It is no secret that Chattanooga has experienced tremendous population growth in the past few years. If you are new to the area, it can be both exciting and overwhelming to figure out what there is to do for fun. If you are a native or longtime Chattanoogan, on the other hand, it can be easy to overlook some great activities just because they are “touristy.”

But what’s wrong with being a tourist in your own town? Here is a selection of options that every kind of tourist - or new or established local - will enjoy in and around our beautiful city. No googling “what is there to do in Chattanooga” required!

Retro Day
Like a little kitsch? Don’t miss the Rock City Fairyland Caverns. Round out your day with a photo-op at the brand-new Little Debbie Park in Collegedale. (Yes, that Little Debbie. What child or adult doesn’t want their picture taken with a person-sized Cosmic Brownie?)

For the Adventurer/Nature-lover
Raccoon Mountain Caverns: Take a 45-minute guided walking tour through the caverns (wear good shoes for traction), or belly-crawl through openings the size of a microwave on one of the multi-hour expeditions.
Enterprise South: Visit this free park with miles of shady trails. If you’re lucky, one or more of the old ammunition bunkers will be open when you go (check out the echo!).
Chattanooga Classics: The icons of Chattanooga to tourists, like Ruby Falls and the Aquarium, are well known for a reason. Have you seen them all?

Free!
Check out the River Gallery Sculpture Garden in the Bluff View Art District, along with the outdoor sculptures at the Hunter Museum. (Kids love the one that looks like French fries!)
Beat the heat at the Coolidge Park splash pad.

Seasonal
U-Pick Farms are popular in the summertime. Check out Creekside Flower Farm in Chickamauga if picking a mason jar full of hyper-fresh blooms is your idea of a good time.
Watersports rentals are extra appealing on hot days. Why not rent a paddleboard and check out McClellan Island?

Eclectic Shopping
The North Shore has a diverse collection of shops catering to art-lovers, fashionistas, and everyone in-between. It is a good place to grab CHA (or ’Nooga, if you prefer) gear, too.
If your tastes skew vintage, check out Dirty Janes, The Refindery, and Local Dive Retail.

Sweet Treats
Clumpies is a classic for ice cream and milkshakes. Flavors vary, but don’t miss the key lime pie ice cream if you see it.
Pie R Square, a little off the tourist’s beaten path, is worth it for the best pie around. Caution: This little bakery’s treats may become an addiction.

Rainy Day
No tourist likes a rainy day, but luckily Chattanooga provides options for those, as well. For the feline fans, Naughty Cat Café is a must-do (reservations required).
High Point Climbing gym on Broad Street is especially popular with families, as they offer day passes and have a massive KidZone.
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Now, get ready to have all the fun of a tourist, then go home to sleep in your own bed. It turns out that living in a tourist town can be the best of both worlds! Which activity will you try first?

by Ginger Gibson

Notre Dame. A university founded by French priests but represented by the “Fighting Irish.” Originally a Catholic school but now sought out by students of every religious affiliation or of none.  A place of both serene beauty and vibrant activity, it has a mystique all its own.
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Given 524 acres of land by the Bishop of Indiana in 1842, a group of French Brothers of the Holy Cross led by a priest, Father Edward Sorin, established between Lake Michigan and the small village of South Bend an all-male school, comprised of elementary, preparatory, and vocational programs, along with a novitiate, that Sorin hoped would one day become a Catholic university “that could not fail.” Opening with five students, by 1844 as many as 40 students were attending, including a group of orphans who resided there. Today, its 8,624 students must live on the 1,200 acre campus in one of 33 dorms (16 male, 17 female) until their senior year. It remained all-male until 1972.  Much about this university is unusual, if not unique, which adds to its appeal.

Name
The property had a lake, so Father Sorin, devoted to the Virgin Mary, named it the University of Notre Dame Du Lac (Our Lady of the Lake). Unbeknownst to him, however, there was a second lake. When discovered, pressure came to bear on Sorin to change the name. But he was nothing if not stubborn, and he steadfastly refused to do it. The first lake, called St. Mary’s Lake, played another part in the school’s story, too.

