CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE, USA -- Chattanooga was not a city I thought much about before I visited there. But as soon as my foot first stepped out of the door of our rented mini-van and hit the pavement outside the impressive Tennessee Aquarium complex, I was in love. Downtown Chattanooga is a perfect blend of tourist friendly attractions interspersed with vibrant bursts of local color, character and soul.

It's not an easy balance to find. Too many urban revitalization projects have resulted in downtowns that are nothing more than generic shopping malls, filled with endless chain stores overflowing with merchandise that can be found in every other mall or shopping district across America. Which is not to say that shopoholics won't find all the major chains represented in downtown Chattanooga, including an awesome outlet mall filled with merchandise from all your favorite designers and shops at bargain basement prices. But despite the presence of international chains, or perhaps because of it, Chattanooga's true charm and soul shines through.

People seem happy here, they take pride in their town and their community. Even legendary tourist attractions like Rock City Gardens and historic Ruby Falls have resisted the lure of selling out and are still privately owned, family run enterprises.

There is a sense of cooperation here that other communities can take lessons from. Working together, the citizens and businesses of Chattanooga brought a dead downtown back to life, cleaned up environmental concerns, fostered culture and art in their community and opened their arms to the world as a major tourist destination.

Not content to rest on their laurels, extensive improvements are already underway to complete the final 5.5 mile riverfront segment that will add numerous public recreation areas to the city and unite Chattanooga's neighborhoods through access to the scenic Tennessee River waterfront.

Chattanooga is extremely visitor friendly. A free electric shuttle service constantly orbits the downtown area every 10-15 minutes throughout the day and most of the evening. Just stand at the electric shuttle stops, hop on the bus then hop off whenever you want. Get back on another bus when you're ready to return.

If you plan on getting out of the city proper -- and you definitely should because there are so many great things to see and do, as the links below illustrate -- plan on renting a car and being treated to some of the most scenic mountain roads you can imagine as you motor towards historic Lookout Mountain.

Besides our top 10 picks below, there's a lot more to do and see in the Chattanooga area. After all, our Top 10 picks may not be your Top 10 picks. There's also fishing, nature attractions (including great birding opportunities), shopping, botanical gardens, the world's steepest incline railway and more.

For additional information about visiting Chattanooga contact the Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-322-3344 or 423-756-8687 or visit www.ChattanoogaFun.com .

US Airways (www.usairways.com) regularly serves the Chattanooga Regional airport.

Top 10 Things To Do In and Around Chattanooga

Note: Our picks are in no particular order, a higher list placement does not indicate quality, this list is too diverse to compare those apples to these oranges. Click the links below to read about these great attractions:

Also In the Nearby Area

• Rafting the Ocoee
• A First-time Hang Gliding Experience
• The Evolution of the Bailey House
• Discovering Dollywood
• The Bloody Mausoleum of Cleveland, Tennessee
• RVing In & Around Chattanooga
• Fun Family Dining in Southeastern Tennessee
  

Cheri Sicard, in addition to being the editor of FabulousTravel.com and its sister site, Fabulous Foods.com is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Every Day. To learn more about Cheri, click here.