Five cook-in nights, two out, breakfasts & lunches that don't require thought, and a shopping plan timed to the activity schedule. Southern/Tennessee lean throughout.
🍽 This is a working draft (v1). Dinners are now pegged to the confirmed activity days, so the effort level matches each evening's return time. Swap freely — nothing here is load-bearing except the cold-chain dates.
The Dinner Week
🟩 cook-in · 🟧 out
Sat
4
Burgers & dogs
arrival
Sun
5
Dinner Out #1
North Shore
Mon
6
Low-country boil
welcome dinner
Tue
7
Walking tacos
caving day
Wed
8
Baked chicken
post-Barnsley
Thu
9
Pulled pork
post-Ocoee · slow-cooker ✅
Fri
10
Dinner Out #2
downtown
Shopping Plan — No Dometic This Trip
two stages: Saturday is small, Sunday is the big one
✅ Locked in: No Dometic, no frozen pre-load, no hauling proteins through a hotel. Splitting the shopping into two clean stages keeps arrival day light and gives the week's proteins a real, coordinated buy — not something rushed mid-drive on a holiday.
Sat Jul 4 — arrival only. Whoever's closest grabs Day-1 items alone: burger/dog fixings, watermelon, coleslaw, ice. Small, fast, no detour drama. Walmart is confirmed open regular hours (6am–11pm) on July 4th — one of only two holidays it closes for (Thanksgiving, Christmas), and July 4th isn't one.
Sun Jul 5 — the big group run, after the downtown walking tour. Whole group's already downtown; a run to a store on the way back covers the week's proteins (2 pork shoulders, 12 lb chicken) and Monday night's boil ingredients (shrimp, andouille, corn, potatoes, onions, lemons) — bought Sunday, used Monday, about as fresh as it gets without a dedicated trip.
Markells (SAT Costco, Thu Jul 2) — dry goods only: condiments, spices, snacks, paper goods, drinks. Smaller cart, nothing to freeze, nothing to haul.
don't make a standalone run when an activity trip already passes one
1 Walmart Kimball, TN — Saturday, Day-1 only
525 Kimball Crossing Dr, Kimball TN — right off I-24, ~10 min from the cabin. Confirmed open regular hours (6am–11pm) on July 4th.Whoever's closest on arrival grabs just the Saturday burger-night list — buns, cheese, condiments, chips, watermelon, coleslaw, ice. Small, quick, no full-week grocery run tacked onto a holiday drive day.
2 ⭐ Sunday group run — the big one
Right after the downtown walking tour, before heading back to the cabin — likely the same Kimball TN area, or whichever store's convenient on the return route.
This is the real supply run: the week's proteins (2 pork shoulders for Thursday, 12 lb chicken for Wednesday) and Monday night's boil ingredients (shrimp, andouille, corn, potatoes, onions, lemons). Everyone's already downtown and not mid-drive, so there's actual bandwidth for a real shopping list instead of a rushed one. Needs a specific person/family assigned — not left as "whoever."
100 Cobb Pkwy, right off I-75 Exit 353. Now a single-purpose stop: whoever drives back from Barnsley clays passes right by it.
Covers Wednesday's chicken sides (potatoes, green beans, biscuits, butter, milk) and Thursday pulled pork's buns + coleslaw — buying those the night before pork night is fresher than buying them days ahead anyway.
4 Chattanooga Publix / Whole Foods — specialty
When you're downtown (Sunday walking tour, Friday Lookout), grab anything premium — better fresh shrimp for the boil if upgrading from Walmart's, good bread, specialty produce, low-sodium items for the Arcadia family.
5 Kirkpatrick's Foodland (South Pittsburg, TN) — Tuesday taco run
100 N Cedar Ave, right on I-24 on the way back from Raccoon Mountain caving. Full grocery, open 7am–9pm every day including Tuesday. The same-day stop for taco-night fixings — ground beef, taco seasoning, toppings, Fritos.
Wine, Beer & Liquor
⚠ the cabin itself is in a dry county — plan ahead
🚫 Big one: Bryant, AL is in unincorporated Jackson County — a dry area. No packaged beer, wine, or liquor sold there at all. The closest "wet" towns in-county (Bridgeport, Scottsboro, Stevenson) are real detours. The much better move: buy everything before you arrive — and it turns out the existing route already solves it.
A South Pittsburg, TN liquor — same corridor as the Sunday run
Andy's Liquor (4.5★, easy I-24 access, big selection) or Rudder's Liquor & Wine (5.0★) — right in the same South Pittsburg/Kimball corridor, so whoever's doing Sunday's big grocery run can grab the week's alcohol in the same swing with no real detour.
