March 2021 - Chattanooga and the Chickamauga National Military Parks

A year ago, Scott and I took a trip focused on Civil War Sites of the South. We used Atlanta as the hub to visit Chattanooga (TN), Savannah (GA) and Charlestown (SC). Scott planned the itinerary which was packed and in hindsight could have been optimized to reduce the hours spent driving in the car, but we covered a lot of sites over 5 days.

 

 
Day 1: we fly at the wee hours into Atlanta, pick up the rental car and head to the Chickamauga battlefield in Chattanooga, TN, a two and a half hour drive. The Civil War Battlefields are part of the US National Park system and visitors can take a self guided driving tour through the grounds. Stopping points along the tour are marked and audio narration (via cell phone) available for you to learn more about the site's significance in the war. I've included various photos taken in the battlefield:

 

 

 

 

 
More impressive was the drive up to Lookout mountain where the Battles for Chattanooga seiged. Atop the mountain we took in views of the Moccasin Bend River and learned that troops moved equipment, cannons, artillery and provisions up the steep topography of the mountain. There are rugged hiking trails if you want to re-enact the soldiers' path.

 

 
The area is rich with Civil war history, apparent as you drive through Chattanooga to the Missionary ridges. In addition to the Civil War site at the top of Lookout Mountain, Ruby Falls, at foot of the mountain is a popular attraction.