Summer Road Trip: Coolidge Park in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Tom and I had both been interested in visiting Chattanooga for a while. The plan had originally been to visit Ruby Falls, the Incline Railway, and Rock City (visiting caverns was part of our Summer Fun List). By the time we got there, though, we were getting tired from all the travel and weren't sure the kids would want to do all that walking. We didn't want to waste $150 on tickets to find out everyone would rather be taking a nap instead of hiking through the mountains.

Plan B - a trip to Coolidge Park on the Tennessee River, followed by a visit to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel - turned out to be great fun!

Coolidge Park in Chattanooga

The first thing we did when we arrived at the park was take a ride on the restored antique carousel.

It was absolutely beautiful and only cost $1 per person - a huge bargain compared to our local carousel.

An extra bit of fun was that you could pick one of many different animals to ride. Scarlett had her heart set on a traditional golden horse. The rest of us rode more unusual creatures - Luke rode a fish, Tom rode a donkey, and I rode an elephant. 

The kids never get tired of carousels. I just love to see their joy while the ride.

When the ride was done, it was time to beat the heat in the splash fountain.

The kids changed into their swim suits and had a blast running around and getting wet.

It was especially fun when the animal statues around the edges shot water at them!

It was a very entertaining place to spend the morning.

Next post, I'll continue with tales of Chattanooga - this time with Choo Choos!