B Trenton, GA — alternate if the route works out that way
Trenton Liquor (4.8★, 4514 GA-136) or Vic's Wine & Spirits (4.4★, 80 McKaig Rd) — both well-reviewed, if a family's route happens to pass through north Georgia instead of straight up I-24 to Kimball.
Closed Sundays at both. Not the primary plan anymore now that South Pittsburg sits right on the Kimball route.
C What NOT to count on: either Costco run
Neither planned Costco stop will have liquor: Texas Costco sells beer & wine only, no hard liquor (a TX-specific licensing quirk — beer/wine are open to non-members there too). Georgia law caps any single business at two liquor licenses statewide, so the Ringgold Costco almost certainly doesn't carry it either, even if it has beer/wine.
Net: Costco is fine for beer/wine top-ups, but South Pittsburg (or Trenton) is the real plan for spirits.
D Before you leave SAT — optional pre-departure option
If anyone wants specific bottles guaranteed rather than relying on local stock, any TX liquor store (Twin Liquors, Spec's, Total Wine) handles the full liquor run before departure — TX just requires it be a dedicated liquor store, not Costco. Not necessary though, given South Pittsburg is a clean one-stop.
E Rough quantity guide — 11 people, 8 days
Beer: ~2 cases (48 cans) — covers cook-in nights + porch time. Top up at Wed Ringgold if it runs low.
Wine: 4–6 bottles — a couple reds, a couple whites, one or two for the boil/dinners-out nights at home.
Liquor: 2–3 bottles covers a mixed group well for a week — e.g., one whiskey/bourbon, one tequila or vodka, one rum. Add mixers (tonic, soda, margarita mix) at the same South Pittsburg stop.
Ice: buy fresh each grocery stop rather than hauling — cabins likely have freezer space but not unlimited.
Shopping Reference Map
everything plotted relative to the cabin — not just the scheduled stops
📍 Use this as a lookup, not just a fixed schedule. The exact day any family passes through north Georgia depends on real-time pace — this table is what's actually near the cabin so anyone can adapt on the fly.
Stop
What
From cabin
Hours note
Walmart Supercenter, Kimball TN ⭐
Full grocery, general supplies
~10 min NE
Open daily 6am–11pm — Sat Day-1 items; Sunday's big run likely lands here too
Kirkpatrick's Foodland, South Pittsburg TN
Full grocery · taco-run (Tue)
~25 min NE
Open daily 7am–9pm, incl. Tue
Andy's / Rudder's Liquor, South Pittsburg TN
Beer/wine/liquor — primary
~25 min NE
Open daily, closes 10–11pm
Ringgold Costco, GA
Bulk groceries, beer/wine likely
~45 min E
Closed Jul 4 (Sat)
Trenton Liquor / Vic's, GA
Full beer/wine/liquor
~30 min E
Open Fri & Sat (10–9/10pm); closed Sun
Walmart, Fort Payne AL
Full grocery — not needed this trip
~40 min S on I-59
Kimball covers it now; keep as emergency fallback only
Publix, Chattanooga (multiple)
Specialty/fresh groceries
~45 min E
Open daily 7am–10pm
All driving times approximate from The Summit, Bryant AL. Bryant itself sells no alcohol — Jackson County is dry outside three in-county wet cities (Bridgeport, Scottsboro, Stevenson), none of which are convenient.
The Cook Nights
effort matched to the day · cook teams rotate
Sat · Jul 4 · arrival
Burgers & Dogs off the Grill
⚡ zero-prep👥 all hands🕐 whenever
Why
You roll in ~4 PM after two days on the road. Nobody has cooking bandwidth. Classic cookout, everything pre-packed.
Buy — 11 people
BUY (Kimball Walmart, Sat — Day-1 only):2× frozen patty boxes (~10ct each, 20 total — covers ~1.8/person), 1× hot dogs (14–16ct pack), 3× burger buns (8ct = 24, generous extras), 1× hot dog buns (8ct), 1× sliced cheese (24ct), ketchup/mustard/mayo (1 bottle each, lasts the week), 2 bags chips, 2 jars salsa/dip, 1 bag coleslaw mix, 1 whole watermelon, 2 bags ice.
Recipe
Light the charcoal chimney ~30 min before you want to eat — no rush, arrival night is loose.
Grill patties ~4 min/side for medium; dogs ~8–10 min total, turning occasionally.
Cheese on in the last minute to melt. Toast buns cut-side-down for 30 sec if there's grill room.
