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Published: June 10th 2021
Back roads to LBL
We opted to take back roads to get to the Land Between the Lakes. At times it was particularly narrow and winding, other times smooth and along the river.We had taken a trip north to help Dad with his taxes in late March. As was expected, there was snow on our last day there. But after a pleasant week, we headed back to Alabama and time to mow the grass and straighten up and clean up from winter (such as it was there.) Then we heard from dear friends Carol and Ned Gatzke in WI. There were going to be in Ohio to see family and friends; would we be there. Dang! We had just left. So we made plans on meeting somewhere half way for a few days of camping.
We eventually settled on the Land Between the Lakes region of Kentucky/Tennessee. We headed north while they would be heading in the general direction of home in WI, just meandering a bit more south.
LBL in a national recreation area of 270 square miles of mostly unimproved land between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. At one time it was sparsely populated with settlers eking out subsistence living. Settlements consisted of small family groupings with few roads and improvements. Under FDR, when he brought rural electrification to the area, he put in dams and that forced many
Confederate guns protecting Ft. Donelson
The Confederates had two forts, Henry and Donelson, protecting the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. Grant easily took Henry and then marched to Donelson on the Cumberland. to move. It was often opposed by the local residents, but eventually the land was taken and lakes were formed by the impoundments. In 1963 JFK visited the area, which had never been developed, and declared it a National Recreation Area, open to hunting, camping, swimming, and hiking. Minimal development was permitted and the area remains much as it was going back to the 1800's.
One of the interests I had in the area was it's ties to the Civil War. The Tennessee and Cumberland rivers flow north at this point and empty into the Ohio River a couple of dozen miles apart. In early 1862, the Union was not doing well. Eastern fighting (northern VA) they were getting their tail kicked, repeatedly. Out west, they were cautiously moving forward. Grant worked with the Navy and determined he could advance up (i.e., go south) on the rivers and take two forts, giving the Union control of the rivers and the ability to move further south. It took a lot of talk and thought, but eventually he was given permission. So Grant advanced up the Tennessee with Navy gunboats (iron clad cannon firing water craft) and after raking Ft. Henry
View downriver at Dover, TN
Ft. Henry was at ground level and easily overtaken. Ft. Donelson was on the heights overlooking the Cumberland and took longer, with more fighting, to subdue. and landing troops, the fort surrendered. (In truth, it was on low ground, in mud, and was not totally completed. But the commander did surrender, giving Grant a victory.) Grant then gathered the ground troops and marched about 20+ miles east to the town of Dover, TN and was to attack Ft. Donelson. The Navy gunboats went back down the Tennessee, up the Ohio to the Cumberland, and then south on the Cumberland to Dover and Ft. Donelson. There was a lot of land fighting, some ineffectual firing from the Navy at Ft. Donelson, and eventually, a breakout by 2 of the top Confederate commanders in an effort to escape. The South was unable to overcome the combined assault and eventually surrendered. Terms of the surrender were classic: Immediate and Unconditional Surrender. Thus Grant earned the nickname US (Unconditional Surrender) Grant. Following this surrender, Grant gathered his troops and with permission from his commanding general, returned to the Tennessee River to continue south to Pittsburg Landing and the Battle at Shilo.
Ft. Henry is gone, much taken by the lake now formed, Ft. Donelson is still viable and it is easy to see why this fort was more difficult
Campsite at Piney Camp, LBL
Why do campgrounds think ALL sites should be back-in? We've learned to assess the site and decide if we can reach the utility post and what kind of view we want. Here, by going in forward instead of backward, we have a wonderful view of the lake instead of a swarm of other campers. to take. The walking tour is short and the various signs easily explain the battle. We visited the small museum and later went into Dover to see the surrender site and get lunch at a small local eatery. It was a pleasant morning and afternoon and added to my personal understanding of the battles out west.
