Here in Tennessee, we love our heritage, and we love our rivers. And what says river heritage more than a classic riverboat? Seeing our beautiful state from the water is one of the best ways to do it, and we found a riverboat in Chattanooga that allows you to do just that. Sit back, relax, and let the steady water of the Tennessee River take you away on this Tennessee hidden gem.
The Southern Belle riverboat is a Chattanooga staple. Since 1985, this riverboat has been cruising up and down the Tennessee River, serving tourists and locals alike.
The riverboat docks and departs from Ross's Landing Park, right in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. On your cruise, you will see sweeping views of downtown Chattanooga as well as the iconic Lookout Mountain.
Cruises take off frequently. The Southern Belle operates daily sightseeing tours that include the history of the Tennessee River, the river's legends, and fun facts about the places seen from the cruise.
Looking for something a little more special? They also offer daily sunset cruises and daily dinner cruises that include their buffet full of delicious Southern food.
In addition to their daily cruises, the Southern Belle also runs many seasonal cruises, including Halloween "Boo"-ze cruises, Valentine's Day sweetheart cruises, and Moonlight Cruises where the boat turns in to a nightclub complete with live DJ.
The Southern Belle has two ships -- one that regularly operates on cruises and one that is attached to the dock, which features a full ballroom and event space, perfect for parties, weddings, and other events.
They also have a land-based burger restaurant that offers some of the best burgers and cocktails in Chattanooga! The 3rd Deck Burger Bar overlooks the beautiful Tennessee River, sitting right on the shore, 40-feet over the water. Now that's a dinner with a view!
If my job at Only In Your State has taught me anything, it's to always be open to adventure. A recent trip to Nashville allowed for lots of impromptu adventures, including a morning that started at a farmers market and ended with my six-year-old and I rolling down the expansive hill behind the Tennessee State Capitol building, giggling uncontrollably the entire time.
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We started at the Nashville Farmers Market, a destination I'd been excited to explore as it's home to some of the best small businesses in Tennessee and an epic food hall full of global and regional cuisine. We hadn't had breakfast and were keen to grab brunch from one of the many market vendors, deciding on vegan paninis from a sandwich shop housed in the "Grow Local Kitchen," a stall that features a rotating array of start-ups and up-and-coming restaurants. What a cool concept!
Bellies full, we grabbed fresh peaches and house-made pickles from the market, then shopped for souvenirs at Made in TN. It was a beautiful, blue-sky day and we weren't in a hurry -- and across the street, the capitol building beckoned.
The Tennessee State Capitol is perched on a hill that overlooks the farmers market and riverfront on one side, and downtown Nashville on the other. It opened in 1859 and is a magnificent tribute to the people of Tennessee, full of meaningful memorials and striking stone statues.
It's also a wonderful place to explore, especially with a six year old who delights in this wide, wonderful world. After climbing up the grassy hill (we dubbed it "Mount Nashville") we eagerly approached the capitol building. It's striking and commanding, but also accessible: the building is open to the public for tours (guided and self guided) and since we'd been up bright and early, we had our run of the place.
We explored the grounds and had fun reading the plaques, jogging up steps and enjoying the views from all sides of the building. Nearby, you can walk to the library, the Tennessee State Museum, and more. Walking is one of my favorite ways to explore a new city, and it was really fun ambling around Downtown Nashville, hand in hand with my daughter.
It's easy to get stuck in self-imposed itineraries and the feeling of needing to "do it all" on vacation. Don't! Leaving yourself open to unexpected experiences allows for the kind of fun, carpe diem moments that you'll remember long after returning home.
I will jump at any opportunity to go down to Pigeon Forge. I love the Smoky Mountains and all of the fun attractions found in town, so when my daughter said she wanted to go to Beyond The Lens, I was fully on board. This unique attraction in Tennessee combines technology and family fun in a wonderful mix that they call Techno-tainment. I feel like this an apt description; however, there is so much more waiting for you when you visit Beyond The Lens.
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While driving down the Parkway in Pigeon Forge, Beyond The Lens is impossible to miss.
The structure is certainly eye-catching, as a giant bell tower looks as though it has crumbled to the ground. Two big hands are holding a camera -- the "entrance" you walk through -- setting the stage for the unique experience that awaits at Beyond The Lens.
The very first thing you do is walk through the kaleidoscope walkway, which is a trippy and fun way to begin. It was admittedly a bit disorientating as the mix of colors and swirling patterns twisted and turned from floor to ceiling.
Soon after that, you will be introduced to a common element throughout the rest of the building which is the picture-taking stations. There are cameras everywhere that you and your family can use to snap pictures like your Hollywood stars or dogging bullets like the Matrix.
Beyond The Lens mixes fun and games with education and pop culture history quite nicely.
There is a room that showcases how technology has advanced over the decades from rotary phones to smartphones and more. The old-school video games were especially fun to learn more about.
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From room to room, you will experience a variety of themes and interests. History buffs will love the Hall of Presidents which tackles the J.F.K. assassination.
Fans of cryptids will be pleased to see the Bigfoot section. Stepping from the pristine and regal historical parts to this swamp and jungle-like area was a great transition that made us feel a sense of anticipation. You never know what kind of fun you will find at Beyond The Lens!
One exhibit I especially enjoyed was the sports area. We challenged each other in a basketball pop shot game, pitched some fastballs, and even balled Skee-Ball.
Both of my girls loved the space section. The ball pit (or what they call “alien eggs”) was one of their favorites as they dove into the balls and threw them around.
This was a spot where kids went wild and had a lot of fun, so much so that I kept finding the “eggs” way down the hall. So naturally I just threw them at my kids to see how many times I could hit them. They hardly even noticed.
You bop from room to room by design and you can always backtrack if need be, but we tended to just do everything in one place and then moved on to the next section.
We arrived right when the attraction opened; later in the day, the place started to get busy. It is easy to see why, because we were certainly enjoying ourselves the whole time. The last spot we went to was the virtual reality exhibit.
You can shoot robot ships, take a wild Jeep ride away from a charging T-rex, and create (and ride) your own roller coaster in this interactive space.
My favorite was the balance beam which makes it look like you are stepping out from a skyscraper to get a plate of donuts. It's pretty immersive and feels real; but in reality, you are only on a piece of wood about an inch from the ground. It was amusing to watch people get into the experience and have a hard time with a simple task once the headset was on.
"Flyride" is a separate experience where you will need a different ticket to enter. This ride is similar to Skyfly at the Island, but we thought this one was better. At this attraction, you enter into a room where you are seated and the floor drops out from you as your feet dangle in front of a massive screen. For the rest of the ride, you will soar over some of America's most iconic spots like our national parks and more. The seats rumble, tilt, and move as you go, and even "mist" you with smells to fully immerse you in the experience.
When it's all said in done, is Beyond The Lens worth it? I would emphatically say yes it's worth it! I would even go as far to say it's one of the best things to do in Pigeon Forge. I would highly suggest it to anyone visiting the area. Beyond The Lens is a great option for families to play together and have a great time. For more information, please visit the website for Beyond The Lens. If you want a discount on your tickets then check out our friends at Viator for the best price for Beyond The Lens.
Of course, Wonderworks is another attraction in Pigeon Forge that's similar to Beyond The Lens that I would also recommend visiting while in the area!
