Hotels in Chattanooga

If the name Chattanooga makes you yearn for the days of leisurely train travel, there's no better place to stay than the Chattanooga Choo Choo/Holiday Inn, 1400 Market St. (tel. 800/TRACK-29 [872-2529] or 423/266-5000; www.choochoo.com), formerly Chattanooga's main railway terminal. Reserve the motel-issue rooms in the main building for all the comforts of a chain, or if you've got a sense of whimsy or are traveling with kids, try one of the converted train cars. Rates run $139 to $179 double. Alternatively, the Sheraton Read House Hotel Chattanooga, Martin Luther King Boulevard and Broad Street (tel. 800/325-3535 or 423/266-4121; www.readhousehotel.com), is a lovely National Historic Landmark. Rates run $159 to $289 double. Both hotels are on the shuttle route downtown.

After a day spent touring Lookout Mountain attractions, you can't go wrong with a meal at Mount Vernon, 3509 Broad St. (tel. 423/266-6591), a family-friendly, white-tablecloth restaurant. Besides their signature fried green tomatoes, the locally owned landmark serves delicious salads along with steaks, seafood, and burgers. An entree will set you back about $10.

If you prefer a B&B atmosphere, head to the Bluff View Inn, 412 E. 2nd St. (tel. 423/265-5033), in the Bluff View Arts District, where rooms are spread across three historic houses and rates run $105 to $240 double. There are several dining options in the district, including the Back Inn Café, which has a lovely outdoor patio overlooking the river. Other options are Tony's Pasta Shop and Trattoria and Rembrandt's Coffee House (try the hand-dipped chocolates or the lemon tarts).