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Cook: Missed opportunities in the Best Outdoor City

Competitors head toward the Market Street Bridge during the RiverRocks canoe and kayak races in 2013.
Competitors head toward the Market Street Bridge during the RiverRocks canoe and kayak races in 2013.

By David Cook 5 min read

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Chattanooga wins Outside magazine’s Best Town title

We are America’s Best Outdoor Town Ever.

Aren’t we?

“You can’t look through rose-colored glasses,” said Dawson Wheeler. “If we’re taking the ranking, we should be working at higher standards. We should put ourselves under great scrutiny.”

photo David Cook

A few days after Chattanooga was named Outside magazine’s Best Town Ever, I sat down with Wheeler and former River City Co. head Paul Brock in the upstairs offices at Rock/Creek, the outdoor outfitter Wheeler started.