Quads and Dorms
The campus is arranged around four quads, after the four directions, comprised of both residence halls and buildings dedicated to various majors. Freshmen are randomly assigned to one of the 33 dorms, along with a roommate, and may not change either during that year. As sophomores, they may change both, though they’re encouraged not to. Most don’t, which results in a sense of camaraderie among students and pride in their dorms. Each hall has a name, a mascot, its own colors, a crest of arms, and its own chapel, and engages in a variety of activities, including intramural sports, which culminate in all-campus championships at the end of each year. Each also has a charity for which it raises money every year.

On the shore of St. Mary’s Lake sits a solitary building named Carroll Hall. Built in 1906 to house the novitiate of the Brothers of Holy Cross, it was sold in 1966 to Notre Dame to become a dormitory. Nicknamed “Siberia” in the winter, its residents are a tight-knit group and have the advantage of the largest rooms on campus. Named after Charles Carroll, the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence, it has a most unusual mascot: vermin, named for the rodents that infested the building in the interim between the brothers’ departure and the students’ arrival. In keeping with the tradition, this lone residence is said to be located on the “far quad.” A character in “Shrek” is actually named after it: Dr. Farquuad.

Notre Dame Brick
Handmade by the brothers using picks and shovels, the original buildings were made from the marl, a loose clay, of the lake. They’re a buff yellow color, now known as Notre Dame brick. The brothers produced millions of them to construct the school, and 12 of the original buildings still exist (including the Basilica). They also sold millions more for construction in South Bend. The marl pits were closed in 1899 and there were enough bricks stockpiled to keep building for 20 more years. After that, when new buildings were needed, bricks of a similar color were used and the architectural style, which has a remarkably modern look, remained consistent, giving the campus a very cohesive feeling. One visitor said, “It feels like it was all built at the same time.” As original buildings needed to be replaced, the brick was salvaged, cleaned, and saved. As recently as 2015, 4,800 of them were reused to repair Sorin Hall.

Fun Fact
The South Dining Hall is Gothic in design, “reminiscent of a medieval guild hall.” Built in 1927, it was inspired by the Great Hall in Christ Church Oxford, England, and is claimed by students as their own Hogwarts, which was modeled on this same church hall for the movies.

Main BuildingAlways the centerpiece of the campus, the Main Building, where students initially ate, learned, and slept, has been built and rebuilt three times on the same spot since 1843. The first was replaced with a second, larger one in 1865, and had a dome and a statue of Our Lady both painted white, but it was destroyed by fire in 1879. Sorin, the heart and soul of Notre Dame, led an inspired rebuilding effort and within a year, it had reopened.  Today, it houses primarily administrative offices and some classrooms.

The dome was rebuilt and added in 1884, this time gilded with gold leaf. Some consider it the most “recognizable campus landmark” in the country. It’s been regilded 10 times, most recently in 2005.  Like the Notre Dame bricks, the gold removed from the dome during regilding is reused: in the paint on the Fighting Irish football helmets and in the lettering of the graduates’ diplomas. As a result, Notre Dame graduates are called “Domers.”

The statue of Our Lady created another Sorin anecdote. He wanted the statue to be gilded along with the dome. Given the cost of rebuilding, the administrators balked at spending the extra money.  Two years later, they were still at odds, so Sorin, using his position and influence, created a committee with himself as chairman, then refused to attend meetings or even to set foot on campus, going so far as to move across the street. The committee finally surrendered and in 1886 he got his gilded statue, which weighs 4,000 pounds and is 19 feet tall. Sorin had also decreed that God must always be first at Notre Dame and no building could be taller than the cross on the Basilica. Main Building is 225 feet high.

