Because spring break for area school students can be as variable as the weather this time of year, the adventures included in the Chattanooga Spring Break Safari last a full month, Friday, March 10, through Sunday, April 9.
So whenever kids get that glorious week off, they can take full advantage of a program that give them oodles of hands-on activities at nearly a dozen local attractions (normal admission fees will apply).
On these specially designed adventures, kids can be:
* A pirate aboard a riverboat (Southern Belle).
* A sword fighter on a quest to see the queen (during Rock City's Fairytale Nights).
* A conductor traveling the rails (Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum).
* An island explorer encountering lemurs (Tennessee Aquarium).
* A speleologist deep within a cave (Ruby Falls).
* A zookeeper among some of nature's wildest creatures (Chattanooga Zoo).
* A rock climber scaling boulders (High Point Climbing & Fitness).
* A RockQuest adventurer on an enchanted trail (Rock City).
* An art explorer uncovering hidden treasures (Hunter Museum of American Art).
* An inventor imagining new designs (Creative Discovery Museum).
* An artisanal adventurer learning cooking techniques (Bluff View Art District).
There's more fun to be had on a related Scavenger Hunt. Families can explore the city at their own pace to complete the hunt, solving the clues together - though it's OK to ask for help at one of the attractions or check out the answers in the back of the guide. Kids will receive special prizes when they show images of the found items to employees at the attractions.
The free Spring Break Safari Guide may be downloaded online at www.chattanoogafun.com/spring. Or pick one up at any of the participating attractions; Chattanooga Visitors Center, 215 Broad St.; SpringHill Suites by Marriott/Downtown Cameron Harbor, 495 Riverfront Parkway; Chattanooga Choo Choo, 1400 Market St.; or The Chattanoogan hotel, 1201 Broad St.