ATTENTION ALL MY FELLOW CHATT RATS! In case you haven't heard already: Chattanooga has been voted Outside Magazine's Best Town Ever for the second year in a row! After a total of six rounds, Chatt. pulled through to beat Port Angeles, Washington in the Best Towns Tournament 2015.
The bracket consisted of 64 towns all over America including many from the South such as Boone, NC, Oxford, MS, Houston, TX, and Savannah, GA. Chattanooga even defeated a few beautiful towns in the Sunshine State such as Tampa, FL!
I have had the privilege of calling Chattanooga home my entire life and have experienced many of its truly beautiful features! The Scenic City's most distinct landmark, Lookout Mountain, is home to one of Chattanooga's most popular attractions known as Rock City.
Although Rock City has incredible marvels year-round, this magical place is at its absolute best during Christmastime. Beginning around 1979, every year in the months of November and December, a massive star is hung at the top of the waterfall that lights up Chattanooga and parts of North Georgia signifying Christmas. Ironically, my dad at the age of fifteen years old helped my grandfather and a team of others build the traditional star as well as hanging it for the very first time. Trust me, there is nothing better as a little kid than going to Rock City at Christmastime and seeing THE star all lit up, experiencing the Enchanted Garden of Lights, and getting delicious rock candy and hot chocolate. Guys, this is also a very romantic place to take your girlfriend during the holiday season. ;)
Chattanooga is also home to Ruby Falls, the Tennessee Aquarium, the Creative Discovery Museum, Lake Winnepesaukah (Lake Winnie), Riverbend Festival, the Chattanooga Lookouts, TVA, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum and the renowned Chattanooga Choo Choo. I was a lucky toddler and got to have my 2nd birthday at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, which was something I will never, ever forget!
Not only do students come to Chattanooga from all over the country to attend elite private schools such as Baylor, GPS and McCallie, but many also come to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) for college! Did I forget to mention that Volkswagen AND Amazon came to Chattanooga in 2011 and 2012 and both employ several thousand people.
Also known as Gig City, Chattanooga is the first city in the Western Hemisphere to offer one-gigabit-per-second fiber internet service to all residents and businesses and is home of the fastest internet connection speeds in the entire world. Gig City is now known as "the city of pioneers", and its focus on environmental stewardship has attracted $4 BILLION in foreign direct investment in the last few years. Can you say that about where you live?!
It is MIND BLOWING how a town that used to be known as the "dirtiest city in America" has transformed, thanks to collaborative effort from civic and political leaders from both parties, into Outside Magazine's "best town ever."
I would say that us "Chatt Rats" are living like kings and queens after all, wouldn't you?
To see for yourself why Chattanooga is the "Best Town Ever," check out this latest award-winning television spot.