When choosing new furniture for the building after the fire, Notre Dame’s President Father Corby ordered samples from several companies, then threw the various tables and chairs down the steep stairs that lead to the entrance. Those that held up were selected and remain in use today, more than 140 years later.

There’s also a wonderful superstition involving this building. The steep stairs lead to a porch where instructors would sit and chat about all things academic, including upcoming exams. Students would hide under the porch to get clues about test questions. This led the president to announce that any undergraduate caught on or under the stairs “would never graduate from Notre Dame.” The threat was taken seriously and students began entering only from the side or back of the building. For many years now, one of the first things graduates do is run up and down those stairs.

Grotto
Father Sorin wanted to replicate the French grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes where a young girl named Bernadette saw visions of the Virgin Mary. Like other structures at Notre Dame, the grotto went through several versions before the one that stands now was completed in 1896. Sadly, Sorin died before it was finished. Approximately one-seventh the size of the French grotto, it has been a place of pilgrimage for Catholics for many years. One of the quietest, most serene places on campus, it is a place of prayer and reflection, popular with students, visitors, and sometimes bridal parties.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart:
The present church was begun in 1869 as a replacement for the original smaller version. A Gothic Revival, it involved several architects and even more design changes and again, Father Sorin was an integral part of the process. Finally consecrated in 1888, with a steeple, carillon, and gilded 12-foot cross, it stands 230 feet, the tallest structure on campus.  Artisans from France created the stained-glass windows, which are now the largest collection in the world (due to WWII damage in Europe).

Football, Knute Rockne, and the Fighting Irish
Football began at Notre Dame in 1887 in a game against Michigan, the team known as at the “Catholics.” They didn’t win a game until the end of 1888 and had no coach until 1894, when James Morrison was hired as for two weeks and paid $40 plus expenses. By 1912, however, they had had 11 coaches and amassed a record of 108 wins, 31 losses, and 31 ties.

In 1913, a new coach and a player named Knute Rockne would take Notre Dame from a regional to a nationally-known team and change football forever. Jess Harper, the coach, scheduled games with big schools - Texas, Penn State, and Army. Until the Army game, receivers had traditionally stopped and waited for the ball to come to them. But Rockne caught a pass in mid-stride and scored a touchdown, making the forward pass “the dominant ball-moving strategy it is today.”

Rockne was head coach from 1918-1930. From 1922 to 1924, the famous backfield was known as the “Four Horsemen” (of the Apocalypse) and perhaps, not as famously, the front line was known as the “Seven Mules.” The team was unofficially known as the “Ramblers,” among other awful names at that time. Under Rockne, Notre Dame racked up 105 wins, 12 losses, five ties, three national championships, as well as five undefeated and untied seasons. There were some Rose Bowl victories in there, too.

During Rockne’s tenure, Notre Dame became a football powerhouse known as the “Fighting Irish.” How this came to be is the stuff of legend and is still being argued. One claim is that the Northwestern fans in 1889 wanted to “kill the fighting Irish.” Another says it came from a description of the Wisconsin game in 1904. Still another insists that in 1909, one of their own players said, “What’s the matter with you guys? You’re all Irish and you’re not fighting!” There are so many others, but a must is this. In the 1920s, the team adopted a mascot, an Irish Terrier named Tipperary Terrence. He was followed by other scrappy little dogs, but in 1966 the terrier gave way to the leprechaun. What we know for sure, according to a Notre Dame source, is that “the University President, Rev. Matthew Walsh, officially adopted ‘Fighting Irish’ as the Notre Dame nickname in 1927. Sure beats the “Ramblers.”

Knute Rockne died in a plane crash in 1931 in Bazaar, Kansas, on his way to a screening of the movie “The Spirit of Notre Dame.” His funeral service was held on Easter Sunday in the Basilica and broadcast live on the radio by CBS. Newspapers all over the world announced his passing. A large granite memorial, listing Rockne and the other seven people who died, stands on the site of the crash. Notre Dame’s stadium is still known as “the House that Rockne Built.” Outside the stadium stands a statue of “The Rock.”

