On September 20th, we arrived at a Thousand Trails campground in Hohenwald, TN called Natchez Trace . We were lucky enough to score a great site on the beach of a pretty lake. We enjoyed looking out our front window and seeing the peaceful water. Simba also seemed to enjoy the view from the dash during his daily nap. Every morning the friendly resident Muscovy duck could be seen gliding across the water or preening his feathers on the beach.
The Natchez Trace Parkway, also a National Park, is a scenic 444 mile-historic road that runs through Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. There are several marked stops along the parkway that have historical significance. American Indians, European settlers, slave traders, soldiers, and future presidents once traveled this route which is also known as "Old Natchez Trace". We checked out a few of the landmarks near our campsite during our stay. We also hiked some trails and came upon a nice waterfall called Jackson Falls.
Pat took the kayak out on the lake and caught some fish, too!
Day Trip to Nashville
The campground is only about 1.5 hours from Nashville, so we decided to spend a day exploring the city. Pat had travelled to Nashville a few years ago for work, but I had never been there. There was a lot to see and do in the city. We did a lot of walking and had lunch at a pet-friendly establishment called Frothy Monkey. They even provided a cup of sliced apples for Myah!
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Alabama
Hidden Cove RV Campground in Arley, AL was our next stop on September 28th for a 4-night stay. This campground is situated on the crystal clear waters of Lewis Smith Lake. We were told that this is the cleanest lake in Alabama. We took the kayak out for a short paddle one day on this man-made reservoir.
We did a couple of excursions during our stay in Alabama. We went to the148-foot sandstone Natural Bridge, the longest natural bridge east of the Rockies. The enormous bridge was set in a park with hiking trails and a creek. We spent about an hour exploring the area and taking pictures.
Natural Bridge
Ave Maria Grotto, is another attraction that was near the campground in Cullman, AL. I found this place utterly fascinating. We strolled through a peaceful garden of miniature replicas of actual religious buildings from around the world. They were placed throughout a landscaped hillside on the grounds of the St. Bernard Abbey. It was truly amazing that these small buildings were the work of a Benedictine monk, Brother Joseph Zoetl, O.S.B.,who lived and worked in the abbey in the late 1800s. Pat and I watched a video in the gift store that depicted the life of this talented man. The many pictures I took don't do this amazing place justice.
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