We returned to the campground and spent the evening relaxing with Carol fixing a taco salad buffet and then we sat around a campfire reminiscing. We had dinner the previous night (arrival) in our RV, so it was natural that the next night we would spend at theirs. We shared stories, laughed, and planned for the next day's trip. As can be seen in the photos, we have evolved in slightly different directions in terms of camping style: we have opted for comfort we while they have continued to adhere to a more rustic style. Oh, they have a cooktop and small fridge, indoor plumbing and a porta-pot, while we have stove and microwave, fridge with a freezer (for ice cream), a shower, and couch and recliner. We are who we are.
The next day we had a big breakfast in our
Carol and Ned in their cozy van
Even after 50 years, they still like van camping with a tent-like upper fabric. We're soft, we admit. We now prefer more creature comforts. RV. Carol fixed pancakes, excellent, and we had lots of coffee. Then we headed north into Kentucky and went to the bison and elk preserve. Many people seem to have forgotten that once bison roamed most of North America. They were spread from the mountains of the west to the Virginias and Carolinas. In an attempt to help bring them back, LBL has two preserves where the bison are roaming free and the herd is growing. The northern loop is a 5 mile paved road inside a stout fence where wild turkey, elk, bison, and other wildlife roam freely. The leisurely drive seemed a bust at first; wonderful scenery but no animals. Then we rounded a curve and there was a herd of about 20-25 buffalo! They were lying in the shade, some in dirt wallows, a few standing, and several lying in the middle of the road. Protocol (and common sense) dictates you remain in the car and wait for the animals to move. Eventually the large beasts rose to their feet and shuffled off, out of the way. We had windows down and were snapping pictures like crazy. HUGE and we were right next to them. We crossed
Prepping dinner
Carol fixed taco salad dinner one night while Trish observed. We easily slid into our old styles and worked together effortlessly to really relax and enjoy our time together. the small stream and saw another group. Nope...these were elk. There were 10-12 elk resting in the shade, some together and others singly off to the side. Elk were not on the road, so no worries here. Then someone spotted more animals in the distance, but this time is was a flock of turkeys, trotting across a field in the distance heading for a wooded shelter. Wonderful experience with the wildlife.
We left the gated enclosure and drove back south about a mile or so and to the main visitors center. We looked at the exhibits highlighting the background of the area and establishment of LBL and looked in the small gift shop. They have a planetarium here also and a 45 minute show that varies every hour. We were close to show time so got tickets to see the presentation. We were called to go in and once in, realized we were the only four people there. The Ranger came over and chatted with us. "Were we here to see this particular show, or did we just happen to be here and wanted to see
something?" We all laughed and said we were just in the building and
Let sleeping buffalo lie
LBL has two heards of bison and elk. In one section, you can drive a 5 mile loop of wild land and see them in a natural setting. Remember, at one time bison roamed as far east as Virginia and were considered part of the natural landscape. hoped to see something. I added we often sat out and looked at the stars back home and could identify a few constellations, but not many. Any help would be appreciated. OK, says the Ranger, and he proceeded to give a special impromptu viewing of the night sky and what we could see. This was followed by a canned presentation of constellations and light show with lasers. Quite nice to have a special, virtually private showing. We thanked the Ranger upon leaving, and drove to a roadside rest (like you used to see along major highways of old) and got our our lunches to enjoy in the shade at a picnic table. Then we drove back roads around the area for a couple of hours, looking at primitive campgrounds (no electric, sewer, or water) and boat launch sites.
We eventually got back to the campground and were upset to discover that our cat, Koko, was STILL not back. He had gone out about 4AM as he usually does, but this morning had not returned. Carol and Ned got on bicycles and pedaled around the very large campground looking but did not find him. I went walking and calling and
Waiting to drive forward
This beauty was sleeping on the road and we had to wait for him to get up, stretch, and move before we could go on. We did NOT get out of the car. (Duh!) no luck. Later Trish and I drove around the area looking, but no luck. We were getting very concerned. Like me, Koko loves to eat and is not known for missing a meal.This was most unusual and troubling. We recalled losing a cat while camping 7 years ago and how upsetting that was. Dinner was quiet as we each ate in our own rigs and after just sat quietly chatting. Ned built a fire and we were going to have s'mores, but discovered neither of us had brought marshmallows. Dumb. Finally we went our separate ways to go to bed, Koko still not back. Trish and I didn't sleep well. Then in the middle of the night, I heard a pounding on the door and Carol was calling, "John--Trish....I have kitty." It had started to rain and Koko decided he'd rather be dry. He couldn't get our attention closed up in the large RV so went to his people's friends van and started meowing loudly. We thanked Carol profusely, gathered the cat, made sure food was out for him and finally fell asleep with peace of mind.
