Reelfoot Lake

Having decided to upgrade our camping sleeping gear we needed to try out the new digs.  We went from a small 2-man tent and air mattress to a 6-man tent measuring 12ft x 7ft with a vestibule and cots.  The first weekend of April was promising to be sunny and warm so we headed north to Reelfoot Lake.  The lake was created during the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811-1812 when the ground subsided dramatically.  Today it is home to great fishing, boating, scenery, and wildlife.  This trip was during the wrong time of year, but the lake is best known for its large numbers of nesting bald eagles.

Unexpected Surprise…Covington, TN

We passed a store on Hwy 51 near Covington, TN called Stockdale’s with signage indicating it was “America’s Rural Outfitter”.  We had to stop.  This store was dog friendly so Dutch got to join us as we tooled around the aisles. There was lots of stuff for the farm and a whole section for horses.  Not needing a saddle, we headed back up the road.  It’s because of this stop, really, that we decided to check out the rest of Covington; after all it is the birth place of Isaac Hayes.  It is also the site where the controversial Confederate cavalry leader Nathan Bedford Forrest made his last public address to the 7^th Tennessee Cavalry in 1876. The Nature Center & Veteran’s Memorial (751 Bert Johnston Ave) has a plaque and canon commemorating that event.

We parked at the town square of Covington and found that it was full of cute shops that were actually open.  When exploring rural areas you get used to seeing old courthouse squares surrounded by Monday through Friday business offices placed between long ago shut down storefronts.  We grabbed Dutch and stepped out onto the street to find that the courthouse had music playing and the current selection was The Doors….odd.

He also owned a football team by the same name.

We walked around snapping photos and happened upon an old “Clarence Saunders:  Sole Owner of My Name” painted sign in a back alley of a shop that faces East Court Square.  This was very exciting to us as Clarence Saunders was the founder of the modern grocery store with his first store in downtown Memphis not far from where we live.  The store was called Piggly Wiggly!!  When he went bankrupt he lost the rights to the store name.  Deciding never again would he lose control of his brand he created another chain of stores called "Clarence Saunders Sole Owner of My Name Stores".  Clarence Saunders was something of an eccentric genius worthy of further reading, and local Memphian Mike Freeman wrote “Clarence Saunders & the Founding of Piggly Wiggly:  The Rise and Fall of a Memphis Maverick” that you can purchase directly on Mike’s website.

Around the next corner we encountered Bukaroo Hatters and were intrigued but did not step inside.  Their website says that they make custom made cowboy and fedora hats.  We did however step inside Upscale Resale with Dutch in arms.  We always ask if it is okay to bring Dutch inside and most small private owned businesses are fine with it.  The shop was full of resale antiques, newer restored furniture items, and crafts.  A few more pictures of cool historic theaters and then we moved on towards Ripley Tennessee.

Between Covington and Ripley we passed through Henning.  We had visited Henning on a previous road trip so we did not stop this time, but it is worth mentioning.  You can visit the boyhood home of Alex Haley who was the author of Roots (200 South Church Street).  The previous road trip to this area was due to a visit to Fort Pillow State Park which has lots of nice hiking trails.  This is the site of an engagement during the Civil War that is still generating controversy today.  Confederate forces under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest reportedly massacred African American Union soldiers who had surrendered.   It is amazing to walk around this park and see the large earthwork fortifications.  It is difficult to comprehend how humans in 1861 were able to move so much earth to make this fort.

Ripley

The main purpose of a stop in Ripley is that a young teenager from Nutbush Tennessee named Anna Mae Bullock went to work for two years as a domestic in this town.  We missed the short drive over to Nutbush to see Anna Mae’s original hometown.  She later became better known as the fabulous Tina Turner.  In Ripley there was a very well painted town square.  The most interesting site was the art deco Lauderdale County Courthouse.   We then quickly moved on towards Dyersburg because by this time we were all getting very hungry.  Eighties beefcake stuntman turned actor Miles O’Keeffe was born here.  He is probably most famous for his role as Tarzan or for his part in the MST3K spoofed “Cave Dwellers”.  Joel asks ‘How much Keefe is in this movie anyway?’ to which Tom Servo answers “Miles O’Keeffe”.

Dyersburg

"You gonna eat that fry?"

