The first stop on this year’s #bluesummertour, well after a super quick “layover” in Atlanta where I had some work, was Chattanooga just two hours away. It was an absolutely fabulous place to take our family!
You can read about our favorite spots to eat and spend time downtown in part one, and in this post, I’m going to share some of the amazing places to take your family outside the city! 
Thanks to a few recommendations from friends, we knew we HAD to make it to Rock City, and I’m so glad we did!
We really weren’t sure what to expect, and especially after hikes through the Blue Ridge part of the Smoky Mountains earlier this year, we dressed for some rough terrain… but the beauty of Rock City is that you can hike the paved trails easily and grab lunch or dinner at the restaurant up top. The sights were amazing all along but especially when we reached Lover’s Leap and could look out into seven states!
Of course, my family had a blast on the wooden bridge while Skylar and I cautiously and carefully made our way across it. We spent the good part of a morning there exploring all that Rock City had to offer… imagine my surprise with seeing a Starbucks there! So yes, with cup in hand, we walked the trails and when we left we had some great memories (Like the kids laughing and repeating “Fat Man Squeeze” through squeals after seeing one of the cavernous places named that.), and also a bag of fresh fudge for the road. A delicious little trip up the mountain indeed.
From Rock City, we headed to our cabin. Chris did a great job of finding the perfect place for us to stay just a few minutes outside of Chattanooga, where we could enjoy the spoils of the city easily and the fresh open space of the mountainside.
Though it was just a short drive from Chattanooga, as our car climbed in altitude, we were in Kentucky for about two minutes and then in Alabama, where our cabin was located overlooking the Tennessee River. 
I have to say, I wasn’t sure what to expect or how our few days in the mountains would be since we’d never been to this location before and booked the cabin off of a few photos… but it was magical.
The first bit of magic presented itself as three little ones explored the stairs and balconies inside our new home for the next couple of nights, and I made my way back out to the car to retrieve a few things. On the stone pathway at my feet hopped a sweet little long-eared friend, who would later be named Flopsie and would bring along a few more friends with him.
A few moments later my family was bounding out of the cabin, due to my insistent bellowing I’m sure, since I didn’t realize how long our new friend would stick around. Out came the carrots that were packed away in our belongings… and from that moment forward, Flopsie and his band of merry rabbits stayed near our feet and ate from our hands.
Even when we’d be out taking in the sights of the city below, my kids couldn’t wait to get back to the cabin and see their bunnies, all named appropriately of course. And as for me and Chris, we couldn’t wait to get back to the hot tub on our deck.
A few #bluesummertour photos from my phone of our time in Chattanooga and the cabin below…
If you’re looking for a great place to stay where your family can happily roam and explore, I definitely recommend the Chattanooga area and the cabins where we stayed in Alabama 🙂
PS. Just about all of the kiddos’ clothing in this post is from Gymboree!
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