Chattanooga: High-tech and old-school fun
Edging the Appalachian Mountains and straddling the Tennessee River, this exuberant city has long been revered by lovers of water sports, hang-gliding, rock-climbing and cave-exploring (underground Ruby Falls plunges 145 feet within Lookout Mountain). Now, you can get your game on all over town. After Chattanooga fired up America’s first citywide fiber-optic gigabit network in 2010, innovators flooded in, boosting demand for offerings from food to fun. Gig City’s genius spirit is now enhancing pleasurable pastimes. Electric surfboarding, virtual-reality hang-gliding and a stunning 60-foot translucent climbing wall make this an awesome place to visit.Recreational eating
Smoked cookery and ping-pong fills Hi-Fi Clyde‘s big space. Across the street, elevated comfort food draws lively groups to the Feed Table and Tavern. Nearby, the new Signal concert hall inhabits an industrial-chic warehouse. Walk a few steps for brews on the deck at Chattanooga Brewing Co. Downwind from Coin-Op, sit by new OddStory Brewing‘s open garage-door windows and pair pretzels made from spent grains with a pint of Madman or Cherry Limeade Gose.R&R
Snoozing is amusing here. Crash for the night at the new riverside Westin Chattanooga after playing Marco Polo in its sleek high-up pool or cards in its Alchemy Lounge, which faces the mountains. The Crash Pad is a friendly LEED platinum-certified hostel, and quirky-cool Dwell Hotel, with its new dining oasis and starlit cocktail bar, is among a fresh crop of boutique hotels serving fun-lovers.Bonus points
New and nonstop flights from Dallas, free electric downtown shuttles running daily every 5 minutes, and the low-cost Bike Chattanoogabikeshare (ride up to an hour at a time). More info: chattanoogafun.comRichmond: On a roll
Virginia’s riverside capital has reached critical mass for having a blast. Adding to solid cultural, culinary, urban rafting and biking scenes, Richmond entrepreneurs are making “getting social” something you do out on the town, instead of on cellphones. Here, new-style bowling, pool, ping-pong, cornhole, cards, arcade games and shuffleboard pair well with casual-gourmet food, craft beverages and smart, comfy settings. On a recent weeknight, young professionals at River City Roll, a new bowling/social mega-center, included Dallas transplant Amy Tashenberg. “The food, the regional wineries, the breweries, the entertainment” make Richmond a hot spot, she said. The newest playground is Scott’s Addition. Revitalized at hyper-speed, this industrial district just west of downtown booms with brew-pubs with massive decks, cideries with tasting rooms, friendly restaurants and super-hip social halls.Recreational eating
All of these social play spots feature elevated bar food. Other solid choices include ZZQ Texas Craft Barbeque in Scott’s Addition. Opened in March by an Austin-bred pitmaster, it’s already won kudos as Virginia’s best barbecue by Food and Wine magazine and best Texas barbecue outside Texas by Texas Monthly. The menu includes a seitan option. The Melt recently brought new fun to the lively Carytown neighborhood: gourmet street food (mac and cheese, fried pickles, Mexi-corn rice balls) served at counters lining windows of a hot-glass studio where artists create objects day and night. New in Church Hill: The Neighborhood Scoop, a food truck/outdoor social hub serving handmade “High 5” ice cream sandwiches.R&R
Retire to Graduate Richmond‘s peppy-preppy hotel rooms stacked over the lobby café, where you can socialize at long school-cafeteria-style tables amid classic checkered decor. Quirk Hotel, a jewel of the freshly revitalized arts district, lives up to its happy name, with cheerful rooms and a sunlit bay window-walled lobby where you can indulge in some of the New South’s finest fare. The Victorian vaulted ceiling and super-cool furniture in the restaurant-bar make you feel like you’re dining in a movie set. Both Quirk and Graduate have bicycles that guests can use to reach all of these adult play spaces — and rooftop bars with tasty finger food, cocktails, views and tables perfect for playing cards.Bonus points
Nonstop flights from Dallas and the new low-cost RVA Bike Share (ride up to 45 minutes at a time). More info: visitrichmondva.com https://www.dallasnews.com/life/travel/2018/10/23/fun-games-two-southern-playgrounds-got-visit Robin Soslow, a South-based writer-photographer who explores cool areas on bicycle, can be reached at [email protected].Adventure Sports Innovation (ASI) has been bringing new innovations for outdoor fun to Chattanooga since 2018, with unique products like the Swincar E-Spider off-road vehicle; a full set of Personal Transportation Devices such electric unicycles, mini-electric bikes and HoverShoes from InMotion, Enzo e-bikes, E-Scooters, mini-Segways, e-Skateboards and hoverboards for fun around town, and the Lift E-foil, Kymera e-jet bodyboard, Manta e-SUP and the Schiller waterbike for great times on the water! While you’re at ASI, experience the latest in Virtual Reality to bring the great outdoors inside, the FingerCoaster design-it-yourself rollercoaster, Flymax: Extreme Hang gliding simulator, and Vertigo: Walk The Plank! There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!
ASI also offers group events – BIG adventures for your small group (5-12):
– Celebrate special occasions (birthday, bachelor/bachelorette, etc.)
– Group adventures (church groups, scout trips)
– Have fun with your co-workers and learn to work better together in one of our Team Building sessions
– Learn in our STEM academic field trips for home-schooled groups, summer camps or middle and high schools.
There is nowhere else where you can experience (and buy!) all of these exciting products in one place, with new equipment being introduced all the time. ASI helps make Chattanooga one of the most unique and fun places to live and to visit!