The first priority when entering Dyersburg was finding food.  We quickly pulled out a phone app and started looking for options.  We decided on BBQ and hit Hog Heaven (1320 Shelby Drive).  We were not too impressed but we are picky about BBQ after living in Memphis and Kansas City the past 4 years.  They did have very good sweet tea and very nice servers.  No outdoor space so we copped a squat on the curb to eat outside with Dutch. 

Shane was most excited about seeing the final resting place of General Strahl at the Old City Cemetery.  We drove around trying to locate it for some time, and finally found it at the corner of Liberty Ave. and Court St. just east of Hwy 51.  Shane actually had no idea who General Strahl was but just wanted to see the large cannon at his gravesite.  It was cast in 1820 and was originally a main deck gun on the USS Independence during the Mexican American War.  We were saddened by the obvious vandalism shown by gravestones that had been toppled over and the sign warning against this crime. 

A short stop at the Kroger on Hwy 78 for camping supplies and then we moved on to our next stop.  A brief detour on State Route 182 and a turn into the Lakewood subdivision we found the Lenox Bridge at its new home.  The bridge was constructed in 1917 and is the last remaining hand-cranked swing span pony pratt bridge in the country.  We aren’t sure what all that means except that, according to the plaque, when a steam boat sounded it’s whistle four men would rush out onto the bridge, and using a large key inserted into a receptacle, would begin cranking away.  This action would swing open the bridge allowing the vessel to pass by.  The bridge was relocated to this park for preservation in 1988.

Tiptonville

Remember theses prices??

Tiptonville is the birthplace of Carl Perkins, “The King of Rockabilly” and the museum with his boyhood home can be found on your way into town.  You may not know who he is, but be assured his influence on Rock and Roll is immeasurable.  He is most famous for writing “Blue Suede Shoes”.

Son of a sharecropper.

We drove a few miles to the end of Route 22 near the Kentucky border to a small confederate grave site and a marker commemorating the surrender of Confederate forces at Island Number 10 which has long been washed away by the Great Mississippi.  This event opened up the way for Grant’s siege of Vicksburg and eventual Union control of the entire Mississippi River. 

On to a quiet night of camping by the lake…

Always have a backup plan.

Just east of Tiptonville is our final destination for the day…Reelfoot Lake.  We had visions of camping the night by the lake in the peace and quiet of rural Tennessee and thought that during Easter Weekend the Reelfoot Lake State Park would be almost empty.  We were so wrong.  We pulled into the State Park and found it packed with happy families carrying fishing poles and grilling burgers and obviously all the lake front sites were taken.  We almost gave up on the idea of camping and were dreading the long drive back to Memphis, but then Shane remembered he saw another campsite on the other side of the Lake.  So we drove the 8 miles to the North Shore of the lake to Airpark Area Campground.  The Inn located on the site appeared to have been closed for years, but the campsites were perfect.  We didn’t have a view of the lake but we had a secluded primitive campsite which we wanted for a restful evening.

So much for 'rest and relaxation'.

Shane agreed to set up camp if I would go hunt for firewood.  I didn’t realize how long I was gone until I got back to camp and realized that Shane wasn’t there.  Shane was actually out hunting for me because he was scared I had fallen onto our new ax in the woods somewhere dying a slow painful death.  Chopping wood for a fire seems fun at first until you are exhausted and covered in sweat.

Campsite set up and fire going, we started on dinner.  We had an upgraded tent and wanted to also upgrade dinner so we had steak and veggie kabobs.  The new tent provided for a much better sleeping arrangement although Kevin still had difficulty due to the howling of some terrifying creatures in the night.  At least Dutch and Shane were rested.

Reelfoot Lake is well known for its large number of nesting bald eagles that are best seen during January and February.  We did at least see one bald eagle soaring high around the lake.  If you aren’t into camping there are multiple cabin rentals around the lake that you can investigate.

After breaking camp we had a convenience store breakfast at a Little General Store with a sign reading "No Open Carry", (as in keep your gun concealed or in the car) on the window to make us feel safe.  We then headed a tad west for a trip home via a different route for new small towns to explore.

The long road home...

We weren't brave enough to walk it.

