Thrilling Tail of the Dragon Road Trip: Tennesse to Atlanta, Georgia

Being from New England, I’ve done the road trip from Boston to Maine dozens of times. Sticking to the coastlines, I tend to take Route 95 north and south, and sometimes venture into California or Florida for the occasional fly and drive. But it was time to research something new.

This is THE trip for those who love to just drive, baby!

Fly into Chattanooga, head to the border of North Carolina, back down to Atlanta. You cover three states in one trip! You can begin and end in Atlanta too instead if it’s easier. Chattanooga was such a fun, walkable and approachable city, perfect for an urban break with the family or a girls getaway. Naively I had no idea that there were some beautiful forests, lodges, and scenic drives nearby, plus Atlanta was a bonus only a few hours’ drive too! It’s easy and direct to fly from Boston (or NYC) to Atlanta so that makes for a good base as well.

Trip at a Glance

The Route: Fly into Chattanooga, drive through the Tail of the Dragon to Tapoco Lodge on the border of North Carolina, then loop through Robbinsville to Atlanta. You can also do it in reverse!

States: Tennessee, North Carolina, and Georgia

How Long: About 6 to 7 nights: 2 in Chattanooga, 2 at Tapoco Lodge, and 2 in Atlanta, plus travel days

Drive Times: Chattanooga to the start of the Tail of the Dragon: about 2.5 hours. The Tail of the Dragon itself: less than an hour. Robbinsville to Atlanta: about 2 hours 45 minutes.

Best time of the year to go: Fall for foliage and spring for mild weather (I did this in May). Summer works too, but expect heat and bigger crowds at the attractions.

Extras: Some of the places to visit have seasonal hours and events. For instance, Lavender u-pick at Lookout Lavender Farm runs for a short window in June. Tsali Notch Vineyard hosts the National Muscadine Festival in late September.

So let’s tuck into the destinations and how to best have a great adventure in the southeast of the U.S.

Chattanooga: Lip Syncing, Rooftops and a Train Station Stay

While I was in the city speaking at a conference (with lots of my gal pals!) I had the chance to check out a few great spots for chatting over floral-forward cocktails, tasty small plates, and taking some time to relax.

Start with Some Kitschy Fun at The Playlist

But first, what is a girls trip without some kitschy fun first? I loved spending time at The Playlist, and wasn’t quite sure at first what I was walking into. There were some families, some groups of friends, and even a few first dates gathered around a small stage. Popular songs played and various servers (and volunteers!) put on short lip-sync performances, much to the delight of the dining audience. I’ve seen karaoke bars, piano bars, and even dinner theater, but this was a low-key and low-pressure in-between that everyone had a blast trying out.

Rooftop Views at Iris, Plus a Speakeasy Downstairs

Less than a mile down the street was one of the best views of the city at the Iris Rooftop. It’s The Waymark Hotel’s signature watering hole, also open for brunch if you’d rather start your day here. Small plates were interesting and brought in all sorts of nods to cultures and tastes, from Mexican carne asada tacos to Japanese karaage chicken.

If it’s a bit cloudy or chilly, or you’re just looking for a cozier nightcap, all you need to do is venture downstairs. There’s a speakeasy called The Vault, perfect for an intimate chat and some deliciously complex libations.

Where to Stay: The Chattanoogan Hotel

I love a walkable city, and even more so a hotel with gems right outside the lobby doors. The Chattanoogan Hotel is a wonderful base for a girls trip, centrally located to fun bars and restaurants and a few cafes, stores, and more within minutes. It was nice here, with a big, pretty courtyard out front and big rooms. The hotel has 198 rooms, a full-service spa with a steam room and sauna, and a heated indoor pool with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out toward Lookout Mountain. There’s also a fitness center, an outdoor fire pit, and pet-friendly rooms if your crew includes a four-legged traveler.

Southside Historic District and the Chattanooga Choo Choo

Carrying into more wonderful places to experience: of all the experiences, the Southside Historic District was most memorable. There you can spend the whole afternoon (into the night!) enjoying a coffee and treat, drinks, games, music, and even a night stay inside a train boxcar. This is where the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo station is, converted now into a community space for gathering and shopping.

Frothy Monkey has delicious lattes inside the station, with Gate 11 Distillery next door that’s a hotspot stop on the Tennessee Whiskey Trail. Hotel Chalet is a few minutes’ walk away where you can stay right near the station and enjoy some upscale amenities, including an onsite French bistro, year-round heated pool, and firepit patio.

