River- and mountain-loving Chattanooga, Tennessee, took home the top prize鈥攁gain鈥攊n our annual contest. Here's how to what it's all about in one jam-packed weekend.听
Day One听
7:30 a.m.听Start with a Nightrider Nitro (nitrogenated cold brew) at听, a coffee roaster with vintage bikes on the wall.听
9 a.m.听Raccoon Mountain is the crown jewel of the local trail system, with 30 miles of singletrack just eight miles from downtown. Be sure to hit High Voltage, a 3.5-mile cliffside enduro course with crazy-tight switchbacks.听
12:30 p.m.听Head to听, a brick-and-mortar restaurant built around a food truck. Show up early for the mole: it鈥檚 made fresh on Saturdays and gone before the lunch rush ends.听
2 p.m.听Paddleboarding the Tennessee River is a citywide obsession. Rent a SUP at听and launch in the heart of downtown to spend a couple of hours exploring the sandstone bluffs beneath the super-mod听.听
7 p.m.听听is an upscale ramen joint in the basement of renovated Warehouse Row. Get the house cold sake and ramen with chicken, greens, and soft-boiled egg.听
9 p.m.听Finish the night at the听, a climber-owned bar next door to your digs for the night鈥攖he听, a boutique hostel that caters to adventure travelers. (It actually rents bouldering crash pads.) Snag a private room and finish the night with a slackline session in the backyard (from $79).
Day Two听
8 a.m.听Fuel up with eggs scrambled with home fries and bacon at the down-home听.听
10 a.m.听Knock out a three-mile run on Bluff Trail, hugging the edge of Lookout Mountain. You鈥檒l need to watch your footing on the rocky singletrack, but don鈥檛 forget to look up occasionally to take in the views of the valley 1,000 feet below.听
12 p.m.听Lunch is at the听, a spot in a renovated gas station across the river on the north side of town that鈥檚 healthy without the preachy asceticism. Get the Power Salad鈥攁 big bowl of quinoa, lentils, roasted veggies, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and Parmesan.听
3 p.m.听Spend the afternoon working your way up the cracks of听, a storied crag that defines the rim of the Tennessee River Gorge 20 minutes from downtown. The cooler months are prime time here, but with several hundred routes to choose from, you鈥檒l always find some real estate to call your own.听
8:30 p.m.听The听听has the best burger in town. You鈥檙e in the South, so you鈥檙e obligated to add a fried green tomato. And Benton鈥檚 bacon. Pair with glasses of Cumberland Cask whiskey until another slackline session sounds like a good idea.