Soaking it all in

  In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s the city of Miami, Fl., launched a tourism campaign with the caption, Miami: See it like a native. I did and since then, whenever I moved, I made sure to go out and explore my new local surroundings. When I first moved to Chattanooga in 2020, I didn’t explore much for about two years. That was due to the COVID pandemic and adjusting to my new part-time role as a caregiver for my mother. It is fascinating to learn about the items made or started right here in the Scenic City. MoonPies, Little Debbie snacks, Krsytal burgers, Icy Hots, home to the first Coca-Cola bottling Company, Mini-Golf, and so much more. Did you know we are also the birthplace of tow-trucks? This week I visited the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. Chattanooga native Ernest Holmes Sr. invented the first working tow truck in 1916. Apparently, he went to help his friend who had plunged his Model-T Ford into a ditch. He modified his1913 Cadillac ...

  Not that long ago, I visited the pop-up location of the Houston Museum of Decorative Arts. It is housed at the location of the former Back Inn Café while the original building is being restored. While checking out the Houston pop-up location I noticed beautiful buildings and gardens. Last week I went to check out River Gallery and its adjacent sculpture garden. I was awestruck by the elegance and beauty of the sculptures and art displayed at the gallery. Back at the office I was downloading my photos and realized all these buildings were part of the Bluff View Art District. While researching more I was amazed at the history, venues, restaurants and things to see and do in this small yet alluring location. Did you know the buildings that make up the district were purchased by a husband-and-wife couple? Did you know their family still oversee the district? I didn’t until now. In the early 1990’s Dr. Charles and Mary Portera purchased the first building to pursue their dream o...

  I’m a Gen X baby. On weekends I’d leave the house in the morning to hang out with friends and came home when the streetlights came on. We rode our bikes for miles exploring places we were told to stay away from. Or we would let our geek flag fly hanging out at the local mall and the arcades. That’s right, before the original Atari 2600 home gaming system became popular, most of us were hanging out at malls. They had massive arcades inside them. These were the days when games like Pac-Man, Ms. Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Street Fighter II, Mortal Kombat, Frogger, Super Mario Brothers, Space Invaders and others ruled the school. And all the different pinball machines. It was loud; full of blinking lights and a cacophony of bleeps, bloops, and digitized sound effects. All you needed was a stack of quarters. You played until you ran out of money and still stayed to watch your friends play their games. I’m 60 now and haven’t played an arcade game or pinball machine in probably...