More to Do Around Chattanooga

Next time I’m in town, I’ll want to see much more than just the downtown area, because there’s so much else to savor. A few friends recommended some of their nearby attractions as well that you can build into a longer itinerary.

• Lookout Lavender Farm: Just over the state line in Rising Fawn, Georgia, on Lookout Mountain. The u-pick season is a short window in early summer (June in recent years), when you can cut your own bundle of lavender and browse the farm store for soaps, oils, and plants. It’s closed Sundays and Mondays, so check dates before you go.
• Rock City: A Lookout Mountain classic since 1932, best known for the “See Rock City” barn ads that once dotted Southern highways. You can squeeze through Fat Man’s Squeeze, cross the Swing-A-Long Bridge, and take in a view that’s said to span seven states.
• Ruby Falls: Billed as the tallest underground waterfall open to the public in the U.S., a 145-foot waterfall deep inside Lookout Mountain. A glass-front elevator takes you down, and then a guided tour walks you through the cave to the falls. Tickets can sell out, so book your time online ahead.
• Tennessee Aquarium: Right on the riverfront and split into two buildings, River Journey (freshwater, from mountain streams to the Gulf) and Ocean Journey. It’s a good bet for a rainy afternoon or a family stop.

Tapoco Lodge and the Tail of the Dragon

Getting There, and Sweet Stops Along the Way

Grab a rental car in Chattanooga to start heading toward the border of Tennessee and North Carolina. It can be done quickly in about two and a half hours. Or, you can take your time over several hours from Chattanooga to reach the start of the Tail of the Dragon. Once there, it takes less than an hour to drive the length of it.

If you’re flying into Chattanooga and out of Atlanta, a one-way rental will save you backtracking. To compare prices across companies, I like to use Discover Cars. One-way rentals often come with a drop-off fee, so check the total before you book.

I rarely have the chance to linger, so I made a few stops along the way too.

• Bradley’s Sweet Side: Fun roadside ice cream shop in Sweetwater, Tennessee with massive scoops and freak shakes too (you might not be able to eat those in the car though)
• The Lost Sea Adventure: I wish I could have taken the tour! But apparently this is the largest underground lake in the U.S. Also located in Sweetwater, the grounds themselves are fun for a poke around, with smaller shops and info on the caves.
• Tsali Notch Vineyard: A gorgeous vineyard off the main highway in Madisonville. Their wines are made from grapes indigenous to the southeastern U.S. It’s a muscadine vineyard and tasting room, billed as Tennessee’s largest producer of muscadine grapes, and the tasting room is in a log cabin. Look for the sparkling and rosé muscadines and the hard ciders. Hours vary, so call ahead, and if you’re passing through in late September, the vineyard hosts the National Muscadine Festival.

Driving the Tail of the Dragon

Towards the end of your journey is one of the most iconic motorways that seemingly snakes in and out of the surrounding natural beauty. The Tail of the Dragon (US-129) stretches for about 11 miles and is well known to be a fun, twisty route along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. Battling speeding motorcycles and sleek muscle cars, it’s still a thrilling ride to take as an everyday roadtripper. I bet the fall foliage would be spectacular too on this journey. There are no pit stops on the actual stretch so plan accordingly.

Where to Stay: Historic Tapoco Lodge

After your scenic (and somewhat thrilling!) drive, you’ll eventually land at the historic Tapoco Lodge. It’s well worth a couple days here to relax and enjoy the mountain views along the Cheoah River. People come to Tapoco for all kinds of reasons: some arrive with their sports cars and motorcycles, while others come for the rush of white water rafting. While we didn’t partake in either, it’s a delight to simply soak in the hot tub on the balcony and take in the gentle hum of the passing cars on US-129 and the natural sounds of the woods. Our stay here was gifted.

There are some trailheads right at the base of the lodge if you’d like to wander through the scenery, and there’s a fun lobby full of trinkets to buy. But the best part is the sprawling onsite restaurant and bar with plenty of space for al fresco dining on the river. And during the time they let the dams go, you can see the water fly past and cheer on the rafting enthusiasts right from your table.

On to Atlanta by Way of Robbinsville

From Tapoco Lodge, you’ll be completing a loop through Robbinsville to drive toward Atlanta, only about 2 hours and 45 minutes away. Grab a coffee and a treat to start from Kin Cafe for the perfect boost. When you drive back down towards Atlanta, there are so many classic road trip stops along the way. You can choose to linger or just make a quick pit stop on the way to the city.

