CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE AND HARRISON BAY STATE PARK

Our last day in Chattanooga was spent going downtown to see and walk on the world's longest pedestrian bridge. Now, that is according to Chattanooga.com. But, I read a review that said this bridge is 1/2 mile across and there is one in New York that is 1.3 miles across.  So, who knows.

Built in 1890, the 2,376 feet Walnut Street Bridge was the first to connect Chattanooga, Tennessee's downtown with the North Shore. According to a plaque on the bridge, Edwin Thacher was the chief engineer for the bridge. The bridge's superstructure was assembled by the Smith Bridge Company of Toledo, Ohio, which was a prolific late 19th-century bridge builder.

The bridge was closed to motor vehicles in 1978 and sat in disuse and disrepair for nearly a decade. Repairs and structural modifications have been made to turn the bridge into what is now a pedestrian walkway. The Walnut Street Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1990. The 2,376 foot pedestrian bridge sits near the heart of a massive and recently completed urban renewal project.

The Tennessee Aquarium, Creative Discovery Museum, Hunter Museum of Art, Bluff View Art District, Coolidge and Renaissance Parks, Tivoli Theater, and the newly revitalized waterfront are all within close walking distance of either side of the bridge. Also accessible are several hotels, over 50 restaurants and bars, and several shopping areas. The free electric shuttle can connect you to the Choo-Choo and other Southside attractions.

We walked across the bridge and back.  We went over to the Hunter Museum of Art but didn't go in.  We walked to where the Aquarium was and ate lunch on some tiered concrete seats by the river.  It was a great day with some beautiful sights. They do have 20 miles of hike/bike trail long the river.  The next time we come to Chattanooga, we will do some of the hike/bike trail.  It looked pretty level and you can even ride your bike across the bridge.

Walkway to the bridge

The bridge

Looking at the Tennessee River from the bridge

Some Stand Up Paddleboarders

One of the park areas by the bridge

Fun splash pad for kids and kids at heart

The paddleboat passengers waving at us.

The first structure of the art museum

This statue grouping was named Full Count.  Being a baseball fan, I had to take a picture.

We stayed at a state park, Harrison Bay State Park.  You can pick your site when you make your reservation.  Mr. W has gotten really good at using Google Earth to check out the sites before he books.  This state park was awesome.  It had a marina, restaurant, huge swimming pool, playground, and fishing piers galore.  When we are in the area, we will definitely stay here again.  The site we were in was pretty awesome.  But, we did find another site that we checked out.  We will pick that site next time.  I'm not telling you what site it is either.  You might try to book it when I want it! :) They have water and electricity but no sewer.  They have 2 dump stations that I saw.  The restaurant had a good menu.  The sites are not very level except in one of the loops and that loop costs more than the others.  It was very reasonably priced.  You need to check it out.

Looking from our patio

Looking out from the side of the patio