Hornbeak, Troy, and Obion provided small town charm; we didn’t expect much from these small communities except great scenery on our drive back to Memphis.  The town of Obion formerly had Hwy 3 connecting it to nearby Trimble to its south.  The bridge was out, and appeared to be so permanently.  Luckily, this lead us back onto Hwy 51 where we spotted from a distance what appeared to be a rather large Confederate flag.

Take that Madison County

Indeed, Trimble is home to (according to the two gentlemen landscaping around the site) the largest Confederate flag in the state of Tennessee.  It is located near Pierce cemetery just outside of town.  You truly can’t miss it.  The highlight of Trimble was located in Parks Plaza by the water tower, a wooden covered bridge built ca. 1904.  It represents only one of four historic bridges in TN and the only one in the western portion of the state. 

Recessive genes in Tennessee

A case for false advertising.

Next, our trip brought us to Kenton, home of the albino squirrel.  Supposedly, only 6 communities in the US have significant populations of albino squirrels.  Kenton is at the top of that list.  We were quite excited to arrive at the town park boasting to be “Home of the Albino Squirrel”, nearly half an hour walking around yielded a distant view of only one boring grey squirrel.  Before giving up, Kevin opted to tour around town hoping our luck would change.  It seems the squirrels prefer the hustle and bustle of town to the quite of the park, we spotted several frolicking about.  And yes, there were true albinos.

King of the Wild Frontier

Anachronism

'Kilt him a b'ar when he was only three'

It’s not easy to top albino squirrels, but a short drive into Rutherford comes close.  This small town boasts being the last home of frontiersman and folk hero Davy Crockett.  Located at 219 N. Trenton St. is a reproduction of his home, constructed of salvaged timbers from his actual cabin.  During his stay here he reportedly killed over 100 bears and even more daunting a task stood toe-to-toe, as a Congressman, against Andrew Jackson.  He lived at this home until 1835; he would die at the Alamo March 6, 1836.  The museum containing artifacts from that era was closed due to the Easter holiday, but his mother’s gravesite is located on the premises.

I can’t drive, um, 31

Oddly specific.

Our last stop is Trenton, TN famous for its speed limit signs warning not to exceed 31 mph.  The only evidence as to why this prime number was chosen comes from an anecdote from the roadsideamerica.com website stating that some decades ago the mayor and aldermen couldn’t decide on 30 or 35 mph so they compromised on 31.  Trenton also boasts the world’s largest teapot collection, which the town celebrates with an annual spring Teapot Festival.

Leaving Trenton we headed toward Jackson, TN.  The area around Jackson has several sites worthy of a stop, which he had done before, but we headed on home to Memphis.  Besides it was getting late and Dutch was exhausted.

Check out the Reelfoot Road Trip Gallery

     

Meriwether Lewis and the Natchez Trace

Dutch isn't impressed with history

Since moving to Memphis I've been infatuated with the Natchez Trace, the 444-mile scenic by-way stretching from Nashville, TN to Natchez, MS. Originally a migratory path for buffalo and other animals and later a trade route for Native Americans and frontiersmen. Goods would be loaded aboard crude flat boats and floated down to Natchez or New Orleans on the Mississippi river. After the goods were traded and the flatboat sold for lumber the arduous task of getting home began. Many early Americans walked or, if they were lucky, went by horse along this route.

Toward the end of March we recently headed east to go explore the Tennessee portion of the trace. We had traveled Interstate 40 on several occasions, it's the only major east-west route across the state, it passes through the TN's three largest cities.  Travel on I-40 is rarely fun, but often thrilling; owing to the numerous big rigs you encounter.

First stop

Too bad it's someone else's silver lining...

Just outside of Jackson we hop off the interstate and begin on State Route 20 headed to Linden, TN, population 1015. As luck would have it we arrived in time for the annual Blooming Arts Festival, featuring local artists and craftsmen. That's about as far as our luck would go it seems. Clouds began rolling in in earnest as we crossed the Duck river.  A small storm system tracked directly above us for most of the day. You can actually see the blue sky and sunshine that someone else got to enjoy. A quick check of the radar showed us it wouldn't last long which was a relief as our plans centered around camping that night. Why not wait out the rain while having lunch? We try very hard to eat somewhere locally, thankfully there are resources and apps out there that make the task a little easier.  We settled on the Rusty Fish Hook.  Sweet tea, some amazing fried cat fish, and the Weather Channel on t.v. Seems we weren't the only ones with a plan. After lunch we headed to the festival, the rain never completely ended so the camera stayed in the car.  The festival was a wonderful mix of ages and cultures including Amish crafts and baked goods.  We are suckers for locally produced items. Whether it's canned goods, pickled products, or in this case pottery. Kevin spent much time debating whether or not to buy a handmade mug from Pottery by Robyn (Robyn Neubauer) from Paris, TN. He finally left me and Dutch by the town square to go back for the mug, but he returned instead with a bowl. Afterwards we stocked up on essential camping supplies (marshmallows and hot dogs) and headed farther east past Hohenwald to Meriwether Lewis State Park.

