Along the River

Chattanooga was an old industrial city and major railroad hub. Over the years, it has done a nice job of revitalizing itself. Part of that urban renewal has been to make the riverfront a focal point.

For 9 days, the city hosts Riverbend Festival, a large music fest with a variety of artists. There are several stages; one of them, the Coca-Cola stage, is right on the Tennessee. We missed this year's fest, but we did catch a view of the river stage.



Staging Music on the Water

Chattanooga has also done a good job of making the both shores attractive. The south side has the Tennessee Aquarium and Bluff Art District as anchors. While on the north end of the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge, there are several businesses and gorgeous Coolidge Park, which lies at the water's edge. On the Saturday we visited, it was definitely a well-used public space.



Carousel with Lookout Mountain as a Backdrop

Kids and Water: a Perfect Blend on a Summer Day

Throughout the day, there was a buzz--families with children, college students, young professionals, out-of-town visitors. We were all taking in the sights and sounds of Chattanooga.


Viewing Downtown Chattanooga

Walnut Street Bridge

Through the Trees

Originally built in 1890 to span the Tennessee River, the Walnut Street Bridge connected downtown Chattanooga to the northern shore. Closed in 1978, the bridge fell into disrepair until the 1990s, when it was renovated as a pedestrian walkway.


Viewing the West Side of the Bridge

At a length of 2376 feet, it's one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world. I couldn't resist walking it, so we headed north from downtown. It's no Golden Gate Bridge, but tourists and locals--families, older couples, groups of friends--all use the walkway. It's a pleasant way to cross the river and the views are stunning.


Viewing the Hunter Art Museum from Walnut Street


Viewing the North Side of Town

Plus there are plenty of benches along the bridge so you can sit, rest, and simply enjoy the moment.


Sandra Faces the Return Trip South

Sculpture Garden

The public garden in the art district lies along the east-facing part of the bluff.

For this post, I'm going to let the images present the moment.



Open Yard


Overlooking the River


Walking Jackman


Serene


A Little Falls

Icarus

The Bluff View Art District

As the name suggests, the area is located on a bluff. So the first order of business was rising to the occasion. The central area downtown in Chattanooga is very pedestrian and bike friendly since there are many non-automobile access points. For those with physical disabilities, there is even an elevator to take you part of the way up the bluff...


Waiting

...and there is no need to cross traffic on a riverfront road when you can walk above it.



Above Riverfront Parkway

As the name suggests also, this is an Art District, so there are several public displays.



Loyal Friend

Some of the work will make you look at the world.


A Horse

Sometimes very closely...


The Nature of Grain

So while you might think it's a nice use of driftwood...



The Secret Revealed

...it's actually bronze.

No matter what the medium, the result is stunning.



Graceful Curves

The District is home to the Hunter Museum of American Art, which reportedly holds the most American art in the South. Comprised of three wings, the museum structure is an interesting display of its own. The central wing is actually an old Chattanooga mansion.


A Reminder of the Past

Other interesting architecture stands in the area. A few remind me quite a bit of the Mediterranean area.


Among the Buildings

Besides the art galleries, inns, and restaurants, the district sits high alongside the river, so the bluff also offers incredible views of the Tennessee River.


River View

One particular part of the District deserves a special mention, the Sculpture Garden, but I'm going to leave that to another post.

Destination Chattanooga

Talking to one of the artists who attended the Nashville's American Artisan Festival planted a seed in my mind. The artist's name was Brent Sanders and his studio is located in Chattanooga. He said that the city was definitely worth checking out. So at the end of June, we decided to visit.


For a Ride

From excellent service at the Visitor's Center to an excellent lunch at Easy Bistro, the day started well. Though with a limited number of hours of being in the city, we had to pick only a few places and leave the rest to another trip.

First stop, the Bluff View Art District...

