Get Outside

Right now there is a big competition going on to determine the Best Outdoor City.You can click the link and vote for Chattanooga, just because there isn't any competition to Chattanooga when it comes to being outdoors.

To prove this point I was going to blog about how we just hosted a half Iron Man competition last weekend, and will host a full one in the fall.

Or how we are hosting the USA Cycling National Bike Championships this weekend.

Or how we spent Friday night at the weekly Nightfall concert downtown.

Or how Eric, Madeleine and I spent Saturday at the Tennessee Aquarium, which is technically inside, but all about the outdoors, while Caleb went rock climbing at Urban Rocks.

Or how we spent Sunday at Rock City. See Rock City! WooHoo! And then we stoppped by the Chattanooga Market on the way home to pick up some strawberries and a homemade candle. Then the kids headed down to the Riverwalk to skate and bike while Eric and I went to Heritage Park to walk.

But as we walked around Heritage Park I realized that this park sums up all Chattanooga is for me. This is our backyard away from home. We come here nearly everyday that the weather allows. You will see a huge variety of outdoor activities if you ever visit. Walking, running, skating, biking with and without training wheels, scootering, long boarding, kite flying, sleeping on a blanket, frisbee, slack lining, soccer games, corn hole, baseball/softball/wiffleball, hanging in hammocks, life-size chess/checkers, bocce, splashing in the creek, catching fish in a net, live action role playing in medieval garb with swords and shields, dogs playing in the enclosed dog park, photographers capturing engagements, weddings and seniors, wedding parties in kilts and a wide variety of formal wear. There are more languages than I could ever even recognize, with a plethora of ethnicities and races represented. Families of every kind you can imagine. Everyone is respectful, considerate and cheerful. We may be a billion dollar destination thanks to all the wonderful recreation competitions we host, but for me, Heritage Park is why Chattanooga is the best outdoor city in America.