Meriwether Lewis and Grinder House

Memorial over Lewis' remains, 1848.

Meriwether Lewis Park, located at milepost 385.9 on the Natchez Trace Parkway is the site of Lewis' mysterious death and final resting place. Lewis (of Lewis and Clark Expedition fame) was traveling the Trace headed to Washington DC when he and several companions stopped for the night at Grinder House.  In the early morning hours on October 11, 1809 he would be discovered with several gunshot wounds in his room. He died a few hours later and was buried in a pioneer graveyard nearby.  In 1848, Tennessee erected a monument to the former explorer, a broken column representing a life cut short.

One of the many pioneer graves.

Grinder house stones

An inscription reading: Immaturus obi: sed tu felicior annos Vive meos, Bona Republica! Viva tuos (I died young: but thou, O Good Republic, live out my years for me with better fortune.) can be seen at the base of the memorial.  All that remains of the Grinder house are a few foundation stones and a replica building that serves as the park office and a small exhibit room.  There are also some nice hiking trails throughout the park that are short but scenic.  One near the campsite follows along Little Swan Creek and then meets up with a section of the original Natchez Trace.  

After some photos it was time to setup camp.  The campground was located a short distance from the memorial. We pulled out our small 2-man tent while everyone around us had campers and RV's of various sizes. Well, we're roughing it, pioneer style. Pioneers had air mattresses right?  During an ill-fated camping trip back in September we discovered that the tent rain fly had been packed in to a friend's tent.  It was a clear night and we were 3 hours from home so we risked it without the protection.  Several lessons were learned: 1) never trust the weather to stay the same 2) always check your gear before heading out 3) packing up camp at 2 a.m. with a torrential downpour threatening and driving several hours home, is in no way enjoyable.  This time we were prepared, a small tarp and some paracord would do the trick. Plus, I got to use a bowline knot and a taught line hitch.  People using RV's don't get the opportunity to hone useful skills like that!

Dutch holding down the fort.

With the tent pitched an the all important festival chairs set up all that was lacking was a roaring fire.  I was excited to get to use my Swedish Firesteel ferrocerium fire starter.  Generating dozens of sparks at several thousand degrees Fahrenheit how could it not start a fire?  After 5 minutes I reverted to the tried and true method of the Zippo.  Wet, unseasoned fire wood would make a having a roaring fire a challenge.

Tonight, we dine like kings.

Kevin successfully scavenged enough dead fall to provide a means of cooking dinner.  Camp set, fire started, dinner prepared, and marshmallows successfully toasted.  Time for bed, tomorrow will be a long day.  Next morning we broke camp after a less than restful night.  A 2-man tent and air mattress for two grown men and a dog with lower than expected temperatures doesn't make for good slumber.  We may need to upgrade our accommodations.

Hitting the trail, a southern detour... 

At mile post 382.8 the pioneer trail is crossed by the Buffalo river at Metal ford, so named because of the stone river bed resembling "metaled" (stone laid) roads.  There's a trail that leads to McLish's stand, the brochure doesn't mention that you have to actually ford the river to get to it.  We have a strict policy of no river fording before 9 a.m., especially brisk moving frigid waters. Nearby you can follow a trail made from the mill trace that diverted water to the furnace of Steele's Iron works.  Nothing is left of the operation except the slag (by-product of the ore smelting process).  Supposedly there is a pile of it, we couldn't find it, maybe it was under the poison ivy?  The furnace stood here around the 1820's, interesting to see that evidence of it is still visible. A mile further south (mp381.8) brought us to Napier mine, an open pit mine that provided much of the ore for the iron works.

