In 2018, it seemed like every other day a national publication mentioned Chattanooga for some reason or another. Southern Living, Trip Advisor, USA Today, CNBC, BuzzFeed + countless niche blogs were all about the Scenic City in 2018.

The Matador Network called us the “coolest weekend getaway in America,” and the ultra-hip POPSUGAR implied that we were possibly the most-charming little city in the universe. We’ll take all the praise you got, POPSUGAR.

Not surprisingly, most of the mentions highlighted our growing food scene, outdoor activities + family-friendly attractions. Several also mentioned our thriving tech, but mostly it was just the food and activities.

As the year comes to a close, we thought it would be fun to highlight our 5 favorite national mentions from 2018.

🌎 New York Times — 52 Places to go in 2018

It doesn’t get much more impressive than the New York Times. The prestigious newspaper mentioned Chattanooga four times in 2018, most notably as a part of the inaugural “52 Places” travel writing series. Read travel writer Jada Yuan’s full report here. She wrote that Chattanooga is “...one of the most pleasant and livable cities in America.”

🌎 Lonely Planet — The U.S. Destinations you need to see in 2018

You’re not going to see Chattanooga on a list with the California Redwoods often, but there we are — beside Florida’s Space Coast, Boise, Idaho + Midcoast Maine — among the best U.S. destinations of 2018, according to Lonely Planet. The article said our city is “rife with pilgrimage-worthy New Southern cuisine, thirst-quenching breweries and techie-pleasing internet speeds.”

🧚 Garden & Gun — Rock of Ages: Chattanooga’s Rock City

During an afternoon excursion, Rachel Maddux unpacked the weird, wonderful history of our most popular tourist attraction. Her prose is descriptive and highlights the beautiful absurdity of a visit to Rock City. Following a visit to Lover’s Leap, Maddux pauses to “See Seven States” and “posed for photos with foam-headed mascot Rocky the Elf before descending into the lurid dreamscapes of Fairyland Caverns and Mother Goose Village, a subterranean hallway lined with black-lit dioramas of fairy tales and nursery rhymes.” How could you not want to visit?

🌎 New York Times — 36 Hours in Chattanooga

There isn’t a series that makes you want to travel more than the New York Times’ “36 hours” article each week. Writer Colleen Creamer visited Chattanooga and crammed as many activities and meals as she could during a weekend stay. Sure, she visited the Tennessee Aquarium and walked on the Walnut Street Bridge, but she also had a fish sandwich at Uncle Larry’s and cocktails at the Flying Squirrel. You could do far worse than Creamer did while she was in town.

🥣 Thrillist — 15 American Cities that Secretly Have Great Food Scenes

For years, our culinary scene was like Rodney Dangerfield … It got no respect. But that’s changing thanks to a group of restaurateurs who have made it their goal to highlight Chattanooga as a food destination. And it’s working. Articles like this one from Thrillist (and others) have started focusing not on Rock City and the river, but on the great food coming out of the Scenic City.