Chattanooga Here We Come

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CHATTANOOGA! 

NY Times named Chattanooga as one of the 

Top 45 Places to Visit in the World! 

 “Pardon me, boy 

Is that the Chattanooga choo choo? 

Yes yes track twenty-nine…”

Day 1 – Home to Bloomington, IL 

Welcome aboard! Our fall color journey begins with a travel day into Illinois. We’ll get to know one another during a Welcome Dinner. 

Included Meals: Dinner 

Hotel: DoubleTree 

Day 2 – Bloomington to Franklin, TN 

We travel through southern Illinois and western Kentucky into the beautiful hill country of middle Tennessee to our lovely Drury Plaza in Franklin, TN just south of Nashville. Enjoy the convenience of great food & beverage at the Drury’s Kickback Reception. We are treated to a private concert by Jason Coleman, grandson of legendary pianist Floyd Cramer! He’ll make Glenn Miller’s famous “Chattanooga Choo Choo” song come alive on keys! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Drury Kickback 

Hotel: Drury Plaza 

Day 3 – Franklin to Chattanooga, TN 

A hot Drury breakfast is served before we continue southeast to Chattanooga, nestled on the beautiful Tennessee River and surrounded by spectacular scenic beauty, just north of Georgia’s border. The city’s rich history is marked by unbelievable flooding, war, railroads, and rebuilding. After an included lunch, a local step-on guide joins us for the afternoon. First, we’ll visit the Tennessee Aquarium, one of the largest freshwater aquariums in the world. Here we’ll discover giant catfish, feisty otters, fierce sharks, mysterious jellyfish, playful penguins, and their Lemurs Forest. Next door we will find the National Medal of Honor Heritage Center, featuring life-sized exhibits telling the real-life stories of the ordinary people who demonstrated extraordinary heroics under the most difficult circumstances. Did you know that Chattanooga is showcased as the birthplace of the Medal of Honor? In the heart of downtown, sitting where the 14 tracks & 7 platforms that served millions of train passengers for over 60 years, we will find the Glenn Miller Gardens, named after the musician who recorded “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in 1941. Afterwards we’ll visit the Songbirds Guitar Museum, which tells the stories of music and life in the 1950s-1970s. “Nothing could be finer” than to dine at the 1909 Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station! Tonight we’ll enjoy a delicious dinner at Stir, one of the terminal’s restaurants. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Hotel: Hilton Garden Inn Downtown (3 Nights) 

Day 4 – Chattanooga 

Hot breakfast at the hotel prepares us for an exciting full day of history! First we’ll climb aboard the Incline Railway for a thrilling ride on “America’s Most Amazing Mile.” Taking us up to the highest point on historic Lookout Mountain, the Incline Railway was completed in 1895 and remains the steepest passenger railway in the world at a 72.7% grade! Then we take a short drive to the Battles for Chattanooga Museum, a theater experience that uses projection mapping technology, 3D animation, thundering sound, and nearly holographic projection imagery to detail the major battles fought here in 1863. Walking across the street, we’ll find Point Park, the famous site of the Civil War battle known as the “Battle Above the Clouds.” Lunch is served at Big Rock Grill before we explore Rock City Gardens. We’ll stroll between huge boulders and down the garden pathway which gives this geological wonder its name. The view of seven states from Lover’s Leap is sure to be a highlight! More wonder abounds with a fascinating underground tour of Ruby Falls. Our guide takes us along a level walkway, which reveals a beautiful cavern with unique formations and a spectacular 145’ waterfall – the tallest underground cave waterfall in the U.S.! Tonight we are pleased to head back to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Terminal Station for dinner at Nic & Norman’s, featuring “southern comfort” food with a twist. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 

Day 5 – Chattanooga 

After breakfast at the hotel, a day of rich history and art is in store. This morning we will step back in time at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum with a trip aboard a restored steam engine, the likes of which helped make Chattanooga famous. During our 6-mile roundtrip ride, an informative guide will share insights on local history and railroad operations as we cross the Chickamauga Creek Bridge, pass through a pre-Civil War Tunnel built in 1858, and witness our locomotive being turned around on a turntable. Be sure to have your camera ready as the fall colors will make the scenery even more breathtaking! We will also enjoy time in the Railway Museum. Then we’ll continue to enjoy the gorgeous autumn colors while we cruise into the “Grand Canyon of the South” through the most scenic part of the Tennessee River aboard the Southern Belle Riverboat. This Fall Leaf Cruise includes a luncheon and live entertainment. Afterwards we’ll visit the Hunter Museum of American Art, home to the largest collection of American Art in the southeast. It’s time to stroll through the Bluff View Art District, a turn-of-the-century neighborhood where we will enjoy several hours of free time. Located on the Tennessee River, this historic block is delightful! Be sure to spend time in the Courtyard, notably one of their most iconic picturesque locations. Dinner is on our own, perhaps you’ll choose Rembrandt’s Coffee House, boasting the area’s finest chocolates, pastries, house-roasted brews, and casual savory fare. Or head to Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria, located in the carriage house of the T.C. Thompson House, for signature house-made pastas and rustic European-style breads. As we head back to our hotel, we will make a stop at MoonPie General Store. “It all began in 1917 when a KY coal miner asked our traveling salesman for a snack ‘as big as the moon.’ Earl Mitchell reported back and the bakery obliged with a tasty treat aptly named MoonPie. It was filling, fit in the lunch pail and the coal miners loved it. The rest, as they say, is history.” Of course, a MoonPie treat is ours to enjoy! 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, MoonPie Treat 

Day 6 – Chattanooga to Marion, IL 

This morning we check out of our hotel and bid farewell to wonderful Chattanooga. Enjoy the scenery as we head northwest through Tennessee and into Kentucky, stopping at Patti’s 1880 Settlement for a fabulous lunch. If there’s any extra time, you can shop the boutiques or stroll through the beautifully landscaped gardens. Continuing on to Paducah, we’ll tour the Whitehaven Welcome Center. This restored 1860s Classical Revival mansion is the only historic home serving as an interstate Welcome Center. Next we’ll stop at the National Quilt Museum, America’s premier museum for contemporary quilting. Afterwards, our drive will take us past Paducah’s Floodwall Murals along the Ohio & Tennessee Rivers. A little further down the road we will overnight in Marion, IL. This evening partake in the Drury’s Kickback Reception, which is a complete light meal. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Drury Kickback 

Hotel: Drury Inn 

Day 7 – Marion to Hannibal, MO 

After breakfast, we travel to Hannibal, stopping for lunch on our own along the way. Arriving in Hannibal, MO, we’ll wander through some of Sam Clemens’s most famous novels at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum. Let your imagination take you for a ride on a raft with Huck and Jim, explore a cave with Tom and Becky, pilot a steamboat and paint the famous whitewashed fence! Then we check into our hotel to freshen up before climbing aboard the Mark Twain Riverboat. Enjoy dinner, dancing, and more beautiful scenery along the Mississippi River during this 2-hour cruise. 

Included Meals: Breakfast, Dinner 

Hotel: Best Western On The River 

Day 8 – Hannibal to Home 

Breakfast is served at hotel before we make our way home with Chattanooga Choo Choo memories filling our hearts! 

Included Meals: Breakfast