Set out condiments, chips, watermelon buffet-style — let people build their own.
Cook
Grill duty rotates — whoever's got energy. Charcoal grills on site; the cast irons can carry overflow for 11.
Low-sodium
Kirkland patties are unseasoned — she salts her own. Plain dogs available.
Sun · Jul 5 · walking tour day
🍽 Dinner Out #1 — North Shore
🕐 after the walking tour
Plan
Free Walk Chattanooga tour → Walnut St Bridge → dinner on the North Shore, then home. Big group → call ahead or split across two spots. Grab specialty groceries at a downtown Publix/Whole Foods before leaving town.
Candidates
See Dining Out below — Main Street Meats (Michelin) and Edley's counter BBQ lead; pizza/tacos as the easy fallback. Group votes, then reserve.
Mon · Jul 6 · Foster Falls day
Low-Country Boil
⚡ communal showstopper👥 all hands🕐 first full night all together
Why here
First full night all together after everyone's settled in — the theatrical dump on the Hummingbird table is the perfect welcome dinner. Foster Falls is a short Central-time day so there's real time to prep. One pot, single cleanup, teens love it.
Buy — 11 people
BUY FRESH (Sunday group run, post-downtown-walking-tour):6 lb shrimp (~0.5/person, 21–25ct peel-and-eat), 4 lb andouille (~0.35/person, sliced into 2" rounds), 13 ears corn (halved = 26 pieces), 5 lb baby potatoes, 2 onions (quartered), 4 lemons. BRING (SAT Costco, dry):1 large Old Bay tin (~6oz, you'll use most of it), 1 lb butter — butter's borderline, add to the Kimball run if easier, hot sauce.
Recipe
Fill the pot(s) with water + 1/3 cup Old Bay per gallon — ~4–5 gallons total. Bring to a rolling boil.
Potatoes first — 10 min (they take longest).
Add onions + sausage — 8 more min.
Add corn — 5 more min.
Add shrimp last — just 3 min, until pink and curled. Don't overcook — rubbery fast.
Drain immediately, dump onto the Hummingbird glass table (lined with butcher paper if you have it), douse with melted butter, squeeze lemons, extra Old Bay to taste.
Pot logistics
No big pot on site — bring a propane boil pot (best, one batch) or split the recipe across the three 5-qt cabin pots in stages, combining everything on the table at the end.
Low-sodium
Easiest night for her — pull her shrimp + corn + potatoes before the Old Bay goes in. Zero embedded sodium.
Tue · Jul 7 · caving day
Walking Taco Bar
⚡ fast, near-zero cleanup👥 Family A🕐 bought on the way home
Why here
Caving's a shorter, flexible day — back well before dinner. Pulled the burger repeat off this slot (already had Sat's grill night) — tacos are a totally different eating experience for the same low effort, and a near-guaranteed teen hit. One skillet, build-your-own, no real cleanup if you go the Fritos-bag route.
Buy — 11 people
BUY same-day, on the way back from Raccoon Mountain:Kirkpatrick's Foodland, South Pittsburg TN — right on the route back toward the cabin via I-24, open 7am–9pm. 3 lb ground beef (~0.27/person), 2 packets taco seasoning, 11 single-serve Fritos (or 2 family bags if building on plates instead), shredded cheese, lettuce, diced tomato, sour cream, salsa, 1 can black beans, 1 can corn. BACKUP (Sunday group run — held frozen in cabin freezer till Tue):2–3 frozen pizzas — cheap, easy, oven-only insurance if the Foodland run doesn't happen or anyone's burnt out on cooking.
Recipe
Brown the beef with taco seasoning per packet directions (~10 min). Warm the beans and corn separately.
Set out toppings buffet-style: cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa.
Walking version: split each Frito bag open along the side, spoon meat + toppings right in, eat with a fork straight from the bag — zero plates.
Plate version: crushed chips on a plate, build the same way, for anyone who'd rather not eat from a bag.
Pizza backup: if the Foodland stop falls through, preheat ovens to whatever the box says, bake 2–3 frozen pizzas across the cabin ovens — virtually no prep, ready in ~20 min.
Low-sodium
Brown a small portion of beef unseasoned before adding the taco seasoning packet to the rest; she builds her own bag from the plain meat + fresh toppings.
Wed · Jul 8 · Barnsley day
Oven "Shake-n-Bake" Chicken
⚡ moderate👥 Family C🕐 home early-mid afternoon
Why here
Morning-only clays means you're home by ~1:30–2 PM CT with real time to cook. Oven-baked crispy coating beats deep-frying in an unfamiliar kitchen — Southern flavor, no oil-management headache.
