Land Between the Lakes and More Civil War Battles

Tuesday March 28 – Lexington Ky to Land between the Lakes KY

We were in no hurry to leave as the trip to Land Between the Lakes is 248 miles, about 4 hours of driving time. And will will gain on hour when we cross back into central time. The road we took is I-69 which is also referred to as the Bluegrass Parkway. What a wonderful road! It is a divided limited access highway and this day there was very little traffic. I also noticed the lack of billboards which was really nice. The Redbuds were in bloom and where showing there stuff the entire route. Our destination was Hillman Ferry Campground in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) and we arrived there mid afternoon which gave us plenty of time to find our site and settle in before dark.

Where we are parked: Hillman Ferry Campground in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area KY, Area C, Site 19, $22/night ($28 minus $6 with the Geezer card), water and 50 amp electric, no sewer but they have a dump station. All the sites are gravel however there is a lot of elevation changes through out the park with many pads perched on the side of hills. We were able to get a first come first served site on the water. However the lake was drawn down so the water level was low.

Wednesday March 29-Land Between the Lakes - temps: High 70º, Low 54º

Today we went into Calvert City to get some parts for the camper. We have been having problems with the hydraulic system for the slides and level up system. The pump has been shutting down while operating the slides and landing gear. Dennis reached out to the RV Facebook groups and they suggested some things to check and a possible fix. We headed into town to get some hydraulic fluid since it was low and a electric breaker. Also stopped to pick a few groceries. We went a different way back to the camper which took us past the LBL visitor center. We stopped there and spent some tome going through the museum on the history of the area.

The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is a natural paradise bounded on the west by Kentucky Lake which was created by damming the Tennessee River and on the east by Lake Barkley which was created by damming the Cumberland River. It is 170,000 acres of forest and open lands with camping, hunting, fishing, off-highway vehicle riding, horseback riding in addition to miles of trails for hiking and biking. There is approximately 300 miles of shoreline within the park boundaries. The park has dedicated itself to restoring some of the natural flora and fauna of the area including reintroducing bison and elk to the area.

We left the visitor center and traveled a short distance down the road to the Elk and Bison Prairie. It cost $5 to enter. A paved road takes you through the prairie. There was a small herd of bison right next to the road and eagle eye Dennis spotted some elk way off in the distance through the trees. We returned to the camper via the Woodland Trace road which runs the entire length of the park from north to south.

Bison

Redbud Flowers

Thursday March 30- LBL - temps: High 76º, Low 49º

Today we planned to visit another Civil War battlefield located at the southern end of LBL. I made a pot of soup in the pressure cooker then we headed out. Our destination was the Fort Donalson Battlefield located near Dover TN. This was another pivot-able battle in the war. Fort Donalson along with Fort Henry were constructed by the Confederacy to guard the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers from Union invasion. Fort Donaldson was especially strategic as it guarded the Cumberland River and access to Nashville which was a major supply hub for the southern armies.

In the beginning of February 1862 the Union Army sent troops and steel gun boats to attack Fort Henry which was taken easily. This fort is no longer visible today as it was submerged with the creation of Kentucky Lake. After the capture of Fort Henry the gunboats steamed down the Tennessee River and up the Cumberland River and arrived at Fort Donalson in mid February. The gunboats started firing on Fort Donaldson however because of it's height above the river the gunboats were ineffective. The battle for this fort would be fought on land over the next two days and was ultimately won by the Union Army. With the capture of Fort Henry and Donalson the Union now had control over a major portion of Tennessee and could severely disrupt confederate supply lines.

Fort Donalson Gun Batteries overlooking the Cumberland River

Dover Hotel - Confederate Headquarters

Union Cemetery in Dover

Lexington and Road to the Horse

Thursday March 23 thru Monday March 27 - Lexington KY

It was a little cool here when we arrived but starting Thursday thru the weekend the high temps have been in the high 70's to low 80's. Today's high temperature was around 70. Currently we are under a severe storm watch with lines of storms heading our way. The campground host came around earlier this afternoon to let us know about the storms and that the bath house is a storm shelter. Hopefully we do not have to use it.

Its been a busy five days. We spent Thursday getting settled on our site and taking walks and bike rides around the campground and the Horse Park. I went to watch some of the Road to the Horse events being offered on Thursday. We were keeping in touch with Sheila and Mom as they began there trip to meet us here. They left Sheboygan in early afternoon and got as far as Lafayette IN were they stopped for the night. They continued on Friday morning and arrived here around 1:00 which allowed Mom and I to see the opening ceremonies for the Road to the Horse at 2:00.

There were three rounds of competition for the Road to the Horse. The first was on Friday, second round on Saturday with the final round on Sunday. We watched round 1 and 2 along with some of the drill team competitions and other presentations. Mom, Sheila, Henry and I spent some time exploring the Kentucky Horse Park on Saturday. Henry had lots of fun petting the horses and having his picture taken.

