Tennessee Chapter
Where the Awaken Travel Club began. Hosted by Denise Karnes and Cindi Sanden, gathering travel lovers across the Chattanooga area and beyond.
3rd Thursday of every month · In person
Our Corner of the Map
The Tennessee chapter is where it all started. Denise and Cindi built this community around one simple idea: travel is better when you share it with people who get it. No pressure, no sales pitches, just great conversation, helpful tips, and adventures worth talking about.
We gather the 3rd Thursday of every month around Chattanooga, over breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Every meeting features a fun travel topic, insider tips from advisors who plan trips for a living, and the chance to swap stories with fellow adventurers.
From the waterfalls of Tennessee to group cruises and motorcoach tours, this chapter is always planning the next adventure. And remember, you are never limited to one chapter. Every Awaken Travel Club member is welcome at every gathering, anywhere.
Your Hosts
Denise Karnes
Co-Founder & Host
Certified Awaken Travels advisor
Cindi Sanden
Co-Founder & Host
Certified Awaken Travels advisor
Passport to Flavor
First Stop: Mexico
Margaritas, Tacos & Travel Talk
We're kicking off a brand new culinary-travel series, tasting our way around the world one destination at a time. First stop: Mexico! Join us for a fiesta happy hour at Spanglish, Cindi's favorite Modern Mexican spot in Hixson, for handcrafted margaritas, fresh tacos, and the kind of travel talk that turns into your next big adventure. Come hungry, come thirsty, come ready to dream up where we should taste next.
- 📅Thursday, August 20, 2026
- 🕒3:00 to 5:00 PM — Spanglish’s happy hour runs till 7:00, so linger as long as your evening allows
- 📍Spanglish Modern Mexican · 5622 Hwy 153, Suite A, Hixson, TN
- 💵Dutch treat with separate tabs, so order whatever tempts you. No ticket, no cover, just good company.
RSVP so we can give Spanglish a headcount. Questions? Email us at [email protected].
Upcoming Meetings
3rd Thursday of each month · Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, times vary · In person
Pack, Snack & Share
Our first travel show-and-tell! Bring your best packing and travel hacks to share with the group: carry-on strategy, packing cubes, and fitting more into less. We'll have cookies and cold drinks on us. An easygoing, tip-filled afternoon together.
📍Northgate Public Library · 278 Northgate Mall Dr. · 1:30 to 2:30 PM
Passport to Flavor · First Stop: Mexico
Our culinary-travel series launches with a fiesta happy hour at Spanglish, a beloved Modern Mexican spot in Hixson. Margaritas, tacos, and travel talk, the first stop on a year of tasting the world together. Come hungry, come thirsty, come ready to dream up your next trip.
📍Spanglish Modern Mexican · 5622 Hwy 153, Hixson · Thu, Aug 20 · 3:00 to 5:00 PM
Day Trip: Heartbreak Hotel in Crossville
Our very first club day trip! We head up the Cumberland Plateau to Crossville for the 2:30 PM matinee of Heartbreak Hotel, the Elvis musical, at the Cumberland County Playhouse. Cinnamon rolls, a lakeside leg-stretch, downtown shopping, and lunch along the way. $115 per seat, just 13 seats available - reserve yours below!
📍Cumberland County Playhouse, Crossville · 2:30 PM matinee
Bed, Breakfast & Beyond
September we cozy up to the charming world of bed & breakfasts! We're gathering at the lovely St. Francis Cottage Bed & Breakfast, hosted by co-owners Chris & Diana Beronio, to talk about why B&Bs are one of the most charming, local-loving ways to see the world. Denise and Cindi will share favorites like Vermont's inn-to-inn hikes (where they sherpa your luggage between B&Bs!) and self-drive B&B routes across Ireland. Parking at the cottage is limited, so we'll carpool from Hamilton Place.
📍St. Francis Cottage Bed & Breakfast · 1349 Gunbarrel Rd, Chattanooga · Thu, Sep 17 · 1:00 to 3:00 PM
Beignets & Bon Voyages
A little taste of New Orleans right here in Chattanooga! We're just grabbing a corner of Beignets & Brew for coffee, beignets, and easy travel talk, no agenda, no program. The shop stays open as usual for their regular customers too, so come hang out. They also pour mimosas, champagne, and bloody marys if you want to lean into the theme.
📍Beignets & Brew · 7019 Shallowford Rd, Chattanooga · Thu, Oct 15 · 3:30 to 5:30 PM
Club Meeting Over Lunch
A cozy lunch to swap travel stories, dream up new adventures, and start planning where the club heads in 2027.
Holiday Meeting + Christmas Market
We close out the year with a festive day trip to a nearby Christmas market, plus coffee and our year-end celebration. A merry way to wrap up 2026!
Our First Day Trip: Crossville & Heartbreak Hotel
Thursday, September 10, 2026 — a full and easygoing day up the Cumberland Plateau to Crossville for the 2:30 PM matinee of Heartbreak Hotel, the Elvis musical, at the Cumberland County Playhouse. We ride together by van, with cinnamon rolls, a lakeside leg-stretch, downtown shopping, and lunch along the way. Hosted by Denise and Cindi.
The Day at a Glance
- 8:30 AMDepart the Chattanooga area together by van
- ☕Coffee & fresh cinnamon rolls at Miller's Bread in Pikeville
- 🌲A scenic leg-stretch at Cumberland Mountain State Park
- 🛍️Downtown Crossville shopping — French's Boots & Shoes and Cahoots
- 🍽️Lunch in downtown Crossville
- 2:30 PMHeartbreak Hotel matinee at the Cumberland County Playhouse
- 🏡Home by about 6:25 PM — roughly a 10-hour day together
Just 13 seats available — pay in full below to reserve yours.
✓ What the day includes
- Your seat for the ride up together
- Your ticket to Heartbreak Hotel
- All the planning and the full itinerary
+ On your own
- All food
- All drinks
- Any shopping
Seats are limited, so paying in full is what holds your seat — $115 per seat, paid in full via Venmo, not the signup. First paid, first seated.
Your payment is non-refundable once sent (that's when we buy your ticket and reserve the van). Can't make it? Your seat is yours to pass along — find someone to take your spot and settle up with them directly.
Reserve My Seat
Add your name below and we'll send a Venmo request for $115 to pay in full and hold your seat — seats are limited, so first paid, first seated.
Join the Tennessee Chapter
Sign up below and we'll keep you in the loop on meetings, trips, and all things travel.
Connect With Us
Join our private Facebook group to connect with fellow club members from every chapter!