Chattanooga, TN

Were we crazy to take four kids six and under on vacation without our husbands? Maybe! Did everyone have fun? YES!!! Did everyone have a meltdown at some point? Maybe! Was it worth it? YES!!!

We decided on Chattanooga because there is SO much for kids to do there. There are also tons of great Vrbo rentals close to the fun!

My sister-in-law and I have been wanting to take a cousins’ trip for awhile. Once we decided on Chattanooga for a destination, we invited our mother-in-law along for the excitement… and for an extra set of hands and eyes!

Day 1:
The first stop we made when we got into town was lunch at the local Whole Foods. I’ve been stopping at this Whole Foods for years in my travels through Chattanooga. It’s has a great outdoor seating area for the kids and lots of little shops around it too. The original plan was to take our food to-go to have a picnic, but we were all hungry so we just ate there.

After lunch, to kill time before check-in, we headed to Coolidge Park which is just down the road from the Whole Foods. You could easily walk with bigger kiddos, but we drove.

Coolidge Park is so amazing. There’s a huge splash pad, a carousel, several places you can look out over the Tennessee River, and much more. I highly suggest checking it out for a fun and FREE activity.

Once the kids had exhausted their pent up energy, it was time to check in to our Vrbo house. We were instantly pleased with not only the home’s aesthetic, but the location was perfect! It seriously was within a five minute drive from the park, aquarium, and a short walk to the riverside shopping and dining area.

This Vrbo rental had more than enough space for our party of seven. I loved how one of the bedrooms was on the main floor. We let our mother-in-law claim that one so that she could get the most uninterrupted sleep.

Another feature we loved about this home was all the deck space. There was one on the main floor with a grill and lots of seating, one on the 2nd floor that was attached to the main bedroom, and then the whole roof was a deck complete with a picnic table!

After we got settled in, the kids played games with their grandmother while us moms cooked an easy spaghetti dinner. I love staying in Vrbo rentals because their kitchens are always well stocked with the basics you need to prepare meals. When the kids are tired from a long day of traveling or exploring, eating in is the way to go!

Day 2:

I woke up bright and early with the kiddos and made pancakes for them … and me :) ! After breakfast we headed straight to the Tennessee Aquarium. We pre-purchased tickets with a set check in time which I highly recommend doing.

There is plenty of paid parking around the aquarium that is a short walk to the main entrance. The aquarium was so fun! We started with the “Ocean” building and worked our way over to the “River” one. It took us around 2.5 hours to get through it with the kids, strollers, a snack break, and several bathroom stops.

The kids (and adults) thoroughly enjoyed the aquarium! Touching the sting rays and sharks was definitely a highlight!

The food selection in the aquarium’s courtyard wasn’t that great so we walked over a block to Puckett’s which had so many great options for us all.

Once everyone’s bellies were full, we headed back to the Vrbo for naps and rest time. There is this great water area outside the aquarium that we knew we wanted to do. Since our Vrbo was so close and we had parking the whole day, we decided to hit it up after naps.

After more water fun, ice cream, and listening to live street music, we headed back to the house to grill burgers… I told you we enjoyed those porches!

Again, the kids were worn out so to have a great space for them to watch movies and chill was super nice!

Day 3:

On our last day in Chattanooga we went for a ride back in time at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum.

They offer several train rides but we did the shortest one since we had little passengers. It was a nice relaxing way to end our trip!

On the way out of town, we stopped at Common Table for lunch. I chose it on a whim with a quick Yelp search and guys… it’s the PERFECT restaurant for families! They had both an indoor AND outdoor playground for the kids. Us adults sat underneath a covered patio while the kids ran out all their energy before the ride home! Definitely check out this restaurant that has a wonderful mission behind it next time you’re in Chattanooga!

Thanks for reading all about our trip friends! As always, if you have any questions at all please shoot me an email.