Sunday morning Mom woke up and did not feel well. We had already planned to go to their hotel (the Baymont Inn in Georgetown) so we could take Henry swimming. So Dennis and I headed over. Sheila and I swam with Henry while we gave Mom a chance to see if she was going to feel better. Afterward Dennis and Sheila left to go to Buffalo Trace Distillery. Sheila and Mom needed to do some wash so I waited with Mom at the hotel until it was finished. Mom and I then headed back to the camper. Mom was feeling better but was not quit ready to go to the arena so I went myself. I missed the first part of the final round. Mom came over at the beginning of the last competitor.

Sheila, Mom and Henry stayed at the camper until 8 o'clock or so and then went back to the hotel. They left Goergetown around 8 a.m. the next morning and drove straight through to Sheboygan. They arrived there around 4:30. Mom will head back to Chippewa Falls Tuesday morning.

It was disappointing that Mom got sick and missed so much of the event. However she was very happy she came and saw as much as she did. We both really enjoyed the event and it was awesome to see Mom, Sheila and Henry! Great weekend all around.

A few photos from Road to the Horse:

Fun with Henry:

Sequatchie Valley and on to Lexington

Tuesday March 21 - Chattanooga - Temps: High 82º, Low 54º

A front moved through last night bringing storms including a tornado warning in an area to the west of us. I was pretty nervous for a while but everything turned out fine. There was some wind and lots of rain but nothing too serious. At one point we noticed the microwave had turned off. It turned out the power went out in the area and we did not even notice as the lights are all on 12-volt. By the time we got up in the morning the power was back on.

Today we took a scenic drive in the Sequatchie Valley. The valley and the Seisquatchi River are nestled between the Cumberland Plateau and the Walden Ridge and runs from Jasper at its south end to Crossville at the north. At times we were in the valley but then took side routes up on to the ridges and plateaus on either side. We drove through Signal Mountain, Powells Crossroad and Pikeville. We also explored Fall Creek Falls State Park. Wow! This is a state park on steroids. It is 26,000 acre park sprawled across the top of the Cumberland Plateau and boasts the tallest falls in the eastern United States at 256 feet. The park offers miles of hiking and biking trails and there is a reservoir in the park for those that want to swim, fish or boat. Accommodations include a campground, cabins and yurts and a hotel and conference center. As with most older state parks the sites were small however there were some large RV's there. The roads in the campground were narrow and it would be a challenge to get our rig in some the areas.

Fall Creek Falls

On Sunday my mom called to tell me my dad was admitted to the hospital. He was having trouble breathing. They are supposed to meet us in Lexington KY for my mom and I to attend the Road to the Horse event at the Kentucky Horse Park. She was not sure if they are going to be able to come. However after we talked to Sheila she said she did not have to work this weekend and offered to drive down with my mom. All my mom would have to do is get to Sheboygan. We will see what happens.

Wednesday March 22 - Chattanooga to Lexington

We left Marion County Park around 9:00 to make our way to Lexington and the Kentucky Horse Park. We stopped a couple of times for breaks and fuel and had an uneventful trip.

It turned out that Mom and Sheila were able to work out the details and will be heading to Kentucky on Thursday in the afternoon. They will stop somewhere halfway to stay over night and hopefully be here before the opening ceremonies on Friday afternoon. Yeah! And bonus is Henry is coming too! We have not seen him since January when we left Wisconsin.

Where we are parked: Kentucky Horse Park Campground, Site 146, $34/night, water and 50 amp electric, no sewer but they have a dump station. The sites are paved. Some sites are not very level. Our site is fairly level however it is narrow and drops off at the edge. We had a 16” drop from our last step to the ground. We went to Lowe's and got some lumber to build a step. 

Site 146

More BBQ

Lookout Mountain - Chattanooga TN

Saturday - temps: High 79º, Low 38º

Moving day! Even though we are paid up until March 21 we decided to leave Barrington Hills a few days early. We want to get somewhere south of Atlanta to drive through there on Sunday morning figuring there would be less traffic. Not sure where we will end up after that but I am thinking Chattanooga.

Dennis is sad we are leaving Florida

We were in no hurry and by the time we got things packed up and said good bye to our new friends at Barrington Hills it was noon. Our GPS must have noted lots of backup and delays on I-75 and suggested we go north on HWY 19 to Hwy 121 so we heeded it's advise. We hit a bit of stop and go traffic in some of the small towns but I think it was the right decision. Once we got back on I-75 at Ocala it was moving nicly. The drive was pretty uneventful and it was the first test of our truck towing the camper over larger hills (mountains?) It preformed wonderfully and we were very happy with its towing power. We stayed in a Walmart parking lot near Locust Grove arriving around 8:30. Just about right. We are now officially Walmart boondockers!

Sunday - temps: High 70º, Low 54º

We were up early the next day and were on the road by 7:15. We took the 285 west by-pass and made it through without incident. There was a fair amount of traffic but it was not bad.

Earlier I had researched the Chattanooga area and found a county park just off of I-24. We arrived at Marion County Park before noon, selected a site and got set up. The park is not very busy and we were able to get a site right on the water. The park is very lovely and located on a bay off the Tennessee River. As I am writing this I am surrounded by mountains, water and lots of birds. Mostly Coots and Seagulls on the water and also spied a Buffle Head diving for food. The only downside is I-24 is just across the water and there is a lot traffic noise.

