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Water Adventures in the Tennessee Valley

February 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Chattanooga is located in a gorgeous area close to hiking, biking, and boating. But did you know it is also with driving distance to rivers and water parks?

Hiwassee River is a great place to start fly-fishing. Home to rainbow trout, large strip bass, and brown trout the Hiwassee Angler is there for great advice.

Conasauga River is 93 miles long and is located in the Chattahoochee National Forest
and the Cherokee National Forest. This river home to 90 species of fish and 25 species of freshwater mussels, and is a great place to snorkel. Check out http://www.conasaugariver.org/?page=snorkeling_hole for more information on snorkeling.

The Ocoee River, which is broken down into Dam 1, 2 and 3 is excellent place to relax with the family tubing or take the white water rapids. The Upper Ocoee is know for the rapids and was even used in the 1996 summer Olympic course. The lower Ocoee, which is dam #1 is a great place to lounge and swim, and paddle and simply enjoy the outdoors.  You can also camp at the Ocoee for more information check out River Rats 877.388.422, Parksville Lake 423.338.3300 and Adventures Unlimited 423.338.4325.

The Tennessee River located in the heart of downtown Chattanooga is home to many species of fish and wildlife. The Tennessee River is an integral part of Chattanooga’s history, present and future. Boats use the river on a daily basis and during Riverbend the river is full. The Christmas parade with boats going down the river is a great delight for area residents. But now you can also kayak, standup paddling, and canoes along the river as well. For more information about the Tennessee River check out River Canyon Adventures 423.488.1345 and www.outdoorchattanooga.com

Filed Under: living, the 'NOOGA things to do, Uncategorized

Getting Schooled in Nooga

February 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

If you have kids, you care about schools. Even if you don’t have kids, you probably still care about schools. This post provides a rundown of educational options in Chattanooga, and links so you can learn more.

Hamilton County Public Schools

The Hamilton County Department of Education (HCDE) is by far the largest purveyor of education in the area. With 78 schools and more than 42,000 enrolled students, the HCDE is a large organization. Mr. Rick Smith is the Superintendent and oversees 6,500+ employees.

You can find out registration, zoning, bus services, immunization requirements, and much more at http://www.hcde.org.

In addition to traditional schools Hamilton County is also home to 11 magnet schools. Magnet schools provide specialized programs that focus on particular subject areas such as math, science, and technology, or the creative arts. These schools have more flexible zoning requirements. A percentage of students at each of the magnet schools can live in any zone in Hamilton County. Applications are required, and are due by November 1. Since there are always more applicants than openings, lottery drawings are held in February.

Private School Options

The Chattanooga area is home to a number of private schools, serving every grade level from pre-school to college. The three largest – Girls Preparatory School, Baylor, and McCallie all educate students in middle and high school. They are all also recognized as excellent institutions at an international level.

There are many reasons to consider a private education beyond the prestige. Children with special needs may benefit from a private institution. Students who are pursuing hobbies or particular sports activities at a high level may find a private school a better fit. Regardless of the reason, there is sure to be a school that matches your needs in this area.

Homeschooling

Sometimes, parents decide that the best place for students is at home. There are several homeschooling associations in the area. Most area non-school educational facilities like the Creative Discovery Museum, the Chattanooga Zoo, and the Tennessee Aquarium offer programs for homeschoolers.

Parents of preschoolers generally have a separate list of concerns than those of older children. Keep checking back, as TheNoogaLife plans to provide a separate list of preschool and daycare resources in the near future!

Filed Under: for 'NOOGA parents

Racing Into Spring in Nooga

February 25, 2013 by Leave a Comment

Spring time is almost here! And with comes…lots of opportunities to participate in 5k races. Well, and flowers, and blue skies, and spring break, and all sorts of other good stuff. But today we are going to talk about races.

If you are intimidated by the idea of entering a 5k (which is 3.1 miles), don’t be. Many people walk, some do a combination of walking and running, and then there are the real competitors. For the majority ofrunning shoes participants a 5k is a chance to socialize, meet people, and often, to support a good cause.

Here are a few races that are coming up:

The Run with Trish 5K for Team Hoyt will be held on March 2, at the Tennessee River Park. This run is to raise funds to help TeamHoyt compete in the Boston Marathon. They will be competing to support The Hoyt Foundation, which works to help integrate handicapped people into everyday activities so they can lead full and productive lives more easily.

Have some fun and do some good running in the Wash Me Pink Color Run, benefitting the Susan Komen Foundation. “Color runs” are a new kind of event that involve runners being doused with colored corn starch during the race. In this race, runners start out in white shirts, and end up in pink ones!

Raise money for the Greater Chattanooga Colon Cancer Foundation by participating in the Rump Run at Enterprise South Nature Center on March 16. There will be a time 5K, and a 1 mile
fun run/walk.

Also on March 16, but in Ringgold, there is the 14th Annual GraduRUN to raise money for Communities in Schools in Catoosa County. This one has a special category for walkers for those who prefer to take things a little slower.

One of the most anticipated races of this spring is the new Color Me Rad 5K, a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In fact, this one is so anticipated that it is currently sold out, even though the event isn’t until March 30! Check it out, and get on the waiting list.

Another, similar race, Color Me Chattanooga, will be held on April 6, and raises money for the Signal Centers. This is the inaugural Color Me Chattanooga race, and is described as a “colorful and festive non-competitive run/walk.”

These are just a few of the fun running events that will be going on in and around Chattanooga this spring. You can check the RunningUSA site to find more!

Filed Under: the 'NOOGA Happenings Tagged With: , , , ,