Chattanooga, Tennessee is the place to be, in my opinion. I’ve lived here for two years already and plan on staying for a while, at least until I graduate college. It’s a beautiful city! It isn’t too big, but it’s not small either. It’s the perfect size and has great lookouts and attractions! If you’re visiting or live here and haven’t been to any of these 11 spots, they’re my top favorites.

1. Go shopping at Hamilton Place or Northgate Mall

Shopping is always one of the top things my friends and I love to do! I’d recommend Hamilton Place over Northgate Mall since it’s bigger and has more stores and restaurants around! I probably go to Hamilton Place about once a week because it just has everything you need and want!

2. Blue Hole

Blue Hole is a swimming hole and is actually in Soddy Daisy, but only about 20 minutes away from Chattanooga. It’s well worth the drive though! It’s a bit of a hike to get there and you have to cross rocks 1/3s of a way through, but it’s totally worth it once you get there! You can cliff jump and swim. It’s really nice and other people visiting are really friendly! Make sure to take snacks, water, a swim suit, and a towel. There’s also Rainbow Lake in Signal Mountain that I’ve heard good things about!

3. Lake Winnie

Lake Winnie is an amusement park. Some of my family friends just went to Lake Winnie and they seemed to all have a blast! Everyone I know that’s been there has had fun, no matter the age.

4. Aquarium

I’ve been to the Chattanooga Aquarium many times and it never fails to impress me every single time I visit. There are touching stations where you can actually touch small sharks, stingrays, and fish. I love how it’s laid out in two different buildings, one for ocean and the other for river. It’s so amazing to see all the different animals and see where they come from. There’s also an IMAX and presentations at specific times. Last time I went, we got to see the Aquarium workers feeding penguins and tell us about them, so that was pretty cool!

5. Zoo

The Chattanooga Zoo is a bit small compared to others, but still amazing! They have a variety of animals and also have a petting section. I love animals, so anything having to do with them is always at the top of my lists! I love how intimate this zoo is and it isn’t over crowded.

6. Southside Social

Southside Social is multiple things all rolled into one! It has bowling, pool, games, food, and a bar! It’s definitely a hangout place for anyone. Who doesn’t want to go bowling with your family or friends?

7. Sunset Rock

Sunset Rock is so pretty. Especially if you go at sunset (DUH)! It’s also a bit of a hike down to the lookout spot. The hike is more like climbing stairs than a straight path. The view is worth it at sunset and it makes for a good reason to have a photoshoot with your friends! The only warnings I have are to watch your step and after the sunset, it obviously gets dark, so bring a flashlight or your phone flashlight app so you can see your way back up to your cars! It gets pretty dark there!

8. Snoopers Rock

This is another lookout and there’s no hiking involved! You park, get out, and see the view! There’s no better way to see a beautiful lookout than driving right up to it!

9. Lookout Mountain

Lookout Mountain has a lot of lookouts and attractions including Rock City, Incline Railroad, and Ruby Falls. All three are tourist attractions located on Lookout Mountain. The Incline Railroad is short, but the view at the top is really nice! You ride in a little train/trolley up a steep hill to the top, see the views, and come back down! It’s a fun adventure! Ruby Falls is hiking through caves and seeing waterfalls! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done! At Rock City there’s a lookout where you can see seven different states! It’s pretty cool!

10. Local Foods

Lupi’s is a pizza place. It’s pretty good, but a little on the expensive side. Arethra Frankenstein’s has really good breakfast. Jefferson’s has the best wings around and good oysters! Don’t go if you’re in a rush though, they take a while to bring the food and checks. We always have to wait a while for our food, but it’s really good. Sluggo’s is definitely one of my favorites. It’s a vegetarian café and no, I’m not vegetarian, but their food is still really good! Big Chill and Grill is a bar and I’ve always heard great things about all their food. I’ve only had their chicken tenders, but they were really good! My favorite chicken in Chattanooga, to be honest. Champy’s Chicken is famous for their chicken. They have their good and bad days! Sofa King Juicy Burger has the best nitrogen milkshakes. Their burgers are pretty good too! Yellow Deli is probably one of the most unique sandwich shops I’ve been in! It’s so welcoming and everything I’ve eaten from there is fantastic! The best Mexican restaurant to me is Amigo. It’s cheap too for those of you who are broke college kids!

11. Treats

There are some really good ice cream places around Chattanooga! Two ice cream places are Clumpies and Ice Cream Show. They’re actually pretty close to each other too. At the Walnut Walking Bridge, Clumpies is on one side and Ice Cream Show is on the other. A good Gelato place is Milk & Honey!

Hopefully after visiting all these places, you’ll come to see where I stand on Chattanooga being the best. It’s home now. Even when I didn’t live here, it was a place my family loved to visit. For good reasons too!