When we first started planning for this adventure, we knew we wanted to take a side trip over to Chattanooga on the way down south. We had been to Chattanooga very briefly in the past on a camping trip to Fall Creek Falls, which is about an hour and a half away, and knew we wanted to return someday. We just didn't know it was going to be by boat!
We had a lovely time at Goose Pond Colony Resort in Scottsboro, AL but were eager to get to Chattanooga, so Friday after work, we untied the lines, fueled up, and kept on our way to Tennessee. (For those wondering why we were in Alabama before Tennessee: The Tennessee river dips into northern Alabama for a quick stretch and then back up into Tennessee.)
Anyway, since we got a late start, and it was roughly 100 miles to our next stop, we decided to try out traveling in the dark that night to make some ground. Up until then, this was something we have tried very hard to avoid. Some of the rivers we have been on throughout this journey have been quite treacherous - full of logs, unlit channel markers, huge barges that throw off quite a bit of wake as they pass by, and significant current at spots. Aside from submerged railroad beds which are actually marked pretty well for the most part, the Tennessee River has been quite pleasant so far.
Just as the sun was setting, we grilled up some steaks and veggies and enjoyed the show. Watching sunsets from the boat just never gets old. Â
Soon, it grew dark outside and it was a little scary at first trying to navigate the river with only the app on Dustin's phone (that says not to use it for navigation purposes), but Dustin managed just fine. The stars in the night sky were gorgeous and eventually we could see the faint outlines of mountains popping up in the distance.
We came up to a railroad bridge that we weren't expecting and from afar, it looked extremely low so we called the bridge tender to verify the clearance and learned that we had plenty of room so we continued on.
Finally, around 9:30pm or so, we reached the Nickajack Lock at the entrance of Nickajack Lake. This had been our goal to make it through the lock that night so that we didn't have to deal with it in the morning and could just be on our way as soon as we woke up. We had never been through a lock at night before so that was a new experience, but honestly, it didn't feel much different. The locks are very well lit up at night and there was zero traffic for this one when we approached, so it was a quick and easy lock up. The only thing I would say that makes it worse at night is that all of the bazillions of spiders come out at night and are looming over the lines when you have to untie them . I think this was the first time I actually wore my lock gloves. The gloves are actually because the walls of the locks are really slippery and covered with algae and mud but I usually don't bother with gloves. But something about a spider touching my skin in any manner just makes me cringe!
About a mile past the lock on the left/port side was a free dock near a campground called "Shellmound" where we tied off for the night.
It had (2) "T" docks with good depth, a nice grassy area to let Bella out, and in the morning, we learned that there is also a boat launch, picnic gazebo, and restrooms there as well! What a great stop, and for FREE! When we arrived, it was pitch black out and we could barely make out the land from the sky but could see that it was mountainous and could hardly wait for morning to come to see the views.
When we woke up, it was absolutely stunning in every direction! The mountains were beautiful and there was a train bridge running along the water across the lake and that made it even more picturesque. This free dock was better than some we had paid for!
We took our time getting going that morning because we only had another 50 miles or so to go before reaching our destination. We had a nice breakfast and actually had it at the dock for a change! Usually on travel days, we are up before the sun and I make us a nice breakfast while under way. This was a nice change of pace for us all.
A short distance into our trip that day, we cruised past Hale's Bar and Marina. The old abandoned dam is said to be haunted, and honestly, it looked a bit scary in the daylight!
They actually do a haunted house this time of year in the old dam! (you can read the history of it here: https://www.tva.com/.../our.../tva-heritage/dam-spooky... )
There is now a marina next to the dam and they have a bunch of floating cabins that can be rented which they call the "Redneck Bora Bora cabins" lol.
There is also a whiskey distillery there. We are planning to stop for a night on our way back through to visit both the haunted house and distillery.
We knew we were getting closer to Chattanooga because we started seeing "See Rock City" barns and signs along the river! If you have ever driven through the surrounding areas near Chattanooga, you know that these signs are everywhere and almost every barn alongside the highways are plastered with these words!
Since getting on the Tennessee River near Paducah, KY, it has just gotten prettier and prettier and this leg of the trip was no exception. After Hale's Bar, we entered the Tennessee River Gorge, or the "narrows" as it is sometimes called because of the tall mountains on either side. This stretch is about 27 miles and ends just before Chattanooga. The mountains were nothing short of magnificent! Or should I say "GORGEous"? Now I know where that word came from. It came from the Tennessee River Gorge. This area is also nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Tennessee. Googling it will deliver some incredible aerial shots of the land here!
We tried flying the drone from our boat in the middle of the gorge, but failed to get any photos/videos because our drone decided to have a mind of its own and nearly drowned itself! Dustin launched it from the bow of the boat and I was driving, going almost an idle speed. The drone went up into the air and then launched itself into some sort of tutorial mode, as if Dustin had never used it before. It stopped responding to any commands Dustin gave and then at the end of the tutorial, it started to demonstrate a landing. The problem here is that we had still been going upriver as this was happening and the drone was hovering over the river behind us where it thought we were when it started. Dustin frantically yelled for me to turn the boat around fast when he realized what was happening! We managed to pull up underneath it just in time before it would've plunged into the water! Whew! Needless to say, we didn't make anymore attempts to fly the drone until we reached dry land!
Soon, we arrived in Chattanooga! The famous Lookout Mountain with Rock City was directly in front of us!
We drove through downtown and saw where we will be staying our second week here. It is only steps from The Tennessee Aquarium, downtown, and many other attractions, so we are looking forward to it!
Island Cove Marina, the marina we are at for the first week, is actually north of Chattanooga in Harrison, TN on Chickamauga Lake so we had to go past the city and through one more lock to get there.
The Chickamauga Lock was under construction and a complete overload to the senses as we approached! There were cranes and tractors and walls and roads going every which way and we had no idea where the actual lock chamber was until we got up close. This lock took FOREVER to fill and we ended up going and sitting inside while we waited for the water to rise because we were so bored. Eventually, the gates opened and we were on our way!
Now, we have a week for exploring Chickamauga Lake!
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