We got back from Christmas travel yesterday evening. And my laptop crashed. And then I had to go back to work. And now my laptop is better. And tomorrow we pack it up and head out early Friday to visit the other side of our family.
The funny thing is, this was going to be our Christmas to stay home and start some Chattanooga Christmas traditions. But some interesting things came up on both sides of our family, so we are splitting it up. Christmas in Lake Martin, Alabama with my husband’s family, New Year’s in Dayton, Ohio with my side of the family.
Our Christmas was a nice one and I got what I wanted.
And judging from the news in the past few days, Chattanooga got a really neat gift too- 3 red pandas! According to the Times Free Press article they are having a contest to name to pandas.
The Chattanooga Zoo is hosting a contest to name the three new panda siblings. Entries can be mailed to the zoo at 1101 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404, through Feb. 7. (more…)
Last night my family became the proud owners of a cell phone. We have been cell free for a while, but it was time. We decided that with recent upcoming travel it would be a good thing for us to have one.
And now that we have one, my eyes are drawn to the recent cell tower debates in the city. If you had asked me Monday what I thought about them, I think I would have shrugged my shoulders and given an emphatic “eh?” But today, now that I have a cell phone, I think I need to pay attention to the issue.
My friend Scott posted on the tower approved for Missionary Ridge and I saw a few opinion letters in the Chattanoogan, but until this issue was approved I never knew that mobile phone calls were frequently cut off on the Ridge Cut. I guess I assumed that Chattanooga had good phone coverage overall.
I’m going to keep my eye on this story, especially since it now applies to my family as well.
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This afternoon my co-workers were gathered around one website, checking the conditions of their routes home. Through the Tennessee Department of Transportation’s SmartWay camera system, anyone can check out the traffic conditions online.
According to reports there are 59 cameras stationed around the area and my co-workers were excited that they can see if they need to take alternate routes to get home before their kids gnaw off their arms in hunger. The cameras are located in I-75, 153, I-24, Signal Mountain Boulevard, White Oak Mountain, and Boy Scout Road.
I like this approach to travel, being able to check out the view of the road before actually being on the road. And since we are leaving for Alabama tomorrow, we can see if we need to avoid the highway and go over the mountain.
“Just in time for the holiday travel season, Chattanooga area motorists are now able to avoid traffic trouble by going to the SmartWay website and spotting congested areas before they leave on their trip,” said TDOT Commissioner Gerald Nicely. “These cameras will also aid in the quick clearance of traffic incidents. Trained operators will monitor the cameras and immediately dispatch TDOT HELP trucks and contact emergency response agencies at the first sign of a problem.”
Just remember, when you travel through Chattavegas, TDOT is watching!
[tags]Chattanooga, TDOT, Tennessee Department of Transportation, SmartWay cameras, travel[/tags]
