When you stay on the Delta Queen Hotel, you’re docked on the North Shore, where Coolidge Park and the city’s whimsical Carousel and fountains beckon you, and a bevy of the best little shops and eateries are just a brief walk away. We hope you’ll find this helpful when planning your perfect day. Here’s what you’ll find in your own backyard, before or after you visit the Aquarium and Ross’s Landing.

Chattanooga’s North Shore offers visitors an opportunity to experience the charm of this sparkling little river city, from boutiques and art galleries to sushi, muffalettas and tapas. There’s even an old-fashioned ice cream shop where you can choose from original flavors like Chai and Fireball, or traditional Grasshopper (mint chocolate chip) fresh Strawberry or Fudge Swirl to cap off your day. Read on for a sampling of some of our favorite places! (There are many more for you to discover along the way…)

The Stone Cup: If you’re feeling too adventurous to languish over the DQ’s complimentary gourmet breakfast, head up through the park to this coffee house for a latté or robust Café Americano. You’ll also find great breakfast sandwiches, scones and all kinds of goodies. Great place to read the New York Times or fire up the laptop, too.

Larimar MedSpa: So lovely to relax in this uber-chic, full-service spa and treat yourselves to a massage, facial or body treatment. Beautification is the bottom line – inside and out, at this hot spot for hot mamas (and papas, for that matter.) Then hit the sauna, complimentary with treatment services

Elea Blake Cosmetics: Heaven for your face! This hip designer cosmetic salon and shop offers custom-blended, all-natural mineral make-up, personal make-up classes, and a lip bar where you can create your own signature color. Proprietor Darin Wright is a former model and colorist skilled in mixing face, eye and lip colors to enhance your unique beauty and style. So wow!

Blue Skies: Happiness is…a shop full of sunshine and treasures, brimming with hand-crafted jewelry by artists from across the country, purses and totes in many styles, beautiful or sassy cards for all occasions, fun stuff for babies and kids, and sweet and unusual gifts for anyone on your list. Shop early for Christmas, or bring home precious mementos from your visit to Chattanooga. But by all means, don’t miss this place!

Embellish: A lavish shoe haven to indulge your perfectly pedicured feet. From glamorous stilettos to bejeweled sandals and the softest ballet flats, this incredible boutique will never let you down! Whatever your fashionable feet long for, you’ll find them here, along with the most yummy clutch or handbag to accompany them. So fabulous.

Frankie & Julian’s: Madonna might shop here, but so would Audrey Hepburn. Ooh and ahh your way through the nooks full of silk dresses, shelves stacked with the “jeans of the moment,” soft wraps in fanciful colors, bohemian tops, funky accessories and classic basics. You’ll find fashions that have literally jumped off the pages of InStyle or Allure Magazine!

Candyland: Way better than the board game! It’s a sweet tooth mecca, and an iconic fun stop for kids of every age. Bin after bin of colorful gummie worms, jelly beans in every imaginable flavor, rainbows of lollipops and pools full of lemon drops, gobs of bubble gum and jawbreakers, and whimsical chocolate delicacies will tempt you until you drool. You can shop by the pound, and collect your treats in a clear bag so your kids won’t have to rummage for the last root beer barrel!

Bone Appetit: Look for the fire hydrant and you’ll know you’ve arrived at Fido’s favorite bakery! Homemade dog treats in all shapes, sizes and flavors, plus glitzy collars, swanky leashes and stunning puppy couture make this a hound lover’s haunt, and the perfect place to buy souvenirs for your tail-wagging friends at home.

Good Dog: A place for people, and the best hotdogs any way you like them! Top them with cheeses and chili, pickles and peppers, and swath them in exotic ketchups (like chipotle or wasabi), spicy sauces, and a milieu of mustards! So fun, and so are the frites in a cone and the plentifully frosted red velvet cupcakes. Bow wow!

River Street Deli: I’m not sure what I love more, the garlic sporting muffalettas, the sizzling Elena Ruiz pork, cream cheese and strawberry preserves sandwich, or the New York born and raised proprietor who will tempt you with his latest culinary masterpiece and put you in a New York state of mind!

Between the Bridges Café: Can you say Southern Belle while eating a croissant loaded with chicken salad from a secret recipe, sipping sweet tea? Surrounded by murals that make you feel like you’re in a sidewalk café in Europe, you’ll most definitely enjoy a delightful luncheon where you can select from scrumptious choices like pimiento cream cheese sandwiches, quiches galore, and home-made tomato soup. Y’all will love it!

Knitting Mill Antiques Mall: If you love the Delta Queen, you’ll adore browsing the aisles of this beautifully restored turn-of-the-century sewing factory laden with antique silver, vintage dresses and heirloom china, not to mention the old-timey black and white photograph selection, crystal chandeliers, furniture (colonial to retro) and quirky “chotchkis” from every era. It’s home to more than 100 dealers.

Greenlife Grocery: Farmer Brown meets Whole Foods! It’s a cornucopia of organic locally grown vegetables and fruits, pastries, freshly baked breads and cheeses. You can also get amazing hand-thrown pizza, paninis, or select from a variety of mouth-watering dishes made on the premises. Great coffee bar inside, and an organic wine store one door down, in case you’re thinking picnic in the park! Delish.

Clumpies: This is no Dairy Queen! It’s a flavor circus of luscious ice creams and saucy sundaes, with a little porch that looks over the park where you can watch the people and their dogs, spot misfired Frisbees and delight in every drip your cone may drizzle.

A Novel Idea: Can’t think of a better spot to read a good book than the Delta Queen’s rocking chairs perched on the lower deck! You’ll surely find one (or several) at this meticulously arranged book shop full of classics, mysteries, tales of romance and sci-fi adventures. Most titles are gently used and wonderfully priced, but there’s also a small but excellent selection of best sellers and new releases.

Willa: Fashionistas beware! This store will make you swoon in the glorious presence of such amazing style. Fabulous finds by Tory Burch, Trina Turk, Diane Von Furstenburg, Nicole Miller and more will send you into a frenzy, and possibly straight to the next meeting of Shopaholics Anonymous. Bliss!