**FREE - Everything on this adventure is FREE**
*Packed lunch plus gas*
*Packed lunch plus gas*
Today's choice adventure was taken from the Tennessee River Trail Self-Guided Driving Tour Brochure...We packed our lunches, got in the car and headed toward Paris, TN.
This trip works for you if you live within a hour or two of Paris, TN/Dover, TN.
(Examples: Paducah, KY; Nashville, TN, Jackson, TN, Cape Girardeau, MO, Metropolis, IL)
First Stop - Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge - Britton Ford/Sulphur Wells Area (Page 19)
This is located on the west side of Kentucky Lake. It has the Britton Ford Hiking Trail and a driving tour of the Britton Ford Peninsula. There is also the V.L. Childs Observation Deck, which has binoculars and guide for bird watching.
I think we found a blue heron and some ducks...
We didn't know about the hiking trail since some of us were wearing flip-flops so we decided to continue on our adventure.
Stop #2 Paris Landing State Park - 16055 Hwy 79N, Paris, TN (page 19)
Paris Landing has a lot to offer...camping and other lodging options, trails, a restaurant, a ton of activities and swimming...guess what my kids choice was.
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| Being the 1st of April, the water was pretty cold but it was nearly 90 outside so they got used to it fast. |
After a couple hours in the water, I was hot and hungry so we corralled the kiddies and went in search of some beverages...we followed Hwy 79 east over the river and came to a McDonalds. We got our drinks and decided we weren't ready to head home yet and we'd seen a sign for Fort Donelson National Battlefield so we kept on going...
Fort Donelson National Battlefield
Dover, TN
April 1 2012
Stop #3 - Fort Donelson National Battlefield - 120 Fort Donelson Rd, Dover, TN
First we headed into the visitor's center to get our driving tour brochure and see about getting a cheap souvenir. I usually get postcards or a patch for my scrapbook.
This battlefield is were the first major Union victory took place in the Civil War.
The visitor's center is open daily 8am to 430pm, they close the gates at 8pm so have at least your first 7 stops done by then.
There are 11 stops along this self-guided auto tour, the first 6 are within the NPS gates, the other 5 are through out the small town. Here are a few of the stops made...
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| Stop#3 Log Huts |
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| Stop#4 Cumberland River |
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| Stop#10 Dover Hotel |
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| Stop#11 Fort Donelson National Cemetery |
