It was a great little get-away

Way back on May 27th, Jeff and I gathered the girls and all their stuff, loaded up the van and headed north to Chattanooga, TN where we enjoyed four days of fun, fun, fun.

We first hit the Tennessee Aquarium where Amelia and Lola got to meet some friends from the South Pole.

Lola couldn't stop watching the penguins swim long enough to pose for a photo. 

I was hoping these little guys would break into a dance routine like the penguins in "Happy Feet."

In another part of the aquarium Amelia buddied up to a huge catfish that was resting at the bottom of its habitat.

We were told this is one of the smaller catfish in the habitat. The largest weighs 90 pounds and is aptly named Fat Cat.

Our next day was spent at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum where we got to ride on a 1906 refurbished steam train, witness the engine being turned on a turntable and visit the train shop where several other engines are being renovated and see where Thomas the Tank Engine lives.

I'd love to share some photos of this outing, but I forgot my camera. I can, however, share that this is an honest-to-goodness, hands-on museum in that they let volunteers come spend a weekend at the shop - in which sleeping quarters are available - to work with the master mechanics and craftsmen who are trying so hard to salvage this part of American history. How great would that be for someone who has loved trains their entire life?

Our third day in Chattanooga was devoted entirely to having tons 'o fun at Lake Winnepesaukah. We had a blast our first time at this family-friendly amusement park and definitely intend on going back.

The girls loved the multitude of kiddie rides. The motorcycles and boats were a huge hit for them.

"Get your motor runnin'! Head out on the highway!"

Lola intended to be captain, but Amelia opted to ride with her thus snatching the captain's seat from her and demoting her to first mate.

A quick trip to the gift shop resulted in new hats and sunglasses for the girls, who garnered lots of attention from their stylish pieces.

Jeff and Amelia ended the day with a wet, yet, refreshing ride on the Pipeline Plunge after which they were in serious need of towels.

Lola and I closed out the day with a ride on the Ferris wheel from which we were able to survey the beauty of the park and watch the fish and geese in the lake. I also got a kick out of watching the people who over-estimated their ability to handle a paddle boat desperately try to get back to dock before having a coronary.

It was an amazing day, and we all had so much fun. I do have to say, though, that Amelia and I do not recommend riding the Wild Lightin' roller coaster. That thing jerked us around so much I thought afterward we were both going to need to see a chiropractor to have our spines realigned.

For our final day in Chattanooga we took the girls for a tour of the river on the Southern Belle riverboat. The ride was lovely, relaxing and informative - thanks to our knowledgeable tour guide; but I wouldn't take the girls again. The tour lasts about an hour and a half. Their attention spans are good for about 15 minutes. So, for an hour and 15 minutes Jeff and I had to contend with two very bored little girls who couldn't grasp that they were stuck on the boat whether they wanted to be there or not.

I did, though, manage to catch some snazzy photos between dealing with my whining children.

Here the Hunter Museum of American Art is pictured. Jeff and I intend to visit here on a trip without the girls, who likely wouldn't appreciate such an outing and would drive us mad with more whining.

I love this fountain and mural that pay tribute to the Native American tribes that once occupied this land.

Chattanooga is one of our favorite vacation towns for so many reasons not the least of which is the fact it's less than two hours from our home. But even if you live on the other side of the world - as do the tourists from Germany who were on the river cruise with us - it's still a great city to visit.

We plan to visit many more times in the future. In fact, I'll be returning there tomorrow, but this visit won't be for pleasure. I am going to retrieve the Amelia's digital camera that I lost when visiting Walmart. Thank goodness a Good Samaritan turned it in to store personnel, which, come to think of it, is another great reason to visit this city - the people are really nice and you might just get back something you lose while visiting there.