Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga is located along the Tennessee River in Hamilton County in southeastern Tennessee, across the state line from Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Chattanooga is 134 miles (216 kilometers) southeast of Nashville, 112 miles (180 kilometers) southwest of Knoxville, and 118 miles (190 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.

If you want to learn about area history, you can stroll around and view the many buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or head out to area venues like the Chattanooga African American Museum, the Chattanooga Regional History Museum, the Falcon Rest Victorian Mansion, the Gordon-Lee Mansion, the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park (which commemorates the Civil War battles of Chickamauga, which occurred in September 1863 and saw 35,000 casualties, and Chattanooga, which occurred in November 1863), or (to dine and learn) the Old Buttonwillow Church Civil War Dinner Theater. And while we're on the subject of history, here's a bit of historical junk food trivia: Chattanooga is the site of the first Coca Cola bottling plant and is the birthplace of the MoonPie!

A good way to spend a relaxing day is to head down to the waterfront. Twenty years in the planning, the revitalized waterfront now includes the Tennessee Aquarium & IMAX 3D Theater, a children's museum, a carousel, theaters, walking paths, one of the world's largest pedestrian bridges, and more! And since you're at the river, why not enjoy a cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat?

When you want a dose of culture, head to performances of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera at the historic Tivoli Theatre. Art buffs won't want to miss the 4 Bridges Arts Festival held in April, and will make regular visits to the Hunter Museum of American Art and Bluff View Art District.

There are several state parks close to Chattanooga, including Booker T. Washington State Park, a 353-acre (143-hectare) park on the shores of Lake Chickamauga; Cumberland Trail State Park, the state's only linear park which, when complete, will be 300 miles (483 kilometers) long, and will cut through 11 counties from the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park on the Tennessee-Virginia-Kentucky border, to the Signal Point near Chattanooga; Harrison Bay State Park, which has 1,200 acres (486 hectares), and approximately 40 miles (64 kilometers) of Lake Chickamauga shoreline; Red Clay State Historic Park, which served as the council grounds of the Cherokee Nation before their forcible removal; and Hiwassee/Ocoee Scenic River Park, where, in addition to other pursuits, visitors can enjoy the finest whitewater river in the Southeastern United States, with Class III, IV, and V rapids. And if these spectacular state parks aren't enough, just a short drive south are the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests and a short drive east is the Cherokee National Forest.

This is all great, you say, but what about the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo!? Well, while the city is no longer the major rail hub that it once was, you can still get out and visit the Chattanooga Choo Choo – it's now at a 24-acre (10-hectare) vacation and convention complex, centered around the old Terminal Station, is located in the heart of Chattanooga!

See our 5 Jobs in Chattanooga, Tennessee