July 11th - Day 29
When we first sketched out the route of our trip, we did not intend to travel through Chattanooga, but are very thankful we did. For those who have never been to Chattanooga, it is a great small city that is blessed with scenic beauty, outdoor activities, and plenty to do in the city itself. In the short time that we were there, we were able to clearly see why both the Bedi and Arnold families chose to move there.
A few highlights of our day:
The day started with Tim making breakfast for everyone, which he did not skimp on. Outside of making the pancakes ourselves, it felt like we were at Slappy Cakes in Portland. He had plain pancakes, blueberry pancakes, banana pancakes, banana blueberry pancakes, and the kid’s favorite, peanut butter cup pancakes. He saved the peanut butter cup pancakes to the end so at least they ate the others first.
Following breakfast and finishing up laundry, the Bedi family treated us with a trip to the Tennessee Aquarium in downtown Chattanooga, only about 5 minutes from their home. Apparently, it is ranked as one of the top aquariums in the county. While our family goes to the Oregon Coast Aquarium about once a year, it was great for the kids to see sea life that they cannot see in Oregon.
With Tim being a big BBQ fan and with us being in the South, we of course had to find some great BBQ for lunch. So when in Rome (although I’m told the southern version of this is, if your feeling froggy, jump)…We found Tennessee style BBQ for lunch at Edley’s BBQ. It did not disappoint.
We ended the day by driving to Birmingham, AL, where we are camping at Oak Mountain State Park, just outside of the city. Evidently, Birmingham is in the middle of hosting the 2022 World Games right now. I had no clue what the world games were and I certainly had no clue that Birmingham was hosting them while we are here. It seems like the World Games are like the Olympics (they are actually organized by the Olympic Committee), but for the sports that don’t make the cut for the Olympics such as tug-a-war, flag football, and canoe polo. If we stick around to watch, the water sports are happening on the lake we are currently camping on.
A few pictures from the day:
