Nashville - Here We Come!

Trip Day:	202	Latitude:	36°40.93' N	Locks Today:	0
Miles Today:	42	Longitude:	087°54.29' W	Locks Total:	93
Total Miles:	4,204	Location:	Dry Creek, KY

We took our coffee and bowls of oatmeal down to the Betty L and had breakfast with Bob and Madeline. Actually Bob was composing his blog and Madeline was flitting about so we were the only ones who ate.  As we head up the Cumberland River today, the Betty L will head down the Tennessee River.  We will miss Bob and Madeline, but we are certain our paths will cross again.  As we passed, we fully appreciated their send-off dance on the bow of their boat. 

We took the lead today with Marc and Betty following on KatMan2 as we passed the Barkley Canal that links Barkley Lake with Kentucky Lake on the Tennessee River.  This canal was the northern end of the Land Between the Lakes (LBL) National Recreation Area.  It borders the Tennessee River and the Cumberland River for about 40 miles.  President Kennedy created the LBL in 1963 and this spine of land has campgrounds, picnic areas and 200 miles of trails where bald eagles, deer and turkey are abundant. 


The shoreline was thick with trees and some banks were steep on this wide-open section of waterway.  The morning sun was welcomed after yesterday’s clouds and best of all—no tugs or barges!

At MM 43 we passed by the     Kentucky State Penitentiary, called the “Castle on the Cumberland” by the locals.  Built in 1888 with stone from the local quarries, it was an impressive site.  Thirty Italian stonemasons worked on the project.

 

  An addition was built in the 1930s as a WPA project.  In front of the prison, but now underwater, lies a site of one on the last significant battles of the Civil War east of the Mississippi River.  The historic portion of Eddyville, Ky is also underwater.  When  the 157’ Barkley Dam was built, Old Eddyville was a casualty of the river impoundment and the formation of the 134-mile scenic lake. 

The vistas today were stunning with small islands scattered outside the channel, rivers and creeks branching off every couple of miles and the trees—they are a changing.  Homes were frequent along the banks and small fishing boats were everywhere.  Ron just might have to try wetting a lure. 

Making good time we decided to pass up the spot where we had planned to anchor and continue ten more miles to mile marker 73 at Dry Creek. On the north was Linton Recreation area with a swimming beach and launch ramp.

 

Reminder.  .  . spot us on Google Maps by clicking on Location: Linton, KY in the footer below.