With Hamilton County and other area public school districts now starting earlier in August and giving students a full week off in the fall, families have more opportunity to take advantage of more comfortable temperatures and shoulder season deals that October has to offer. Most Chattanooga-area private schools continue to take the traditional long weekend break in the fall, but that's plenty of time for a quick family road trip.
Whether you prefer the beach, the mountains or underground adventure, we've rounded up some of the best kid-friendly destinations to visit this fall break. Drive a couple of hours to spend time in the Boone area in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina or a massive cave system in Kentucky known as Mammoth Cave, both of which make great long weekend trips. Or, spend an entire week exploring the historic attractions of St. Augustine and relaxing by the beach.
Photo by Grandfather Mountain Stewardship Foundation / The swinging bridge on Grandfather Mountain near Boone, North Carolina.Boone and Blowing Rock, North Carolina
Drive time: About 4.5 hours
Family-friendly activities
Indoors:
Mystery Hill is an indoor/outdoor attraction just outside Boone in Blowing Rock. In addition to its namesake mysterious gravitational anomaly, Mystery Hill also offers a range of other activities for everyone in your group, from old-time photos to ax throwing to gem mining to giant bubbles you can get inside.
Outdoors:
Head to Grandfather Mountain to walk the famous mile-high swinging bridge and visit the new Wilson Center for Nature Discovery, which opened this summer and features immersive programming and exhibits. Junior Naturalist activities are held at 11:30 a.m. on fall weekends, and from May through October, visitors can choose several colors of non-toxic paint for a black bear to use in the creation of a work of art to take home.
Tweetsie Railroad is a Wild West theme park featuring a 3-mile train adventure, rides, gem mining, gold panning, a zoo and live shows. Every Friday and Saturday through Oct. 29, the park transforms into a haunted carnival with costumed characters, a haunted house and spooky train adventure. Be sure to book your haunted train ride in advance, as a limited number of guests are admitted.
Kid-friendly dining idea: Melanie's Food Fantasy is a breakfast and brunch spot that is a perfect way to start out the day's activities. The menu boasts kid-friendly items such as pancakes and stuffed French toast made with local ingredients.
Lodging: Hampton Inn & Suites in Boone is a reasonably priced option with an indoor pool, free breakfast and pet-friendly rooms and is located within a few minutes of family attractions like Tweetsie Railroad and Mystery Hill. Starting at $245 per night.
(READ MORE: Four ideas for fall break trips from Chattanooga)
Kentucky Tourism photo / Mammoth CaveMammoth Cave, Kentucky
Drive time: About four hours
Family-friendly activities
Indoors:
Be sure to book one or more Mammoth Cave tours in advance. Popular options include the Frozen Niagara tour, named after a formation that resembles a frozen waterfall, and the River Styx tour focused on the river that flows beneath the park. Although park admission is free, the cost for guided tours varies.
Outdoors:
Located about 30 minutes away from Mammoth Cave in Cave City, Kentucky, Dinosaur World boasts 150 life-size dinosaur replicas in the outdoor Mammoth Gardens, a "boneyard" where visitors can uncover dinosaur skeletons and an indoor prehistoric museum.
Kentucky Down Under is an Australian theme park in nearby Horse Cave where you can pet kangaroos, play a didgeridoo and learn about life on a sheep farm.
Kid-friendly dining idea: Kids will love the custom hot dog creations at The Dog Pound in Cave City. Most of the seating at the small restaurant consists of outdoor picnic tables, and they also serve hamburgers and nachos if you're not in the mood to try something more adventurous, like a hot dog topped with mac and cheese.
Lodging: Stay in the national park in one of three campgrounds or The Lodge at Mammoth Cave, which offers hotel-style accommodations across from the park's visitors center. While the hotel's main lodge building is closed for renovations until this winter, other lodging options include Sunset Terrace rooms that sleep five starting at $136 a night, one-room historic cabins that sleep two starting at $93 a night, and one- to four-bedroom woodland cabins (typically available April through October) that sleep two to 16 starting at $71 a night. mammothcavelodge.com/lodging
VISIT FLORIDA photo / St. Augustine BeachSt. Augustine, Florida
Drive time: About 8 hours
Family-friendly activities
Indoors:
The St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum is a fun stop for all ages in the historic district. Interactive and educational exhibits will take your group back in time 300 years to the golden age of piracy.
Outdoors:
Continue the pirate theme activities at the Castillo de San Marcos, the nation's oldest masonry fort, which was built by the Spanish to defend Florida and the Atlantic trade route from swashbuckling thieves. Kids will love the cannon-firing demonstrations on the upper gun deck and exploring the rooms and historic weapons in the fort.
St. Augustine Beach is still warm enough for most people to go for a swim, or try surfing or kite flying on the shore of this small town on Anastasia Island. Make time to get your ice cream fix at one of the shops along A1A Beach Boulevard.
Kid-friendly dining idea: Gas Full Service Restaurant serves up steaks, seafood and other American fare in a fun retro atmosphere that's perfect for families.
Lodging: Doubletree by Hilton, St. Augustine Historic District puts you within walking distance of all the attractions in the historic district, and also offers a heated outdoor pool, a kid-friendly restaurant and warm cookies upon arrival. Starts at $174 per night.
For those who want to stay on the beach, Hammock Beach Resort is located just south of St. Augustine and boasts a Fantasy Pool Complex with five pools, a lazy river and water slide, all heated and open yearround. There are also morning and evening drop-off programs available daily for kids ages 4-12, in case you want to get some adult activities in without the kiddos. Starting at $246 per night, choose from single rooms and multi-room condos with kitchens and laundry facilities.
For those who can’t swing a trip out of town, Chattanooga offers several programs to keep kids busy during their days off.
The Sweet and Savory Classroom offers a fall break workshop for kids ages 8-15 on Oct. 13-14 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. both days. The first day, participants will make Snickerdoodle and pumpkin cookies, and “Ragin’ Cajun” is the theme for the recipes on day two. $142, sweetandsavoryclassroom.com
On Oct. 10-13, Chattanooga Football Club is holding a day camp for ages 5-13 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day and an advanced striker and keeper camp for ages 11-19 from 1-3:30 p.m. each day. Both camps offer full- and half-day options, and campers can pay by the day or week. Cost starts at $25 for a single half-day. chattanoogafc.com
Games, crafts, swimming and other physical activities are all on tap at the YMCA’s School’s Out Camp, which coincides with fall break. For kids ages 5-12, the camp is held at the downtown, Hamilton, North River and North Georgia locations from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Cost $140 per week for members and $185 per week for nonmembers. ymcachattanooga.org