time to spend there but still got to enjoy the visit and got plenty of fun pictures. Dinner was at the INCREDIBLE Sticky Fingers BBQ and everyone walked out stuffed!
Day 3: Not as well planned as the days 1 & 2. Starting out just after breakfast we parked close to the Riverfront and took a free shuttle to the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. Thinking the area would be just as nice as the Riverrfont with plenty to see and restaurants we were shocked to see the part of town it was in; the not so great part... We ate lunch at a small cafe in the hotel (very good) and spent the next hr getting Andrew to nap. The plan was while he napped Brandon and I would enjoy the sights and walk around... that only took about 45 minutes and the monkey naps for 1.5- 2 hours. Again, we just took the time to relax do what little shopping there was (they had a scrapbooking store! :) ) until he woke up. Once he was awake he snacked and walked around checking out the choo-choo. Back down at the Riverfront we thought he would enjoy all the water play- notta. He was done. He would splash his feet in but that was about all. Finally giving up at getting him in the water to play we paid for our parking and headed to dinner.

The restaurant I had chosen, come to find out, was closed on Sundays. Yep, right there on the pamphlet M-F and Saturday hours with nothing listed for Sunday. HAHAHAHA! Tired and hungry we drove back to the same parking gargage parked again and walked to Hennens. AWESOME restaurant with some of the best steak and fish either of us has ever had. Andrew was in a SUPER good mood so it was a VERY enjoyable "last meal" in Chattanooga.
Our last night it stormed something AWFUL and Andrew had a really rough night. His rough night caused us all to over sleep and we left 1.5 hours later than planned. Despite the bump it was a good drive home. The monkey entertained himself until lunch and conked out directly after.

Brandon was bummed we had to, yet again, eat lunch on the road at a McDonalds but I teased that we eat where the kid can play. :) We stopped off at a park in a small historic town to run off some energy after the monkey's nap only to find out that the town was shut down on Mondays. NOTHING was open for us to use the restroom or get a snack. There business days were T-Sat., of course! hehehe. After some fun at the park we scronged up a gas station and headed the rest of the way home.

The weather was perfect, our son was entertaining and an angel, and we didn't have internet so Brandon couldn't be tempted to check his work email. Our complaints: the cabin was WAY too small, smaller than our 700 sq. ft. apartment when we first got married- PLUS- when this big bellied prego woman has to pee she does not want to walk down tight spiral stairs to do it, the cabin didn't have a tub thus the monkey didn't get a bath the whole trip. The plan was to put him in the shower our last morning but with us running behind schedule that didn't happen. He actually had an odor and the whole way home. I was in the back seat with him for most of that trip... smelling him. :-P To top it off, our son has an arm on him and loves to throw his trains... at our heads... he also has good aim. :) lol.
It was an awesome and much needed vacation. Now who wants to take my son for a week so I can rest in a whole other way?! ;)