Headed to Nashville...

Don't disturb the Balrog!

First stop on the northern trek is at milepost 390.7, an old phosphate mine that's  now collapsed.  Not much detail in the brochure about it, but a small plaque informs you that the phosphate layers in the limestone came from shellfish deposits 400 million years ago.  If it's on a government plaque it must be true.  Looking down into the dark, seemingly interminable tunnel, Kevin summed it up best with "That scares the bajeezus outta me".  We spotted some trillium and a few emerging ferns, Spring is an excellent time to be on the trail.

Fall Hollow Waterfall

After picking up someone's beer cans that were thrown down a few feet from the trash can we moved on to Fall Hollow (mp 391.9).  A quick trail along a stream that leads to some tucked away waterfalls.  Shoes with plenty of traction are beneficial, the trail is wet, rock, and steep in places.  Someone left their jeans on a handrail near the falls.  Guess we'll never know why.  Much time was spent honing camera skills trying to capture the perfect shot of the waterfalls until Kevin and Dutch were both giving the evil eye and wanted to move on.

Conopholis americana

Two miles up the road you come across Devil's Backbone State Natural Area (mp 394).  Not too long of a hike, going along a ridge of the Tennessee Highland Rim sloping down about 200 feet then back up.  Grab a snack and some water, it's almost lunch time.  Lot's of vegetation, which changes depending on if you're along the ridge or down in the valley.  One of the more noticeable plants we spotted was Conopholis americana a non-photosynthesizing plant that parasitizes the roots of certain trees (no, not labeled but Google can be very informative).  Cool.  A small stream offered me and Dutch a chance to test out our crawfish catching skills.  If only he had invited a few dozen of his friends along.  



No crawfish were harmed in
the making of this road trip



Mile post 400.2 is Sheboss Place where an inn once stood, now there's just an interpretive sign regarding the origins of the name.  Driving on to the Tobacco Farm at mp 401.4 we find an exhibit explaining the tobacco growing process and an old barn where tobacco would be hung up by hand to cure.  That brought back some fond childhood memories.  There is also a 2 mile north bound section of the Old Trace that can be driven down. 

Baker Bluff Overlook

Jackson Falls (mp 404.7) is only 40 miles from the Trace's terminus south of Nashville, we start noticing an increase in people.  The falls are named after Andrew Jackson, who is entombed along with his wife at his estate, The Hermitage, northeast of Nashville.  I don't think he would be to happy lending his namesake to a former stream that was hijacked by the nearby Duck river into becoming a tributary.  A short board walk leads down to a pool fed by the falls, where we notice some teenagers yelling and carrying on, climbing all over the rocks and letting their dog run around off leash. Grumpy and hungry, I grab up Dutch and head back to the parking lot. Kevin snaps a few photos. We're hungry and grumpy.  A sign indicates that a 'gentle' 1/4 mile walk will lead us to an overlook of the Duck river.  Gentle it was not, a gradual incline of most of the trail then a steep decent led to the parking lot that you could have driven to.  This was Baker Bluff Overlook at mp 405.1.  Did I mention we were hungry and grumpy?

He had friends in high places.

To get travelers across the Duck river John Gordon operated a ferry near mile post 407.7.  The house standing here was built ca. 1818.  Sadly, it was boarded up and locked.  He was a captain under Jackson and a friend.  This house was one of the first brick dwellings built on the Trace.  There was a short walk down to the ferry site on the river, we opted to skip this. 

Detour to Columbia, TN



Two hungry travelers

About 30 minutes east of the Natchez Trace Parkway is the town of Columbia, TN, and there was no way I was going to pass up a chance to visit.  Plus we were getting desperate at this point for food, we need to start packing a lunch.  Why Columbia?  The only remaining home (other than the White House) of James K. Polk, our 11th president, is in this town.  My high school US history teacher was obsessed with the presidency of Polk, maintaining that he was our best president.  This detour is exciting!  First, we make a stop at Betty's Parkway Restaurant, which promised the best burgers in Maury County.  More importantly they had a table outside.  The hardest part about traveling with Dutch is finding a place to eat, sometimes we just get it to go and cop a squat nearby.  If it isn't too hot or cold we'll leave him in the car, but isn't that just the saddest thing?  Anyway, it was way too hot today to consider that.  Kevin goes in to order, since it's Tennessee we can't get a beer and drink it outside.  Their menu warns that the 12 ounce gourmet burger is never precooked and that it can take 30 minutes to prepare.  Thank goodness for appetizers.  The staff was beyond nice, the burger came out well before the half-hour mark, and it was HUGE.  Turns out, it was one of the better burgers I've had recently.

