You don’t realize how much you miss the fall leaves until you move south. Alex and I both come from Virginia, where mountains are within an hour’s reach. Now that we live in Florida, we don’t see those pretty colorful mountains during the fall season. So we decided to head north for a little adventure over Veteran’s Day! Chattanooga was our destination and we highly recommend visiting during the fall season because it’s breathtaking! If you love yummy food, adventurous hikes, beautiful scenery, then you’re going to be surprised how much can fit into a 3 day itinerary while visiting Chattanooga, Tennessee!
As we got to know the city a little better, we kept thinking how much it reminded us of Richmond, VA. By the end of the trip, I could see us living in Chattanooga in the future! Although Richmond is still in my heart. 🙂 But we loved Tennessee that much! If you find yourself visiting, we hope you find this blog post helpful/inspiring!!! We had the BEST time!
3 Day Itinerary in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Day One: Sunset at Lookout Mountain + The Urban Stack
Afternoon Activities
We arrived in Chattanooga just a couple of hours before sunset, so we decided to start our adventure on Lookout Mountain! Parking can be tricky, but we were fortunate to find a parking spot at Sunset Rock (where we intended to end our hike). 🙂 You can also find parking along the side of the road too.
We walked up the road and admired the beautiful homes built on top of the mountain, which then led us to Point Park. Up there, you can admire the views of the Tennessee River, Chattanooga, check out old cannons, and read the history of the area. We wandered down the trails of Point Park and realized the steep staircase was not going to work with our overly excited pup. It was at this point when we wondered why we included Ollie on this trip. 😉 HA! He loveddddd meeting new strangers, and I’m grateful the parks were dog-friendly! So we found ourselves walking back along the road (instead of the hiking trail) towards Sunset Rock to enjoy the scenery with a hot cup of coffee from our handy thermos! After taking in the beautiful sunset/views, we headed to our hotel to get ready for dinner.
Evening Festivities
Alex and I kept it casual and grabbed some burgers at the very popular and YUMMY Urban Stack. Their burger and sweet potato fries are delicious, and there are plenty of options to check out! Because it is a popular place, be sure to get there early or expect a wait. We got on their waiting list and decided to wander around the downtown area towards the Chattanooga Choo Choo! It’s a fun area with lots to do if you want even to find a place to grab a drink as you wait. It was a great first evening in Chattanooga!
Day Two: Lula Falls + Bluff View Art District
Morning Activities
Day two was our only full day in Chattanooga, so we kicked off the day hiking the Lula Lake Land Trust area (I believe we paid $10 to park/enter the park). And fun fact — It’s actually in Georgia, but we will pretend we were still in Tennessee. 😉 Haha! We really enjoyed hiking during this time of the year because the fall colors were breathtaking! When entering the Lula Lake Land Trust, there are so many different trails, but we took the major trails to check out the beautiful scenic views (Middle Trail to Bluff Trail to the High Adventure Trail). We ventured to the top and enjoyed a mid-day snack before descending to Lula Falls! Once we arrived, the waterfall/lake was a peaceful and serene spot to hang out. We really enjoyed ourselves and managed to get Ollie down the staircase without pulling. Haha!
Afternoon Activities
To kick off the mid-afternoon after we got back to the hotel, we needed some serious coffee. Alex and I went to the Bluff View Art District and enjoyed some soup and coffee at Rembrandt’s Coffee House. I feel bougie saying this, but this area was by far my favorite place to hang out in Chattanooga!! 🙂 There’s a lot to check out in this district between the art/sculptures and wandering towards the famous Walnut Bridge. We loved seeing the city during the fall season with red leaves sprinkled on the ground as we walked around. Good thing we built up an appetite because we planned a dinner at Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria just around the corner from Rembrandt’s Coffee House! Ohhhh gosh. The bread … wine … pasta … Everything was delicious! Highly recommend!! 🙂
After dinner, we got ready for the main event of the evening — a Broadway show!!! 🙂 We had some time to spare, so we found a Starbucks (totally not a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but it was necessary), and enjoyed a festive Holiday drink before we walked to the Tivoli Theatre! It was my first time seeing Les Miserables from start to finish (I’ll admit that I fell asleep in the movie theater when it first came out because the showing was at 11 p.m.), so Alex and I got pumped up for the Broadway show!! It was SO good and the theater reminded me of the Warner Theater in DC. We loved it! Now every time I drive through Chattanooga, I turn on “Do You Hear the People Sing.” Ha!
Day Three: Walnut Street Bridge + Little River Canyon National Park
Because it was our last morning in Chattanooga, I woke up early and ventured around the Walnut Bridge to take some photos. It was fun seeing the area in a different light! Before I headed back to the hotel to pack up our things and depart, I picked up some of the city’s famous Julie Darling Donuts! I have to say that it might be the best donut that Alex and I have had!!! If you find yourself in Chattanooga, don’t leave until you try them!! 🙂
On our way back to Florida, we made a pit stop in Little River Canyon National Park in Georgia to explore/hike … Or maybe work off the donut? Haha! We found waterfalls, walking trails, and pretty fall scenery as we spent an hour adventuring around. It was the perfect way to end our short vacation in the mountains!
We cannot wait to go back to Chattanooga!!!
3 DAY ITINERARY IN CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE
DAY ONE:
Arrive at the Lookout Mountain La Quinta (They allow dogs!! And it’s just down the road from hiking and downtown)
Hiking/Sunset at Lookout Mountain (Point Park — Sunset Rock)
Dinner at Urban Stack
Walk/Drive around downtown (close to the Chattanooga Choo Choo)
DAY TWO:
Hike Lula Lake Land Trust and check out the beautiful waterfall
Grab coffee/pastries at Rembrandt’s Coffee House
Wander around the Bluff View Art District + Walnut Bridge
Indulge in Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria
Catch a show at the Tivoli Theatre
DAY THREE:
Wake up early to see the sunrise from either Lookout Mountain or even the Walnut Bridge
Indulge in Julie Darling Donuts (a MUST)
Explore Little River Canyon National Park if you are driving south
+ COMMENTS
add a comment