Where we are parked: Marion County Park, Jasper TN, Site 18, $20/night, water and 50 amp electric, no sewer but they have a dump station. The sites are gravel with many of them right on the water. It is a very nice and convenient place to stay however it could use just an extra bit of TLC and the noise from the highway is not very nice. I would not hesitate to stay here again.

Our rig on site 18

View out the back window

View out the side window

Sheila had asked us to stop at a Lodge store down here to see if we could purchase a Lodge 12” deep skillet, so that afternoon we went to the Lodge Store in South Pittsburg, TN. We looked around and found a 12” deep second but after talking to her decided she can purchase it for less at the local Fleet Farm. Go figure!

Dennis had noticed there was a winery nearby. It was only a few miles from our campground and we drove there to check it out. Look Out Winery is located off of Hwy 41 up a very steep driveway. Besides wine they have oven baked pizza. I did a wine tasting while Dennis visited with a couple enjoying a pizza. We ended up ordering a pizza as well. We enjoyed our pizza and the a view of the Tennessee River. It was fabulous!

Look Out Winery Pizza with a view

Monday - temps: High 76º, Low 56º

I fixed eggs, bacon and potatoes for breakfast then we headed out to explore Chattanooga. The most famous landmark here is Lookout Mountain. I decided to take the Incline Railway to the top. Dennis declined and drove to the top. The cost was $11.00 one way and it was a nice ride, part of which is at a 72% grade. Yowza! I met Dennis at the top then we walked a few blocks to Point Park. Point Park is part of the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Battlefield. We were able to get in with our Senoir Pass otherwise it costs $5.00 per person. This park has great views of Chattanooga and the surrounded valleys. There are plaques as well as two museums describing the struggle to occupy this very strategic city during the Civil War.

The Incline Railway. The white dot near the top is the other car going up.

Riding the Incline Railway

View from Point Park

Us!

As we were heading down the mountain I saw a sign for Cloudland Canyon State Park. Cloudland Canyon is a site listed in the book I received from my friend Tammi so we headed there to check it out. The drive from Point Park to Cloudland is along the west rim of Lookout Mountain and was very scenic. We stopped in the visitor center and since we were not planning on staying long asked the ranger to direct us to the park highlights. He pointed the two of the main overlooks for the canyon which are near the interpretive center. From the overlooks the view was awesome especially Hemlock Falls. We also checked out the two campgrounds at this park. Our rig would fit in many of the sites but it would be interesting getting it up and down the mountain!

Us again!

View from Cloudland Canyon overlook

Visit Carmi and Manatees

Monday - temps: High 73º, Low 59º

Today we headed over to Orlando to visit Carmi Schultz. Carmi is one of our neighbors back at the lake in Wisconsin. She spends the winter at the Outdoor Resorts Park in Clermont Florida. This park is just down the road from Disney World. We arrived before noon and Carmi treated us to a nice lunch of ham, salads and dessert. We chatted for a while then took a tour of the park. It is mostly park models with a few RV lots. There is one Olympic size pool and another smaller pool, a par 3 golf course and all the other park amenities such as tennis, pickle ball, shuffle board, etc. It is on a 173 acres lake with some sites on a canal with lake access. We checked on the price of some of the RV lots that were for sale. Dennis was very interested in the lots on the canal and perhaps purchasing one for our use and for potential rental income. Not sure if this is the right time for us.

We spent the entire afternoon with Carmi then she invited us out for dinner. We tried going to the Texas Road House but the waiting line was out the door which was similar at most of the restaurants in the area. We went next door to a Pollo Tropical. The food was OK but I don't think we will be going back to one of those. It had been sprinkling on and off all afternoon but on the way back to our park we ran into some substantial showers. Arrived back safely around 10:00.

View from Carmi's Porch

A RV lot for sale

Tuesday - temps: High 66º, Low 50º

Tuesday we had planned to kayak the Wicki Wachi River with some of our friends here at the park. However a cold front is moving through with today's high is predicted to only reach 66 degress and be very windy. We all decided to postpone. We spent the day just hanging arouind the camper. I decided to make some more coconut oil candy and to use up some of the oranges I purchaed last week and make some orange marmalade. I used the electric pressure cooker to make and can the marmalade and it turned out great.

Orange Marmalade

Wednesday - temps: High 60º, Low 35º

Another cold day predicted for today. Brrr! Its amazing how quickly you get used to the warm temps. Anyway before we leave this area I wanted to make sure we visited Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park so we decided to go there today. This is a very nice park on the Homossasa River and is one of the best places in Florida to see manatees and boy did we see them. Partly because of the cold temperatures there were many manatees in the river today. It was hard to tell but there must have been a hundred or so. There is an underwater observatory on the main spring which we were able to see hundreds of fish as well. The park also has a zoo with mostly Florida native wildlife including birds, otters, deer, bear and alligators. We also took a boat ride on Pepper Creek which takes you between two of the park visitor centers. It was a very lovely day despite the rather cold weather.

Florida panther

Lu the hippo

View of fish from the underwater observatory

View of fish from the underwater observatory

Manatees and fish

Manatees