James K. Polk House

On to the home of 'Young Hickory'.  The house built ca. 1816 in the Federal style is located at 301 W. 7th St.  Admission to get in was $7, not a bad price, though we opted just to walk around the outside since the day was wearing on and we still had several stops on the Trace to hit.  And we had Dutch, who attempted to hike his leg on James K. Polk's home.....guess we know how he feels about the annexation of Texas.  Columbia is really deserving of more time, there were many more beautiful historic homes.  It's home to the annual Mule Day celebrations, several movies have been filmed here, and it's the headquarters of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

The Tennessee Valley Divide.

Back on the Parkway, a little over 15 miles further north of Gordon House we arrive at the Tennessee Valley Divide (mp 423.9).  There's not a whole lot to see here other than a plaque.  What's fascinating about this location is that it marks the 1796 boundary between the US and Chickasaw Nation.  Also streams on the south side flow south to the Duck and Tennessee rivers, streams on the north side flow north toward Nashville emptying into the Cumberland River.

The Last Stretch

Burn's Branch (mp 425.4) would be a nice stop for a picnic lunch, or just a place to rest.  It offered a horse trail and a crystal clear stream to relax by.  Garrison Creek (mp 427.6), named for a nearby Army post from the early 1800's, probably had the most people we had seen on the trail.  This is not surprising given the proximity to Nashville.  Here you had access to restrooms and a short trail to a scenic overlook.  The portion of the trail near the creek was nice, but the overlook was becoming blocked by emerging saplings and the view wasn't as spectacular as some of the others on the trail, skip this if you're pressed for time.  Though the view was less than spectacular I did spot a Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) in bloom on the way back down the trail to the car.  It's one of my favorite wildflowers, and is easily identified, although I had never actually seen one in the wild. 

The Terminus

Located at mile post 438.0, 6 miles south of the end of the Parkway, is Birdsong Hollow.  The key feature here being an impressive 155 feet high bridge spanning the 1,600 feet wide valley.  We had seen this in pictures prior to the trip and were looking forward to seeing it in person.  This award winning, double arch bridge illustrates that man-made structures can be integrated into surroundings in an artistic and functional way.  The bridge really seemed to compliment the surrounding scenery rather than being an eyesore of asphalt and concrete.  On the north side after we crossed the bridge we came across the parking area with access to a path down to the bridge with a view of the valley below.  If you are uncomfortable with heights know that the path doesn't have guardrails.  Kevin, who does not like heights, claims he probably wouldn't have been able to drive over the bridge had he seen it from this vantage point beforehand.  The Natchez Trace Parkway ends when it intersects with TN Hwy. 100 just south of Nashville.  We then made our way over to I40 and headed west back to Memphis as we planned how we might be able to see more of the Trace on another trip.  This trip only covered about 62 miles of the 444 miles.....imagine walking!!

Natchez Trace Parkway gallery

Being a traveler not a tourist

Our trusty VW Golf TDI.

The purpose of this blog is primarily a means to document the road trips that we enjoy taking. Kevin's training has taken us all over, from SC where we lived and met, to New Orleans, to Kansas City, to Memphis, and soon back to Kansas City. As soon as we settle in we start trying to emulate the locals, and learn as much about the history and culture of our new city as possible. One of the best aspects of any city are the small towns that surround it and make up much of the rest of the area, the history they hold, the unexpected oddities they preserve. Sadly, most of our road trips are becoming random pictures with vague memories attached to them. So as time and one too many margaritas ravish our minds, we create this as an effort to chronicle some of the best times we've ever had out in the middle of nowhere.

Also, as Kevin nears the completion of his training, 15 years worth, but who's counting, we are planning a once-in-a-lifetime epic road trip. Totaling roughly 4,500 miles and 13 states, give or take. The idea being to use this blog to keep friends and family who are interested up to date on our comings and goings as we traverse our vast nation. Oh yeah, and Dutch will be there riding shotgun.