It was springtime and weather was variable. No snow, fortunately, but the
Plowing with mules
Farmer was breaking ground for spring planting the old fashioned way. He was more than willing to stop and chat with visitors and let kids pet the mules. Hard work to raise crops to feed a family back then. next morning was very cool and blustery. We opted to drive up north again and this time to the homestead settlement where a cabin and outbuildings from the 1850s were set up with active farming taking place to show what life was like on the frontier. After walking through the visitor center for the tour (free because I am a DOD retiree), we walked a beautiful path to the main cabin. As we came to a large field, there was a hitch of mules pulling a man on a wooden plow. He was turning the field over in preparation for planting. Yes, he really was "working" the field yet he was also a docent so did not hesitate to stop and chat with visitors, or give children a chance to pet the the huge animals. He explained the how and why of his actions and what a normal day would have been like in the 1850s. We moved on the the cabin and it was quite large with an unattached kitchen, parlor/sitting room and 3 bedrooms. The cabin had large porches front and back and looked out over the other buildings in the small settlement. We chatted with the docents
Old homestead saved
Many folks were moved out of the area in the 1930s for the TVA project. This 1850 homestead was saved and is used today as a working farm to show people what life was like over 150 years ago. for a bit then wandered on the path past small orchards, pens for chickens, and to the sheep pen. Further on was the blacksmith shop and storage barn for tobacco. There was also a smaller cabin, which may have been for newly weds (a starter home) or could have been the original home and as family grew, rather than add-on, they built a bigger, newer cabin. Finally we got to the woodshop, yes, a separate building where many of the wooden utensils were made and repairs done to equipment or furniture. They had a pedal driven lathe, saws,and other essentials for maintaining property in the fringes of society. Really interesting and informative.
We (Trish and I) were getting chilled so we hustled back to the visitor center. Carol and Ned, hardy souls from Wisconsin, were still walking, chatting, exploring, and seemingly impervious to the chill. We got back to the visitor center, explored the exhibits in depth, then went to sit in the car and get warm. Carol and Ned finally returned and we headed back to camp to have lunch, rest and relax. Carol and Ned later did some biking and hiking on trails near the campground and
Outbuildings on homestead
In addition to the large house, there was a smaller home, wood shop, blacksmith shop, and barns for sheep and storage of grain and crops. we rested, read, and walked around the campground a bit. That evening after dinner, I got out my computer and pulled up pictures from trips we had taken back in the 70's. One picture showed where Carol and we had put our VW campers side by side in a field and stretched a tarp over the opening between the doors. It gave us additional room and we could go back and forth in comfort in case it was raining. Wonderful memories of trips to the Maritimes, Colorado, canoeing, and camping.
The next day we decided we had seen the major attractions we wanted to visit and we hugged and parted ways; we headed home going south and they went north to Wisconsin. Koko was happy to be heading back home and sat in "his" rocker in the coach relaxed and happy to be back on the road to home. We took a slightly different route back and found the road less curvy and less narrow. We had enjoyed a great break with dear friends and only wish we were closer to be able to do this more often.
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Danielle M Bartlett
non-member comment
howdy guys!
so glad koko came home, i was worried sick for a couple of paragraphs Joel and I bought a pull behind camper last year and put it in a campsite on Hyde Lake near Theresa all summer. we were there almost every weekend. our daughter and the grandkids came up for a couple of weekends too. Due to water problems last year, unfortunately the beach never opened. but we had a large grassy area and the kids kicked balls, ran, swang, had fun. by the end of the summer we were getting to know our campsite neighbors and were looking forward to this year. alas, it was not to be. The owners ran into more noncompliance with NYS rules and decided to shut it down. we were ibn scramble mode, but are now located in a campsite on the outside of clayton,