Nicknames
The campus has statues everywhere and the students have named them all, using football references with the irreverence that only students can. If you’re still reading, we’ll mention only three. First, a life-size statue of the Holy Family depicts Mary holding the infant Jesus toward Joseph, who is kneeling below. This is known as the “Holy Handoff.”

Next is a larger-than-life statue of Moses holding the 10 Commandments in one hand, his index finger on the other pointing toward Heaven. Behold, it’s “First Down Moses.” Finally, an enormous mural on the south side of the library, entitled “The Word of Life,” commemorates Christ, his arms upraised, celebrating the Saints of Learning. In front is a reflecting pool, with the water dyed blue to discourage students from playing in it.

Only the figure of Jesus with his raised arms is visible from the stadium. As one person observed, “with that setting and that view, it didn’t take long….” Since 1964, this has been known as “Touchdown Jesus.”

It’s doubtful that many schools have a history this varied and a campus more fun to visit. I can tell you that it’s worth it.

by Carol Lannon

An ice cream a day keeps the doctor away.

Yep, that’s what it says, folks. Thine eyes don’t deceive, but what about the research from which such a statement is gleaned? Seems there have been quite a few studies over the decades, dating back to the 1980s actually, in which the nutritional implications of ice cream have been investigated. Curiously enough though, the data from these studies consistently show that a diet consisting of, well, pretty much any dairy product, including ice cream, appears to keep overweight people from developing insulin resistance syndrome, a precursor to Type 2 diabetes and its concomitant cardiovascular issues. Wow, that’s pretty earth shattering news, yet, these results barely scratched the headlines, and they certainly didn’t crash any websites. To the contrary, the hidden health benefits and/or the lack of a negative impact on health that ice cream appears to possess have been kicked to the curb in lieu of yogurt as the “healthy” dairy alternative. So what gives? Is ice cream “good” or “bad” for one’s diet?

To say there is a whole lot of science behind the answer to that question is an understatement, but working through it all, the data basically shows that ice cream, in moderation (serving size in the research studies was either a half cup or one cup of ice cream only, no toppings, eaten either every day, two or three times a week) can be part of a healthy diet. Good news, right? Not according to some.

Raising a skeptical eyebrow, the world of nutrition called foul regarding these research findings. Afterall, Harvard’s Nutrition Source website calls ice cream an “indulgent” dairy food that is considered an “every-so-often” treat. As a result, numerous highly-credentialed nutritionists threw all they had at the “ice cream could actually be a part of a healthy diet” data. Guess what? Any attempt to debunk the research findings by the esteemed nutrition scientists failed, the data held up! Keep in mind, the researchers conducting the studies on ice cream’s effect on health were as baffled as anyone, too. How  preposterous! There is no way a sugary treat laden with huge amounts of saturated fats could have any health benefit. It makes no sense, and honestly, defies nutrition logic, or does it? As the saying goes, the proof is in the pudding, except in this case, in the ice cream. Interestingly enough, there are some plausible biological explanations for the unexpected but consistent findings that ice cream is metabolically protective, suggesting it can be a diabetes prophylactic and that it is not a completely unhealthy food choice.

First, ice cream’s glycemic index, the measure of how fast a food raises blood sugar on a scale of 0-100 (the lower the number, the better) is considered low at 37. To drive this point home, brown rice has a glycemic index of  55, which is considered medium, and whole wheat bread has a glycemic index of 71, making it high. Second, ice cream is rich in vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B-1(thiamine), B-2 (riboflavin), B-3 (niacin) B-6, B-12, C, D, E, K, calcium and phosphorus to be exact. It also contains protein and fat. Finally, ice cream stimulates the production of serotonin, the joy hormone. And, who doesn’t like to be joyous?

Beginning to see ice cream in a different light right about now? Perhaps, those of us who chanted the mantra, “You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream,” as a kid intuitively knew something about the frozen treat’s health benefits. Speaking of frozen treats, let’s take a quick look at ice cream’s history, like who invented it.

