A Family Get-Away

We took a short (one night) family "vacation" to Chattanooga, Tennessee this past weekend. We left early Saturday morning and headed for the Tennessee Aquarium. Quite a few other people had the same idea -- it was packed! The children had a good time looking at the sea and river animals. The penguins seemed to be the children's favorite animal of the day. I was very impressed by the leafy sea dragon. God made some amazing animals! We had lunch at the aquarium, and the children splashed a bit in the water outside.

We ate dinner at the Riverside Catfish Restaurant which was very much a Mom and Pop type restaurant in the middle of nowhere. The service was very fast, and the food was good. After dinner, we hit the pool at the hotel. The children had lots of fun playing with Daddy in the pool, and I kept a very watchful eye on our littlest one.

Finding hotel accommodations for a family of six can be a bit of a challenge (especially if you like to be frugal)! Holiday Inn Express hotels have "one room suites", which suit our needs at the moment. They have two double beds and a fold out couch. Everyone had a place to sleep, but it was not the most restful night for Mom and Dad! The children, on the other hand, love the whole hotel experience! Staying in the hotel was the main attraction for Olivia. In fact, when we left our house on Saturday, we had to stop by the post office, which is just a few miles from our house. When we parked, I jokingly said, "We're here at the hotel!" She took me at my word and said, "Who will help me carry in my stuff?" They love laying in bed and watching the television.

We ate breakfast at the hotel and then headed for the Creative Discovery Museum. It was a great fit for the ages of our family. There was a special Clifford exhibit, which the three girls loved. They spent a lot of time there. Mark and Isaac spent time together exploring the museum.

We took a short scenic drive and then had lunch at Taco Bell, before heading home. It was a good weekend. It was a little stressful for Mark and me, which is to be expected given the ages (and number) of our children. Even with the stress, it was worth it. Our family get-away was a success!