Wednesday, October 30: Fish, Turtles, Snakes, Penguins, and Sharks

Date:                           October 30, 2013

Day on the Cruise:     177

From:                          Marine Max Dock, Downtown Chattanooga, TN
                                       
To:                               Marine Max Dock, Downtown Chattanooga, TN

Statute Miles:              0.0 SM

Time:                           0.0 Hrs

Cumulative Miles:       4,463.8 SM

On Board:                   Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut

Tonight we are still at the Marine Max Bluff Docks on the waterfront in downtown Chattanooga, TN.

The Rivers Building at The Tennessee Aquarium on a Beautiful Day

Area around the Aquarium

Downtown Chattanooga

More of the Native American - Themed Fountain in Frint of the Aquarium and next to Our Boat Dock

Looking up a side street in Chattanooga

View of the Tennessee River from the Aquarium

View of a Water Feature Between the Oceans Building and Market Street Bridge

The Oceans Building at the Aquarium

A Running Waterfall Next to the Oceans Building is Also a Wading Pool

We walked up to the Tennessee Aquarium this morning and did the tour of the Rivers Building. It was very interesting with a lot of displays of fresh water fish and animals from all over the world. They also had a big display on sea horses with multiple tanks of all kinds of sea horses from miniature to some almost 8" high. These are very interesting creatures and they move by bobbing up and down. We also saw a big display on the swamps and delta habitats that included snakes, alligators, and birds.

Delta and Swamp Exhibit with a Resting 'Gator

Wooden canoe Exhibit. Hello Monty Cook!

Original Old Town Wooden Canoe. Hello Monty Cook!

More of the Swamp Exhibit

After completing the fresh water part of the aquarium, we returned back to the boat and ate lunch. We then toured the salt water or oceans building. This was the best part of the aquarium to us. We especially liked the Penguin Exhibit and the huge 600,000 gallon "Secrete Reef Tank". This had 3,600 fish in it including 6 sharks that were very interesting. We saw some divers in the tank doing a show. There were multiple levels in the tank and you can view these levels from near the surface down to the bottom part of the tank where the reclusive fish seem to congregate.

Chuck in front of the Oceans Building at the Aquarium

Part of the Rain Forest

Huge McCaw Parrots at the Rain Forest. A very Diverse Exhibit!

Do You See the Spotted Sing Rays in This Pool in the Rain Forest?

Penguins

A Swimming Penguin

Another Swimming Penguin

A Swimming Penguin. Amazing!

Divers in the Tank

A Big Shark Gets Up Close and Personal

Sharks Looking for a Meal!

A Shark Swims Right By Us!

A Huge Sea Tuttle Checking Us Out

When we finished the Aquarium, we hopped on a free electric shuttle bus and rode out to the Chattanooga Choo Choo which is a hotel in the old train terminal. Not much going on here, but the lobby is impressive and some of the rooms are in old passenger rail cars. The grounds are nicely landscaped.

Lobby of the Hotel is the Old Train Station

Main Entrance of Hotel Lobby

Dome Above Lobby - The Old Train Station in Chattanooga

Rail Cars that are Hotel Rooms Now

The Grounds of the Hotel. This is Where the Trains Used to Arrive and Depart

An Old Steam Locomotive

Susan Waits for a Train at The Choo Choo. She Thinks that We Took a Picture of Our Daughter Beth on this Same Seat When She Was Two Years Old!

We again hopped a free shuttle bus and went back to the River Front and the boat. Dinner tonight was an agonizing walk up two steep hills to an Italian Restaurant named Tony's that had been recommended to us by other Loopers. It did not disappoint, and the food and service was excellent. It was worth the climb. Coming back to the boat was much easier as it was all down hill. When we got to our dock, we ran into our Canadian friends from "Let's Drift" whom we had traveled with on the Tennessee for a couple of days. It was great to see them.

The City of Chattanooga is preparing the River Front for a big rowing regatta this weekend. We saw some rowers come past our boat late this afternoon. They were from the Lookout Rowing Club. We also saw a River Duck touring vehicle come by our boat with a bunch of tourists on board. This is an amphibious vehicle that can operate on the roads or in water.

This is the Market Street Bridge Where We are Docked

Two Rowers Come By the Boat

A Four Person Rowing Shell

A Really Big Rowing Shell

A Yellow Shell

The Duck Cruise That Came By Our Boat

So, today was a good day in Chattanooga. Tomorrow we leave heading down river. We will try to do a long day and make Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL if possible.

Thanks for Reading!