After leaving the Parthenon, we hit the road and drove southeast to Chattanooga. We'd never been there before, but our friend, Oscar had recommended it, and it was relatively convenient to both Nashville and home.
I was most excited about our accommodations: Oscar had also suggest the Chattanooga Choo Choo hotel which has been converted from an actual historic train station. What's even better is that you can even sleep in actual historic railroad cars. The main building has regular hotel rooms, but there was no way I was missing out on staying in an historic sleeper car, even if it wasn't moving. I've been wanting to do a long train ride with sleeper cars for years, so that and my love for historic hotels made for the perfect combination. We'd planned to stay two days, so that we could take in the other sights, like Lookout Mountain, Rock City, and the Moon Pie factory.
Our only mistake was timing. It started snowing on the way to Chattanooga and was already a few inches deep when we finally made it that night. What's more, while the train cars were well heated, they weren't all that well insulated, so you had to stay in the center of the car to stay warm. Marsha and Madison took the big bed, which was in the center, while I got the smaller bed next to the wall.
Since it was so cold out, they opted to stay in the train car and watch a Project Runway marathon while I braved the cold to go out and explore and get something to eat.
They "rail yard" has some cool little shops, most of which were closed due to the hour and the time of year. We weren't exactly there during peak tourist season. My hope was to complete the experience and eat in a dining car (another item long on my wish list), but no such luck. Both of the dining cars were closed. Luckily, the Station House restaurant was open (and not surprising, mostly empty), which is famous for its singing wait staff who take turns taking the stage.
Afterwards I braved the cold again to explore more of the hotel, especially the lobby which was the original station and just amazing. I definitely wanted to explore more the next morning when most everything was open, especially the model train museum.
Since it was so cold out, we opted to cut our trip short and come back when it was warmer. We did manage to explore the shops, the rail yard, and most everything else the next morning.
The model train museum was amazing! It reminded us of Durango, but was much bigger. It runs the length of two long rooms and there's just no way to take it all in. Some of it re-creates parts of Chattanooga itself, and you can easily get lost in all of the little details. Just incredible.
Our last stop before hitting the road was brunch. We'd found a little spot just around the corner, The Bluegrass Grill, thankfully within walking distance. There was a bit of a wait (also thankfully, it had warmed up some and stopped snowing), but it was well worth it. The blueberry pancakes easily made my top three list (the other two are The Okd Fashioned in Madison, WI, and Linda Jeans in Oak Bluffs on Martha's Vineyard).
So Oscar was right. We can't wait to go back to both Chattanooga (and the Bluegrass Grill). When it's warmer.
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