Tour de France

There's something absolutely nuts about riding a bicycle to a mountain which peaks a mile up. Something absolutely nuts too about riding down that mountain at a speed in excess of 50 miles per hour. But I do find something pure in the effort for the three weeks and for the day. It's something that captured my attention years ago and still holds it.

I've been following this year's Tour de France. There have been several memorable one day rides, including seeing the race leader Thomas Voeckler, not noted for his climbing, grit it out and stay with the favorites on yesterday's stage as they traveled up and down mile-high summits.

It's been a good competition so far for all the various prizes. In grand tour cycling, there is more than one contest happening at any moment. There's the stage and then there is the overall classification. Toss in sprint points and mountain points and even a reward for the best young rider--the races within the race--it's not something you immediately understand, but after the years you learn.

The United States doesn't have best cycling culture when compared to Europe, so I didn't grow up with the sport, but I have learned to appreciate it. Of course, it's easy to watch the race when the camera also pans out to a sweeping mountain valley or a 500 year old keep on top of a small hill. Sometimes the camera holds onto a scene, focused on an obscure village in a mostly overlooked part of the world. There is something to seeing cyclists race past a field of sunflowers. There is something whole about it.

And effort. The teamwork and the effort. And for a moment, there are champions.

Take the Car to Clarksville

Northwest of Nashville stretches Clarksville which lies at the border between Tennessee and Kentucky. Sandra and I took a day trip to the fast-growing city of 132,000 along the Cumberland River in June.



The County Courthouse

Like some places, the city has managed to retain some character in its historic downtown section from buildings like the courthouse to the old customs house, which is now a museum site.


Looking at the Upper Floor Detail

The Customs House

On Franklin Street, a somewhat thriving retail area has sprung up. One of the finds of the trip was the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery. The brewpub was founded back in 1992 in a historic building. The beer is good, and the special for the day was a thin-sliced prime rib sandwich, which, quite honestly, is the best beef sandwich I've had in my life.


The Blackhorse

There are a variety of shops in the downtown area. We even caught some public artwork, which reminded me a little of Eric Grohe's work that we saw back in our 2009 Ohio trip. If you want to look back in the June 09 archives, you'll find several posts including this post about Bucyrus.



Clarksville Mural

The historic area sits atop a hill, which, in places, has a great view of the river.


Viewing the Cumberland

It was the Cumberland that primarily drew me to the city. After lunch, we headed down to McGregor Park and its mile long Riverwalk.

Being alongside the river, the park has a popular boat launch. It also has a nice playground for children. And, of course, we caught good views of the Cumberland.


Looking Upstream

Downstream

After spending time downtown, we headed to the outskirts to Beachaven Winery. Driving there was a bit of an adventure. While downtown has a much more classic look, the city has grown rapidly over the past several decades and has sprawled in the process. With freeways and overpasses, the place feels a lot bigger than the population would suggest.

On Saturdays in the summer, Beachaven hosts a jazz night, and by time we arrived in the late afternoon, lots of people were already parked and ready for the event. That didn't stop us from trying the wines.


Grapes at Beachaven

They do grow and buy several of the local varietals like Chardonel, Seyval Blanc, and Chambourcin. They also make wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which probably is sourced from West Coast grapes. Overall, compared to the Shawnee Hills wineries, Beachaven has some room for improvement, though we did buy a couple of selections which we liked. Besides, it is an interesting stop at the outskirts of town along Interstate 24.


Along the Highway

Upcoming

Sandra and I have been staying fairly busy. In June, we made day trips to Clarksville and Chattanooga, and then for the 4th of July weekend, we returned to Chicago to visit family and friends. Pictures and posts about these will be coming soon, along with some info about a few Nashville happenings which we attended. Stay tuned.

On the Road to Tennessee

Before hitting the interstate for the trip home, we stopped for one more place along the wine trail, Rustle Hill. It's a nice space on U.S. 51 south of Carbondale. They had an incredible stained glass exhibit in the upper balcony. Sandra sipped a glass of wine and we soaked in the last moments on the trail.


