Doing the B and B

For all our gal pals who long for the romantic weekend at a bed and breakfast, Chattanooga, Tennessee has an offering to satisfy most every taste. I know, I know, where in the hell is Chattanooga, Tennessee? Trust me on this one, it is worth googling to find out.

The Bluff View Inn located in the art of the Art District will delight the girly girls who can choose from a variety of rooms aptly named for local dignitaries and decorated with hardwood floors, Persian rugs, gas fireplaces, oversized jetted tubs, and the obligatory B&B focal point – really great beds. After all, it’s not called a “breakfast and bed. We stayed in the T.C. Thompson suite complete with a full kitchen, two fireplaces, oversized jetted tub, and balcony.


As always, breakfast is included in the room rate and it is worth every penny. The Back Inn Café overlooking the river is a delightfully sunny place for a leisurely breakfast that is not only delicious but presented so beautifully it warrants a moment of respect in and of itself. I can, however, also recommend breakfast in bed wth champagne and dark chocolate. What could be better than that for high flying birds?

Chatanooga’s Art District is a surprising hip and cool place. Stroll over to Rembrandt’s coffee house right next door to the Inn or hop in the car for a short drive to Caffeine. Rembrandt’s also caters to the chocoholic with homemade chocolates, pastries, and bread. High Flying Bird highly recommends taking your latte (or glass of wine) and strolling through the contemporary sculpture garden that hangs on the bluff overlooking the river.

Take your time wandering through the Art District which looks like a small Italian village until you come to the Museum of American Art which will keep you occupied for an entire afternoon. Dinner is available at either the Back Inn Café for fine dining or Tony’s, a wonderful Italian restaurant. Although the wait on a Saturday night is over an hour at Tony’s, serendipity bestows upon guests at the Inn the next available table regardless of when you arrive. We recommend the build-your-own pasta dishes. Choose from black pepper fettucine with spicy Italian sausage or the rosemary chicken ravioli with a gorgonzola cheese cream sauce. Either one with a nice Chianti in front of a roaring fire doesn’t suck, my friends as Evil John McCain might say.

Best of all, you can roll yourself back to your room which is just a few steps away.