Adventureland: Summer Fun in Chattanooga

One thing that's great about the Southeast is its diverse and dynamic areas to explore. Sure, you can head to the beach this summer, but there are always the mountains, where you can find more attractions and activities that you might not have thought of before. Chattanooga is nestled among the picturesque Smoky Mountains and has both charm of a mountain town and all the pizzazz of a big city, and you'll never run out of things to do.

Here are 10 ideas to help plan your mountain escape to the Scenic City.

Boating Cruises: Explore the downtown riverfront and the Tennessee River on an eco-cruise aboard the Tennessee Aquarium's new River Gorge Explorer or on the Blue Moon. Or take a sightseeing, lunch, or dinner cruise on the Southern Belle Riverboat or a scenic ride on the Chattanooga Water Taxi/Fat Cat Ferry or Chattanooga Ducks.

Wildlife Encounters: Come face-to-face with sharks, stingrays, penguins, and thousands of other animals that swim, fly, and crawl at the downtown Tennessee Aquarium. Go on an exotic undersea voyage at the Tennessee Aquarium's IMAX 3D Theater; or venture near snow leopards, red pandas, jaguars, and more at the Chattanooga Zoo.

Festivals & Live Entertainment: Be entertained at numerous downtown music festivals throughout the summer including the nine-day Riverbend Festival, five-month Nightfall Concert Series, Riverfront Nights Music Series, Southern Brewer's Festival, or year-round concerts at Rhythm & Brews.

Culinary Discoveries: Ever wonder where the food you eat in restaurants comes from? In Chattanooga, you can visit many local organic farms and then dine in the restaurants that serve these locally made and grown foods.

Historical Explorations: Visit the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo in the Southside District, who's also celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Trail of Tears passage at Ross's Landing on the downtown riverfront, the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, Chattanooga African-American Museum, and the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum are all only 15 minutes from downtown.

Arts & Cultural Activities: Take in one of the nation's largest collections of American art at the Hunter Museum of American Art. Stroll through museums and galleries in the North Shore, Bluff View Arts, and the Southside Districts. Create your own masterpiece at the interactive Creative Discovery Museum for children, or enjoy public art throughout the First Street and the downtown area.

Shopping Spree: You'll find an eclectic variety of boutiques, galleries, quaint shops, antiques, and restaurants in the downtown North Shore and Southside Districts. And just 15 minutes from downtown visit Hamilton Place, Tennessee's largest mall, which features six department stores and more than 200 other shops and eateries.

Lookout Mountain Fun: Cool down high atop Lookout Mountain, just six miles from downtown. Venture through the trails at Rock City Gardens. Head 260 feet below the ground at Ruby Falls and go straight up and down Lookout Mountain on the world's steepest passenger railway, the Incline Railway.

Thrilling Adventures: If you're up for a thrill, try hang gliding 2,000 feet in the air along Lookout Mountain, whitewater rafting on the wild Ocoee River only 45 minutes from downtown, or plummet 14 stories to the ground at 50 miles per hour on the OH-ZONE! at Lake Winnepesaukah Amusement Park.

Outdoor Recreation: Land, air and water - it's all here. Try rock climbing downtown at Coolidge Park or numerous other places, biking along the Tennessee River on the Tennessee Riverwalk, kayaking or canoeing downtown, hiking, fishing, golfing, and more.