10 cool reasons to visit 3 hot cities

Southern Living, Aug 2001 by Mckenzie, Jennifer L, Austin, Farrah, Thomas, Les

Discover our top spots to explore in San Antonio, Chattanooga, and Charlottesville. Then plan your trip.

We sent a trio of travel writers to three of the South's most popular cities in search of the most refreshing reasons to visit each of them-- even during one of the hottest months of the year. Here's what they found.

Soothing San Antonio

When I think of San Antonio, I envision a city that's loads of fun and affordable to boot. To me, that's one cool combination, and here's how I took advantage of it on my recent visit.

The River Walk is the top spot when it comes to cool. I took a boat cruise to enjoy the breeze and get a look at all the shops and restaurants. One eatery, the hot new Manduca, is where I spent the rest of my evening. Skip the entrees and dessert, and just feast on appetizers and mango margaritas.

After a good night's sleep, drive the Mission Trail Parkway that connects the city's 18th-century historic missions, including The Alamo, Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. Some advice: Go early to avoid the heat because the air is all natural inside.

In need of some cold iced tea, I headed next to The Guenther House, which stands on the fringe of the historic King William District. After lunch, follow the walking tour past elegant homes built by German families who settled in San Antonio in the mid-1800s.

Nearby, Blue Star Arts Complex showcases some of the city's best contemporary art. After I browsed awhile, hunger pangs led me to Rosario's, where the fresh salsa satisfied my craving for Tex-Mex. Meanwhile, the weekend band entertained me with salsa of a different sort. I didn't dance but had a blast watching the other brave souls.

For shopping with a local flair, I chose El Mercado at the city's lively Market Square for everything from Mexican jewelry to pinatas. I also made sure to stop at Mi Tierra, whose bakery features one of the largest arrays of Mexican pastries this side of the border.

No cool trip is complete without a dip in the water, so Saturday afternoon I went swimming with beluga whales at SeaWorld. Visitors can swim with the whales or with sea lions through the park's fascinating Interaction Program. It's way cooler than any hotel pool.

When I dried off, I went to Niles Wine Bar, a funky and eclectic place on Broadway that's the buzz around town. Later, it was musical time at the amazing Majestic Theatre. Opened in 1929, the Majestic brought air conditioning to San Antonio, but it's a cool place for more reasons than that.

On the way back to the hotel, I drove to Central Market H-E-B, a grocery store of Lone Star proportions. After my evening of arts, I bought bunches of fresh flowers to cheer up my hotel room and some sushi to enjoy for a late-night snack. I don't know about you, but I call that the ultimate cool vacation in one hip town. Jennifer L. Mckenzie

Charming Chattanooga

During one of the hottest months of the year, I found out that Chattanooga is cool (cooler than an Eskimo Pie, cooler than a George Foreman grill, cooler than Nancy Kerrigan on ice). It's a city full of family-friendly places, and more than enough chilly spots to help beat the heat.

Water is synonymous with the word "cool," and at the Tennessee Aquarium there's 450,000 gallons of it. Out of the aquarium's 24 exhibits, the Cove Forest, dressed to resemble a misty Appalachian Mountain forest complete with blooming flowers and swimming otters, ranks as one of the coolest.

Next door awaits the IMAx Theater where I put on those zany 3-D glasses and waited to view ancient Egypt at the theater's showing of Mysteries of Egypt. I'm glad I purchased the combo ticket that provides admission to both the aquarium and the IMAX. It kept me from being late for the show, which is a good thing. The theater prohibits latecomers from entering, so get there on time.

Because all those pyramids put me in a mood for discovery, I then went digging for dinosaur bones at the Creative Discovery Museum. Here, kids of all ages can be archaeologists, build robots, or paint like Rembrandt.

Next, I hurried off to 212 Market Restaurant for lunch. Owned and operated by a mother-daughter trio (mother Maggie and daughters Susan and Sally), the restaurant pioneered high-end cuisine in the area even before the revitalization of downtown.

No visit would be complete without a tour of the Chattanooga AfricanAmerican Museum/Bessie Smith Performance Hall. The museum highlights achievements of noted African Americans within the community, while the hall pays homage to its namesake world-acclaimed blues singer.

About the only public place where an entire family may strip down without being arrested is at Coolidge Park (a 22-- mile public area along the Tennessee River). I made a dash through the park's interactive fountain, which is guarded by water-spouting lions, tigers, and bears (watch out, Toto).

Sopping wet but satisfied, I returned to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn to change clothes. During its life as a train depot in the early 1900s, the Choo Choo welcomed thousands of travelers en route to various destinations. Today as a 30-acre hotel, it welcomes just as many families to a fun time. Take in a garden tour here, and don't miss the dining experience-- servers sing that old-time favorite for which the hotel is named.