Every country has its own spin on the delectable frozen treat. In Japan, it’s mochi. In Italy, it’s gelato. In India, it’s kulfi and in the good old USA, it’s ice cream. It’s a globe trotting treat if ever there was one, but getting the “scoop” on ice cream’s true origin is difficult. There are as many theories to ice cream’s birth as there are Baskin Robbins flavors! Ice cream’s earliest forms, precursors if you will, date back to ancient times and don’t really bear much resemblance to the creamy sweet stuff found in freezers today. Iced drinks and desserts have been noted throughout time, dating back as early as 4,000 B.C., when nobles built ice houses along the Euphrates River to take the edge off the long, hot summer days with chilled drinks. In 5th century B.C., Greece, snow was likely used to cool wine (hmm, an adult version of the sno-cone?), and in first century Rome, iced refreshments were laced with honey. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.), emperors would eat a frozen milk-like confection made of cow, goat or buffalo milk. The milk of choice was heated with flour and mixed with camphor from evergreen trees for flavor and texture then placed in metal tubes and lowered into an ice pool until frozen. Of all the ancient frozen treats known across humanity’s timeline, China’s frozen milk concoction sounds the closest to the ice cream enjoyed these days, so it stands to reason that China would get to pull the “inventor of ice cream” card, but history actually places credit with a Neapolitan steward by the name Antonio Latini who, in 1694, published a recipe for a milk based sorbet laced with candied pumpkin. Thank you, Mr. Latini!
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And now for a big round of applause for the scientists who say ice cream may actually be beneficial to your health, helping to dispel some of the negative publicity ice cream has endured over the years as society has become more health conscious. Here, here, let’s all scream for ice cream then raise a cone or a cup in honor of the research findings!

by JD Harper
JD Harper is a local author. GLINT, her debut novel, is set in Chattanooga amid its rich Civil War history and rock climbing culture. You can email her at jdharper@epbfi.com. ​

Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, and the Chattanooga Bicycle Hall of Fame were well represented on the winners’ podiums at the fifth Annual Hincapie Gran Fondo Bike Race, held in Chattanooga on May 6. Over 900 cyclists participated in the event.

The Hincapie Gran Fondo Racing Series was started by former professional cyclist George Hincapie, now a resident of Greenville, S.C., and there are three other Hincapie Gran Fondo venues in addition to Chattanooga: Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania; Bangor, Maine; and Greenville, South Carolina. Gran Fondo cycling events originated in Italy in the 1970s, and the literal translation from Italian is “big ride.” For an event to be officially classified as a Gran Fondo, it must meet the following criteria:

• The race must be at least 75 miles long with multiple long climbs. Suck Creek and Sequatchie Mountain were the Chattanooga climbs this year. At 5.4 miles long, the Suck Creek climb s the longest climb of any of the other Gran Fondos.
• Each participant must receive a “bib number” that is embedded with a chip that times their start and finish times. Cyclists race against the clock, not other cyclists.
• The race starts “en masse,” similar to marathons, enabling recreational riders to start at the same time and mingle with (and star gaze at) more accomplished, and in some cases, professional riders.
• There must be a meal served after the race - and beer! (Beer being more important than food.)

As in past years, this year’s Gran Fondo in Chattanooga had three categories of rides: the Gran (79 miles); the Medio (58 miles, and the most popular ride); and the Piccolo (10 miles). Two recent inductees into the Chattanooga Bicycle Hall of Fame had outstanding results in the Gran category.

Lookout Mountain resident Brad Cobb finished second overall in the Men’s Gran Fondo Division, missing first place by a mere 40 seconds, a trifling amount of time when you consider a 79-mile ride. Brad finished ahead of last year’s winner, Enzo Hincapie, as well as three former professional cyclists, all of whom not only rode professionally, but also participated in multiple Tours de France - Bobby Julich, Christian Vande Velde, and George Hincapie. Additionally, all have won stages in the Tour de France, but finished behind Brad!

