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24 l MACON MAGAZINE JUNE/JULY 2013 FOOD AND FUN An early embracer of the green scene, Chattanooga offers free electric shuttle rides and affordable bike rentals throughout downtown. Walk, ride or bike to tour the nearby Bluff View Arts District to find pristine waterfront parks with stunning sculpture gardens and an impressive display of public art. Adjacent to the Hunter Museum of Art, the charming neighborhood is a self-contained village featuring an artisan bakery, a pastry shop, an elegant inn, a curated art collection, casual cafés, fine dining and even a chocolatier. The slow food movement offers discerning diners plenty of locally sourced farm- to-table options. Restaurants such as Back Inn Café and Urban Stack Burger Lounge feature award-winning cheeses and grass-fed beef from Sequatchee Cove Farms, crispy smoked bacon from Benton Country Hams and artisan baked breads from Niedlov's Breadworks and Bluff View Bakery. Sugar's Downtown is famous for fall-off- the-bone ribs and lively music. Tourists follow the locals on Sundays to the Chattanooga Market to hear bluegrass and find local produce, meat, cheese, eclectic art, handmade crafts and food trucks. DOWNTOWN Chattanooga's downtown has been artfully restored to become a vibrant pedestrian paradise where galleries, museums, boutiques, restaurants and breweries occupy historic buildings and warehouses along the legendary Tennessee River. Rooftop gardens provide local flavor to the handcrafted beers on tap at Terminal BrewHouse. Nostalgic visitors usually stop by the local General Store to try one of a million MoonPies produced daily at the original Chattanooga Bakery. Families love the architecturally stunning Tennes- see Aquarium that anchors the waterfront and features realistic river habitats, a bril- liant butterfly garden and toothy sharks. Curious couples can hitch a ride on a riverboat or take a romantic sunset cruise on the Blue Moon, a 70-foot luxury yacht. Both vessels are moored on the waterfront just steps from downtown attractions. Solitary soul searchers may prefer a quiet stroll across the pedestrian bridge to rent a kayak or to watch big barges float peacefully by. Terminal BrewHouse No. 6 14th St. www.terminalbrewhouse.com 423-752-8090 Tennessee Aquarium Chattanooga Riverfront www.tnaqua.org 800-262-0695 Blue Moon Cruises Chattanooga Waterfront www.bluemooncruises.org 888-993-2583 Southern Belle Riverboat Pier2, Riverfront Parkway 423-266-4488 MoonPie General Store 428 Broad St. www.moonpie.com