Buy — 11 people
BUY (Sunday group run):12 lb bone-in chicken pieces (~1 lb/person raw, frozen or fresh — mixed thighs/drumsticks hold up best to baking), 1 quart buttermilk. BRING (SAT Costco, dry):1 large panko canister (28oz) + spices (2 tbsp each paprika, garlic powder, poultry seasoning, 1 tbsp S&P). BUY (Wed Ringgold, on the way home from Barnsley):5 lb potatoes (~0.45/person for mash), 2 lb green beans (fresh or 2 cans), 2 cans biscuits (8ct each = 16), 1 lb butter, 1 qt milk.
Recipe
Soak chicken in buttermilk 1–2 hrs (or overnight if there's a slow morning) — tenderizes and helps the coating stick.
Mix panko + spices in a wide bowl. Preheat ovens to 425°F.
Dredge each piece, press coating on firmly, lay skin-side-up on parchment-lined sheet pans, spaced apart (don't crowd — it steams instead of crisping).
Bake ~35–40 min, flip at the 20-min mark for even crisping (no racks on site). Done at 165°F internal.
Mash: boil cubed potatoes 15 min, drain, mash with butter + warm milk. Green beans: steam or sauté 8–10 min. Pop biscuits in the last 12 min of the chicken bake.
Cook
Spread across the 3 cabin ovens to keep batches from crowding.
Low-sodium
Coat a few pieces with a salt-free coating portion; mash a plain scoop before salting the pot.
Thu · Jul 9 · Ocoee day ✅
Low & Slow Pulled Pork
⚡ hands-off👥 Family B🕐 cooks all day while you're on the river
Why here
Thursday's the longest day away from base camp — leave ~8:45 AM CT, back ~4:00 PM CT. The slow cooker runs unattended the whole stretch and is ready when you walk in. No rushing back from the river for dinner prep.
Buy — 11 people
BUY (Sunday group run):2 bone-in pork shoulders (~7–8 lb each, 14–16 lb raw → ~7–8 lb cooked, generous for 11 + leftovers), 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 cup chicken broth, 1 bottle BBQ sauce (28oz), 1 jar dill pickles. BRING (SAT Costco, dry): rub spices (1/4 cup each: brown sugar, smoked paprika; 2 tbsp each: garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, dry mustard; 1 tsp cayenne). BUY (Wed Ringgold, on the Barnsley drive home — fresher than buying days ahead):2 dozen brioche buns (1.5–2/person), 2 bags coleslaw mix (14oz each) + dressing fixings.
Recipe
Wed night: mix the dry rub, pat shoulders dry, coat all sides generously, wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Thu ~8:30 AM CT (before the 8:45 leave-by): one shoulder per crock — fat-cap up, pour broth + vinegar around (not over) the rub. Crock on low. Home ~4 PM CT = 7.5 hrs on low — perfectly tender.
When home: shred with two forks, discard excess fat/bone, mix in enough cooking liquid to keep it moist.
Sauce lightly and toss, leaving extra sauce on the side.
Slaw: toss mix with dressing 30 min ahead; serve on the sandwich or alongside.
Low-sodium
Set aside ~1.5 lb plain pulled pork before any sauce; she sauces her own portion.
Fri · Jul 10 · last night
🍽 Dinner Out #2 — Downtown
🕐 after Lookout
Plan
Lookout drops you into St. Elmo at its base — roll straight in, no backtrack. Little Coyote (Michelin Bib Gourmand smoked meats) leads; Alleia for a splurge. See Dining Out below; reserve a big top once confirmed.
Note
Clear the fridge before departure Saturday — a leftovers breakfast/lunch Friday–Saturday mops up extras.
Dining Out — Browse & Vote
weighted to critics (Michelin / James Beard); crowd-favorites flagged
🍴 Two nights out, anchored to where you already are. Sunday you finish the downtown walking tour (these sit downtown / North Shore — a walk or short hop). Friday you come down off Lookout (these are at its base in St. Elmo / Southside — no backtrack). Tap any card to browse the menu, then the group can vote. Reserve early for 11 wherever reservations are taken.
🚶 Sunday · after the walking tour · downtown & North Shore
Main Street Meats$$
Lead pick
Michelin Recommended · chef Erik Niel (JB ×2)
Bustling butcher-restaurant. Local beef burger & roasted chicken land under $25; the butcher steaks are the stretch. Treats a big table like regulars.