Chattanooga resident Amy Phillips won the Women’s Gran Fondo, blowing away the second-place finisher by more than six minutes - truly an outstanding result.

From a demographic standpoint, I think it is interesting that of the top 10 finishers in the men’s event, three were older than 50 years old, while two were older than 40. In the Women’s Gran Fondo, two of top 10 finishers were older than 50 years old (one being 59!) with two others being older than 40. It is never too late to start cycling, and it goes to show that you can still improve your cycling fitness well into your 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 80s! Truly, you can continue to compete at a very high level when most people would urge you to spend more time on the couch. The 72-year-old author of this article rode the Medio distance with six of his “mature” friends, and while we did not “podium,” I’m pretty sure we did win the after-race party, for which there was no podium.

If you are interested in learning more about cycling in Chattanooga, a good place to start is the website of the Chattanooga Bicycle Club (www.chattanoogabicycleclub.com). I hope to see you out on the road soon.

by Forrest Simmons

Personally, I need a regular nature fix. It can be abbreviated, as little as puttering aimlessly in my yard and poking around at little green things for a few minutes. Or it can be a bit longer, say a walk on the trails in the nearby woods. But I have to be outside for a bit or I get off kilter.

It’s not just me. I read about findings from Yale detailing the healing power of nature. It’s not a general, touchy-feely research report. It’s scientific and specific.

“How long does it take to get a dose of nature high enough to make people say they feel healthy and have a strong sense of well-being?

“Precisely 120 minutes.

“In a study of 20,000 people, a team led by Mathew White of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health at the University of Exeter, found that people who spent two hours a week in green spaces - local parks or other natural environments, either all at once or spaced over several visits - were substantially more likely to report good health and psychological well-being than those who don’t. Two hours was a hard boundary: The study, published June 2020, showed there were no benefits for people who didn’t meet that threshold.”

These findings do not surprise me at all. I’m a healthy, active person, and I am just not right if I don’t have access to the outdoors. Imagine if you were recuperating from an injury and were cooped up indoors with a view of a brick wall?

My husband was hospitalized for a good while when he was in his 20s, and he has never forgotten the first day out of the hospital. “It was just incredible to feel the warm sunshine after being inside for so long. It made me appreciate all the good things in life – things I’d taken for granted, like being outdoors on a beautiful day,” he remembers.

Siskin Hospital for Rehabilitation is known for giving people back their lives following traumatic injury or illness. The Joint Commission for Accreditation of Hospitals recommends “patients should have opportunities to connect with nature through outside spaces, plants, indoor atriums and views from windows.”

Forty years ago, the Journal of Science reported that patients with windows looking out on leafy trees healed faster with less medication and fewer complications than patients looking out on a brick wall. Clearly, access to the outdoors is important for healing.

Mike and Mitsy Costello feel strongly about the importance of the gardens.  

“After having spent many years in stressful situations in various hospitals, I know the value of healing gardens. Mitsy’s father and my mother both spent time at Siskin Hospital, so we understand the healing and stress relief benefits to patients, family members and caregivers,” Mike said.

The Costellos are leading a campaign to raise funds for a sensory garden at Siskin Hospital for Rehabilitation. Designed under the leadership of Bruce Komitske with assistance from Tinker Ma Architects and Barge Design Solutions, the garden will appeal to all five senses, featuring walking paths and offering a tranquil respite.

There are several levels for giving and naming opportunities. For as little as $1,000, you can have a native tree or wooden bench named in honor or memory of someone important to you. If you haven’t had a stint at Siskin yourself, chances are you’ve visited a friend or relative who is rehabbing there. How lovely would it be to walk out in the garden together and feel personal pride in the rain garden or wooden bridge or trail or pathway or pergola or courtyard or park or the healing garden itself! What a gift to our community this will be.
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by Ferris Robinson