It might be tough to tell through the mask, but I was one happy camper. | Photo by Jake Cash
Am I still smiling? I think I’m still smiling. Editor Sarah here. I’m about to tell you about one of my favorite Chattanooga experiences: Wild Encounters at the Chattanooga Zoo. These are 30-minute encounters with red pandas, meerkats, prehensile-tailed porcupines, Komodo dragons, and giant anteaters.
Red panda
Encounters: $250 per person
My experience: The first animal I got to interact with was Avi the red panda, and he did not disappoint. I got to feed him some cut-up grapes right from the palm of my hand. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, I also got to pet his back. He was calm, sweet, and absolutely adorable.
For just a little while, I was the most popular person in the room.
Photo by Jake Cash
Meerkats
Encounters: $90 per person
My experience: Spending time with the meerkat mob was one of the cutest things I’ve ever experienced. The Zoo has five meerkats: a mother and her four grown babies (who are all bigger than she is). I got to feed them mealworms — and here’s a pro tip: keep them coming. Those little guys are quick, competitive, and always hungry.
Get ready, cause this one’s a charmer. This 115-year-old Lookout Mountain home once served as a bed and breakfast, and it still has that same welcoming vibe. We’re loving the wraparound porch, cozy wood-burning fireplaces, and stunning views of the valley.
Sports
The New York Times just dropped its list of the 25 best college football stadiums, and Neyland Stadium landed the No. 6 spot. Finley Stadium, on the other hand, didn’t make the list. Do you think it should have? Let us know by replying to this newsletter. (The New York Times)
Arts
Swifties are flocking to see Ophelia. Friedrich Heyser’s artistic depiction of Shakespeare’s tragic character is helping fill the halls of Germany’s Museum Wiesbaden thanks to Swift’s recent single, “The Fate of Ophelia.” If you want to see Shakespeare come to life, keep an eye on what’s next for Scenic City Shakespeare. (The Guardian)
Active
An 80-year-old recently became the oldest woman to cross the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. Natalie Grabow completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and 26.2-mile run in just under 17 hours. Time to hit the gym. (NPR)
Number
27.7. That’s the average age of newlyweds in Tennessee, according to new data from the US Census Bureau. If you’re planning to tie the knot in Chattanooga, here’s our gift to you: a list of the best places to say “I do” around town. (Newsweek)
Tech
Netflix, DoorDash, Snapchat, Spotify, and Fortnite were among the services impacted by last week’s major Amazon Web Services outage, and not for the first time. The next time doom-scrolling isn’t available, we recommend spending some time in Chattanooga’s beautiful outdoors. (Reuters)
Concert
ChattState’s Symphonic Band and Concert Choir’s Happy Halloween Concert is Thursday, Oct. 30. Come in costume for this free night of music + spooky fun, and bring a canned good or non-perishable item to support the Chattanooga Area Food Bank.*
A new academic study shows signs that consuming warm liquids may have positive impacts on physical + mental health. Researchers found correlated improvements in sleep, gut health, depression, and anxiety.
With the high temperature struggling to reach 60 degrees today, that’s more reason to check out these local spots with soup on the menu.
Wooden City
Try the French onion soup made with bone broth, sourdough croutons, melted Swiss, and aged balsamic.
Southern Star
You can’t go wrong with classics like Brunswick stew, broccoli cheese, and Italian vegetable soup.
Bluegrass Grill
This family-owned restaurant always has a homemade soup of the day that’s served with bread.
Mezcla Cocina Y Cantina
Try the Carne En Su Jugo — a spicy beef soup made with steak simmered in tomatillo salsa, pinto beans, bacon, cebollitas + chiles toreados.
A set of hydrating, plumping lip oils perfect for winter — and a fuller pout. Read The Buy Editor Sarah’s full review of tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Plumping Lip Oil Set and why she’ll be wearing them all season long (hint: it’s to heal chapped lips).
Bonus: Use code WELCOME2025 to save $15 on your first HSN order of $35+ and snag the lip set for yourself.
The fun doesn’t have to end here. After reading the newsletter, head over to our games page. Games refresh with new challenges every day at 6 a.m. from crossword puzzle to Sudoku to themed word search.
I’m all about finding ways to strengthen my physical and mental health, so I was excited to learn about the warm liquids study. If you’re not a big soup person, I get it — a warm cup of joe or hot chocolate will also do the trick. Lucky for you, there are dozens of places you can grab one.
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