Base: a hotel downtown, near the riverfront, two nights. Atlanta to Chattanooga is about 2 hours by car on I-75. Downtown, the aquarium, the bridge and dinner are all on foot. Walking the Walnut Street Bridge is free, and it is car-free end to end. Pace: an easy day for small legs: the aquarium is the one long stretch on your feet, the break is ice cream on the North Shore, and the bridge is flat.
Up I-75
Where to eat: breakfast at home before you leave, and snacks in the car.
Leave Atlanta after the morning traffic and the road climbs gently into the ridges of north Georgia; Chattanooga sits right on the state line, in a bend of the Tennessee River with Lookout Mountain standing over it. Plan one stop for the kids around Calhoun, and check in or drop the bags downtown before lunch.
Lunch at Puckett’s
Where to eat: Puckett’s, downtown, open from 7 a.m. daily.
Puckett’s is a downtown grocery-turned-restaurant, all fried chicken, biscuits and pulled pork, with a menu that works for a picky six-year-old and a hungry parent. It is a few blocks from the aquarium, so walk there afterwards.
The Tennessee Aquarium
The aquarium is two buildings: River Journey follows a raindrop from the mountains to the Gulf, with otters, turtles and huge catfish; Ocean Journey has penguins, sharks, a butterfly garden and a touch tank of rays. Do River Journey first, while energy is high, and allow three hours. Last entry is at 5 p.m. Expert tip: Buy timed tickets online before you drive up, and pick an early-afternoon slot so there is time for both buildings before the 5 p.m. last entry.
Across the walkers’ bridge
Where to eat: Clumpies Ice Cream, North Shore; then Urban Stack downtown for burgers.
From the aquarium plaza, the Walnut Street Bridge carries you over the river on foot: a long, flat, car-free truss bridge with the water far below and the city behind. On the North Shore, Clumpies scoops its own ice cream in small batches. Walk back as the bridge lights come on, then dinner is a burger downtown.
Where to eat and stop
- Breakfast · Puckett’s, an early lunch — eat breakfast in Atlanta and pack snacks for the car. Why here: the drive is about two hours, and lunch downtown comes early.
- Lunch · Puckett’s — downtown; open from 7 a.m. daily. Why here: a Southern menu that suits every age, a short walk from the aquarium.
- Dinner · Urban Stack — downtown; daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Why here: burgers and shakes, easy after a long day on foot.
- Quick stop (snack): Clumpies Ice Cream — North Shore, over the Walnut Street Bridge. Why here: small-batch ice cream at the end of the bridge walk.
- Quick stop (viewpoint): Walnut Street Bridge — between downtown and the North Shore; people on foot only. Why here: the river and the city from the middle of the span.
Atlanta → downtown Chattanooga: about 2 hours by car via I-75. Puckett’s → the aquarium: about 5 minutes on foot. The aquarium → the North Shore over the Walnut Street Bridge: about 15 minutes on foot. North Shore → Urban Stack: about 20 minutes on foot.
Where to stay
- The Edwin Hotel — two nights at the foot of the Walnut Street Bridge; the aquarium is a walk away.
- The Read House — two nights in a grand old downtown hotel, near the Creative Discovery Museum.
Dinner: Urban Stack, downtown.
Tomorrow: breakfast at Niedlov’s, the Incline up Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls and Rock City.
Bad-weather plan
Rain on Friday? The aquarium is all indoors, so it is the right day for it. Skip the bridge walk or keep it short under umbrellas, and drive across to the North Shore for ice cream.
Stay: Downtown Chattanooga · Anchor: Tennessee Aquarium · last entry 5 p.m.
Good to know: The aquarium is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m. The Walnut Street Bridge is for people on foot and bikes only.
