Over the weekend, City Editors Trista and Brianna temporarily took part in #vanlife, thanks to local van rental company Nomad Be Happy. For both the adventurous, outdoorsy Chattanoogans + the ones who just wear Chacos and call it a day, this van experience is definitely fun for everyone.
Our cozy home away from home for the night | Photo via NOOGAtoday
🚐 Experience
Going on a local adventure + camping in a Nomad Be Happy van
🚐 What we tried
We started off by driving the van to the Chattanooga Market, grocery store, and Rock Creek to grab some groceries and trip necessities (aka, vegan hot dogs and marshmallows). We drove around some of the Scenic City’s most scenic spots — like the Raccoon Mountain Reservoir Loop — and picnicked in nature before heading to our campground at Prentice Cooper State Forest. Pricing for a rental ranges from $175-$225 per night.
Pro Tip: All rental inquiries are returned with a personal email from someone at Nomad Be Happy, so be sure that you’re checking the spam folder in case your response ends up there.
A look inside the van | GIF via NOOGAtoday
Choose 1 or 2 beds | GIF via NOOGAtoday
🚐 Don’t miss
The swag bag that comes with every van rental — the waterproof bag itself is cool enough, but it’s also filled with local goodies, from Hoff sauce and Brewski beer to Goodman Coffee beans and Naked River jerky.
Bonus: the van also includes a coffee bean grinder, electric kettle, and french press, so you can enjoy those local coffee beans in the morning while camping.
🚐 What we’re still talking about
1 reason we don’t go camping as often as we’d like to is because it feels like the preparation takes longer than the camping trip itself. What’s so great about the van (besides getting to sleep on an actual mattress) is that it includes practically everything you could ever need.
Bowls, plates, and silverware? Check. First aid kit? Of course. Sheets and blankets? Yep. A fold-up table that can also function as a grill? They’ve got it covered. There’s even a travel hammock included to set up wherever you may find yourself.
Use the buttons below to share this story with the best friend you've been planning a road trip with or that friend who you've tried to take camping but refuses to sleep in a tent.
Today
Wednesday
- Amazing Spider-Man No. 75 Signing with Alex Ogle | Wed., Oct. 6 | 4-6:30 p.m. | Infinity Flux, 3643 Hixson Pike | Free | Chattanoogan Alex Ogle is doing a variant cover for Amazing Spider-Man No. 75 + will be signing copies of the comic.
- EGGcellent Egg Carton Pumpkins | Wed., Oct. 6 | 10:30 a.m. | Collegedale Commons | Free | Decorate an egg carton to look like a pumpkin — stay and play or grab and go. 🎃
Thursday
- FIRESIDE: Outdoor Concert Series | Thurs., Oct. 7 | 7-9 p.m. | Greenway Farms | Free | This family-friendly outdoor music series will take place ‘round a campfire, with tonight’s music coming from Lou Wamp and The Bluetastics. 🎶
- Fall Mocktails 101 | Thurs., Oct. 7 | 6-7 p.m. | The Chattery, virtual | $20 | Learn how to make a concentrated syrup that combines fruit, sugar, and vinegar, and how to combine flavors to create the perfect fall mocktail. 🍸
- Music for the Mind Fundraiser | Thurs., Oct. 7 | 7-11 p.m. | Wanderlinger Brewing Co. | Any donation | This family-friendly night of music benefits the Alzheimer's Association of Chattanooga.
Friday
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Weather
- 70º | Rain | 75% chance of rain ☔
Biz
- Siskin Children’s Institute — a local organization that provides care + services for children with special needs — recently acquired local childcare center Little Miss Mag Early Learning Center. This merger brings together 2 of Chattanooga’s historic nonprofit organizations focused on providing inclusive and affordable childcare. (WDEF)
Cause
- The Chattanooga Area Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program — which works to offer gift assistance for children 12 and younger + seniors 60 and older — opens for registration today. Applications for Christmas assistance will be open through Oct. 23 or until the program capacity is reached. 🎁
Ranked
- Chattanooga State’s Registered Nursing program ranked No. 1 on the Nursing Schools Almanac’s list of the best associate nursing degree programs in Tennessee. The rankings were based on student performance on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses — Chattanooga State has a pass rate of 96.2%. (The Pulse)
Health
- This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Chattanooga is hosting an event on Thurs., Oct. 7 called NAMI Narratives — Finding Courage in Mental Illness. Caregivers and those living with mental illnesses will tell real stories of courage + strength at the event.
Seasonal
- ODDtober at the Tennessee Aquarium is back and stranger than ever with 10 exhibits highlighting the unusual behaviors of marine life — such as Twitter-famous electric eel, Miguel Wattson, and his bio-electric powers. AquaScarium, the aquarium’s family-friendly, spooky Halloween celebration, also returns at the end of October. 🎃 (The Pulse)
State
- According to the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, more than $116,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency will be directed toward services for survivors of the August flooding. The funding will go toward addressing the mental health needs of victims. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Try This
- Be Caffeinated is hosting its first ever Halloween party on Oct. 29 at its Northshore location. The event will feature food trucks, live entertainment + kid-friendly activities, including a costume contest, from 5:30-7 p.m. After 7, there will be free beer and a horror movie showing. 👻
Arts
- Area 61 Gallery’s October show “Musings” by whimsical watercolorist Maggie Vandewalle opens on Thurs., Oct. 7 from 6-8 p.m., where attendees can meet Vandewalle and enjoy + shop her latest work. The show is set to run through Oct. 31. 🖼️ (The Pulse)
DYK
- The Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America recently hosted its 17th Annual Friends of Scouting Luncheon, which is the council’s largest + most important annual fundraiser. Including early pledges, luncheon sponsorships, and commitments made day-of, over $370,000 was raised to support local Scouting.
Job
- Passionate about storytelling, news, and content? NOOGAtoday (yep, that’s us) is looking for a City Editor to plan, write, edit, and publish the most relevant + conversational daily content about our little city. Learn more about the job + apply.
According to r/Chattanooga jokester u/Ok-Arete, Chattanooga's kudzu is so overwhelming, it could be both.
The Reddit user posted the weather radar image as a joke, labeling it as a "handy kudzu tracker," and it gave us a good chuckle.
In fact, Chattanooga has a bit of history with kudzu — in 2007, we even made the New York Times for using goats to remove the invasive species. You can read more about the history of kudzu + its impact in the Scenic City via this contributor-submitted Voices piece. 🌿
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Answered: Yesterday, we quizzed you all on how many species of birds have been sighted at Reflection Riding after writing about the arboretum + nature center’s new guided canoe tours. 61.5% of you who played guessed the correct answer, which is 153 different species.
For those of you who got it wrong, don’t feel bad — it’s hard for us to believe that we have so many species here, too.
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