Southside · ~5 min from downtown · Sun till 9 · call ahead for 11
The Terry Black's-style move for a big group: order at the counter, grab your own seats — no menus-and-one-server bottleneck. Brisket's the calling card, scratch sides.
North Shore, by the Walnut St Bridge · Sun till 9 · counter-service, no reservation
French-Southern with a serious raw bar, shareable plates. The dressy first-night option — bigger plates run over $25, maybe much for a crew that's been walking all day.
West Village · ~6-min walk from downtown · reserve for 11
🪨 Friday · coming down off Lookout · St. Elmo & Southside
Little Coyote$$
Lead pick · the BBQ answer
Michelin Bib Gourmand · chef Erik Niel
Smoked brisket, beef ribs & carnitas on house-made tortillas — value-priced, and at the base of Lookout where you come off the mountain. Smoked meats sell out daily, so arrive early.
low-effort by design · 11 people, 7 mornings (Sun–Sat)
🍳 Breakfast — self-serve
5–6 dozen eggs (~2/person on scrambled mornings × 3–4 such mornings), 3–4 lb bacon (2 strips/person × 2–3 bacon mornings), 2 loaves bread/bagels, 2 boxes cereal + 1 canister oatmeal, big fruit bowl restocked at each grocery stop, 2 large yogurt tubs, 1/2 gal juice, 2 gal milk. Fresh/dairy items come from the Kimball Walmart run; cereal/oatmeal can ride dry from SAT. One person scrambles a big batch on slower mornings; cereal/bagels on early-out days (Ocoee, Barnsley).
🥪 Lunch — packed coolers + a couple out
Day trips get a cooler: 2 lb deli meat, 1 lb sliced cheese (both from Kimball), bread/wraps, PB&J fixings (dry, from SAT), chips, fruit, 1 box granola bars. Ocoee & Barnsley — pack a cooler or use the on-site café/resort dining. Foster Falls — picnic at the swimming hole. Downtown walking tour — lunch out, plenty of options.
🥤 Snacks & drinks
3 bags chips, crackers, hummus, trail mix, cookies; 2 cases water, La Croix, soda; 1 case Gatorade/electrolytes earmarked for the Ocoee day. All dry — rides from SAT Costco. See the Wine, Beer & Liquor section above for the alcohol plan.
Shopping Lists
SAT dry goods · Kimball does the heavy lifting · two small local stops
🛒 SAT Costco — dry goods only
Thu Jul 2 · Markells · no freezing, nothing perishable
answered by Emily (host) · this sets what to bring
✅ Emily came through. The cabins are lightly equipped, but she's pulling extras from storage. The headlines: crock pots & cast iron are covered; the boil pot is the one real gap; and you'll bring all the consumables (foil, wrap, bags, charcoal).
🏠 On site (across 3 cabins)
confirmed by the host
In the cabins
3 full-size ovens · 4-burner stove each (12 burners)
2 sheet pans per cabin (6 total)
1 large 5-qt pot per cabin (3 total)
2 large non-stick skillets per cabin (6)
Pam spray + salt & pepper only
Camping charcoal grills + grill tools (no gas)
Emily pulling from storage
2–3 mid-size crock pots (~5–6 qt)
2 × 10″ cast-iron skillets
6-ft folding table + big outdoor glass table at Hummingbird
Not on site
No stock pot / Dutch oven / propane burner
No wire racks, no butcher paper
No foil / wrap / bags / spices beyond S&P
🎒 Bring / buy (the gaps)
SAT pre-load · Dollar General 5 mi as backup
The boil pot — #1 gap
Propane boil pot / turkey-fryer stand (ideal — one-pot, frees the stove)
…or plan to split the boil across the three 5-qt pots
Consumables
Heavy-duty foil, plastic wrap, gallon zip bags
Parchment paper (chicken bakes on it — no racks)
Butcher paper roll (or use the glass table)
Charcoal ×2 bags + chimney starter + fire cubes
All spices/oil beyond S&P (already in pre-load)
Covered — don't pack
Crock pots ✓ · cast iron ✓ · grill tools ✓
Boil dump-table ✓ (Hummingbird glass table)
🔧 What this changes, meal by meal: Pulled pork → one shoulder per crock (Emily's 2–3 cover it). Smash burgers → on the cast irons. Chicken → bake on parchment-lined sheet pans, flip halfway (no racks). Boil → bring the propane pot or split across the three 5-qt pots; dump on the Hummingbird glass table. Arrival burgers → charcoal grill (pack a chimney starter) with the cast irons as backup for 11.