The Vines at Rustle Hill

Then we drove through the countryside and picked up I-57 and then quickly onto I-24 for the trip back home. Somewhere in Illinois, I started hearing--oh, yes--a very familiar sound, noticeable even with the windows up and the AC on--cicadas. The brood was out in force, though not continuously, along the road through Illinois and then Kentucky. Sometimes, we could also see the little buzz bombers as a few took to the air with their ungainly-looking flights.

The wheels spun quickly and we were soon back in our new home state. About 25 miles outside of Nashville, we turned off the interstate. There I like to turn onto State Route 49 and then S.R. 12. In particular, on route 12 from Ashland City to just north of Nasville, you can catch glimpses of the Cumberland River and some great views of the hilly terrain. Think green forested hills in a sunset light. That's the lasting image as we returned home.

Hitting the Boardwalk

Makanda, the small town nearest Giant City State Park, appears to be home to an eclectic collection of people. At least that's what you might conclude from looking at the Boardwalk and the variety of stores. Sandra and I regularly stop by for a visit and I wrote about the place in this 2009 post.


The Boardwalk

You might expect the antique store and perhaps the odds and ends grocery/deli/ice cream shop. But, you probably wouldn't expect at one end a little grocery/Mexican restaurant and at the other end a metal shop where the work ranges from large sculptures to rings and sometimes even flowers.



Flower

And you certainly wouldn't expect what lurks in the garden at the back of the metal shop.


A Rather Large Imagination

But this is Dave Dardis, his creation. He's the force behind RainMaker Art. His mediums of preference are bronze and copper, and his garden is his expression. The collection of paths through his backyard, in many ways, is his own one-of-a-kind art exhibit. While they might seem a little over-sized (I wouldn't want to meet a living one at that size), the sculpted insects feel entirely at home in this space.


Playtime or Snacktime?

If you're ever visiting Carbondale or hiking Giant City or hitting the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail, stop along the Boardwalk. Get an ice cream, enjoy the day, but before you leave drop by Dave's shop, check out his works, and ask about the garden. It's a real unexpected treat. You can also find out more about Dave Dardis by visiting his web site.


Makanda Water Tower

To the Pond One Last Time

After the Devil's standtable, we made one more visit to the pond at Post Oak. I even let Sandra have her camera and she snapped a picture of me.



A Rare Glimpse of Bill

I spied something in the water. Almost fittingly, a turtle gave a one-tailed salute to us.


Sending Us Off

Time to leave the park till next time...

The Devil's Standtable in Summer

Two years ago at the start of spring, the trees were still bare, so the Devil's Standtable Nature Trail was much more open and the rock formation visible long before you reached it. You can see photos of it from March 2009 by clicking the old post.

Now, at the end of May, the trail was very different as the sight lines were much more limited as we wound through the forest. Though, no matter how crowded life becomes, a straggler seemed to find its spot to catch a few rays of sun.



Cabins at Sunset

Yet, occasionally you could glimpse what stands ahead on the trail--through the leaves, a pillar of rock.


What Waits

But then again, there were still steps along trail to reach that moment, and this was where focus returned to a rustling to the left in the leaves, and I looked, and I fumbled with the camera to catch the scene which held still, still enough to snap an image of that place and time.


On the Forest Floor in the Light

This trail has its pinnacle, a tower of rock topped by a hard hat, and it draws your attention. It drew mine as I tried to view it from different van


The Devils' Standtable

For minutes, we poked around the area around the Standtable, and then headed to the exit. The path to the trail's end is short, but before we reached it, I heard some sounds down below. In a quick glimpse, you might see this:


What Waits

This is where, if you're not patient and willing to wait, you can look and see only blades of grass. Sandra didn't quite catch our little fellow trail hiker, but I pointed where and she found it. Even with its great camouflage, the light certainly unveils its location now.


Frozen in the Light