Chattanooga, TN - Girls' Weekend 2020

Well, Peeps, 2020 has been quite the ride for all of us. If you've been following along with us on our Facebook page, you know that Harris Sister Misty's family was in a car accident in March of this year, and her daughter Emma had several surgeries throughout the year, as well. (You can read about Emma's recovery here.)

So, in addition to the extra precautions that the country has been under due to COVID-19, our family's schedule was upended for a good portion of the year. We postponed this year's Girls' Weekend trip since we usually take our trip in the summertime.

This year, we decided on a fall trip to Chattanooga, TN. And while we didn't plan on many of the adventures that we often write about, we still had several outdoor activities that we thought we could update you guys on should you ever want to visit the area.

Our first full day there, we decided to visit many of the murals in the area. It was a fun outdoor activity, which was the perfect way to spend our 2020 Girls' Weekend.

Where to Find the Most Popular Instagram-Worthy Murals in Chattanooga, TN

Polka-Dot Wall
1400 Block of Williams Street

This one is located across Main Street from Hi-Fi Clyde's. The pastel polka-dots were a perfect match for our pink Girl Power T-shirts!

Angel Wings Mural
1501 Long Street
Artist: Kelsey Montague

This one is also near Hi-Fi Clyde's. The black and white angel wings are the perfect place to strike a pose!

Flying Doughnut Mural
1900 Broad Street
​Artist: Joseph Giri

If you’re on the Southside, make sure to swing by one of Chattanooga's most popular murals on the corner of Broad Street and 20th Street (next door to Koch's Bakery).

Chattanooga Choo-Choo

Of course a trip to Chattanooga wouldn't be complete without a visit to see the Chattanooga Choo-Choo. 

Opened in 1909 as Terminal Station, the train depot welcomed thousands of travelers during the golden age of railroads. Today, Terminal Station (located at 1400 Market Street) stands as part of the world-famous Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel. 

The train itself is on display in an open courtyard, and various small businesses surround the area. A visit to the famous train made for the perfect outdoor activity.

See Rock City

Who remembers The Harris Sisters' 2018 Girls' Weekend trip where we spent a little bit of time on a quest to find an original See Rock City painted barn? (If you'll remember, Harris Sister Deanna found one on her trip back home to Tennessee that trip, but we never did find the barn that we were looking for in Bryson City - just some awesome antique shops along the way.)

Well, this year we were able to actually visit Rock City on this trip (which is technically just over the border in nearby Georgia).

This is a wonderful option for an outdoor activity. At the time we visited they were decorated for fall, but they also decorate for Christmas. So if that is your preferred holiday, you might want to consider a visit during November, December, or January for the Enchanted Garden of Lights for the holiday season.

They are currently managing crowds with an online timed ticketing system. And the park and gardens offer a walking trail surrounded by a waterfall, a swinging bridge, Lover’s Leap (where you can See 7 States), Fat Man’s Squeeze (a narrow pass between two large rock formations), Fairyland Caverns, and Mother Goose Village. 

Here's the photo we got of ourselves on the swinging bridge. (It was very similar to the bridge in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - although we had to manage it by ourselves without the help of Harrison Ford.)

And here's the marker they have at Lover's Leap that shows the directions to look to see seven states: Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. 

They fly the flags of the seven states at this area too.

Here we are on our way through a giant magical door into the last leg of the trip toward Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village.

Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village is the only enclosed area in Rock City. Both areas in the cavern are hand-crafted, brightly colored diorama displays of classic childhood fairy tales and Mother Goose nursery rhymes.

From Hansel and Gretel to Rip van Winkle and Little Red Riding Hood to Jack and the Beanstalk, these colorful displays that were originally created in 1947 still capture the magic of these popular children's stories.

The Mother Goose Village was located in Fairy Land Caverns after the fairy tale dioramas. Originally created in 1964, this section included scenes from popular nursery rhymes like Hey, Diddle, Diddle; Little Miss Muffet; Jack and Jill; Little Boy Blue; and Humpty Dumpty.

We spent the rest of our time this Girls' Weekend hanging out, relaxing, doing a wine and Halloween candy pairing, dressing up in our COVID-19 Halloween costumes, and planning exciting things for the blog. Stay tuned!

So if you have a chance to visit Chattanooga, TN, and Rock City, they make for a fun weekend!

Make sure to check out our other Girls' Weekend posts for our photos, recommendations, and reviews on the other places we've visited in previous years.