Atlanta: Aquariums, Coke Flavors and Local Eats

Once in Atlanta, you’ll have the perfect opportunity to stay a couple of days and enjoy the contrast of small city Chattanooga, woodsy Tennessee, and now big urban sprawl. For years I only passed through the Atlanta airport, so I purposefully created this route to spend some real time there.

Obviously if it’s your first visit you have to experience the classics. Luckily a lot of the main attractions are in the same place, only a few minutes’ walk from each other. The main draw for me was seeing the biggest aquarium in the country!

Georgia Aquarium

The aquarium in Atlanta is so big, they have an actual whale shark (25+ feet long!) living inside its biggest tank, the length of a football field.

There’s no way to fit all the attractions into a guide, but there were definitely highlights. The entire complex is laid out like a wagon wheel, so you can go into each section then land back into the main “lobby.” There’s ample space for a penguin habitat, creatures of the deep, seals and dolphins, manta rays, and almost any fish you can imagine. We didn’t catch any shows, but there are complimentary ones throughout the day to learn more about the animals up close.

Do note that sometimes creatures hide in the exhibits and are hard to see, but that’s by design. The specialists at the aquarium have the animals “hide” to give them breaks from people and external sensations that could cause them stress. Even the whale shark is often fed on the other side of his tank, away from visitors sometimes.

Protip: You can open up the aquarium’s live webcam to the main tank if the shark isn’t visible right away, and keep an eye out for when he returns.

Across the Street at the World of Coca-Cola

Speaking of, we never could find the whale shark, so we decided to head across the street to the Coke museum for a break. Now to be honest, I’m not a big fan of Coca-Cola! But I know it’s such a legacy brand and they also have lots of other drinks, so a stop was a fun way to learn more about its flavors and longevity.

After a mini feel-good movie, we checked out various exhibits sharing history and fun facts about Coca-Cola. There’s a whole area for “testing” new Coke products under mysterious unmarked labels, and another space for designing a virtual Coke bottle. But the real grand finale brought us into a room to try drinks from all over the world (and even ones retired from being sold anywhere else!). I won’t spoil all the surprises, but the winners for us were a pineapple Fanta from Asia and a red cream soda from Europe.

The National Center for Civil and Human Rights

On the way back over to the aquarium we planned to stop at The National Center for Civil and Human Rights but it closed at 4 PM. I wish I could offer a proper review and was disappointed to miss it this time, but they have some incredible installations and exhibits, including artifacts and stories from the Martin Luther King Jr. era and even a kids interactive section called The Change Agent Adventure.

Save with an Atlanta CityPASS

If you’d like to visit the aquarium, the Coca-Cola museum, the Civil Rights museum, and others, it’s best to grab a City Pass. You’ll save on tickets, and if the day breaks up, it allows you to hop from each attraction (and re-enter many) with ease. The pass lets you choose 5 of 6 attractions, including all three of these, and it’s good for nine consecutive days. Both the aquarium and the Coke museum recommend reserving a time slot online after you buy.

Where to Stay and What to Eat Beyond Downtown

Since I was staying near the airport at the Kimpton Overland Hotel (Atlanta Airport, by IHG), and visiting a friend in town, I had the chance to check out some of the neighborhoods outside the city center.

• JenChan’s: One of the best meals I had in Atlanta, this pizza-and-chinese fusion spot is lovingly curated by talented owners supporting lots of local eateries and chefs too. Don’t miss the coconut curry pizza, fried green tomatoes, or the salt and pepper catfish: but the menu does rotate often!
• Atlanta Utility Works: This expansive venue in East Point hosts a myriad of events and fun things to do. If you’re a Stranger Things fan, you can take a photo with Billy’s 1979 Chevrolet Camaro out front! Then head inside to catch a counterculture concert or grab a beer and bite at the brewery.
• El Tesoro: Perfect taco joint for enjoying eating al fresco, with an inside and outside space all season long. It’s located along the Trolley Line Trail in the Edgewood neighborhood, and dogs/kiddos are welcome. Grab some traditional pozole and a pulled pork mulita.
• Home Grown: a bit out of the way in East Atlanta is a brunch and breakfast place well worth the side quest.

So take your time, take a drive, check off some states on your list and enjoy something new on your next road trip with the crew!

Disclosure: Historic Tapoco Lodge and The Chattanoogan Hotel gifted my stays. As always, all opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read our affiliate disclosure.