DISCOVERY: THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
A quarter of a century ago the Tennessee River, which flows across the heart of America's South, was wayward and rampageous, suited neither to navigation nor recreation. In spring, great floods poured ruin over its banks. In autumn, rocky shoals jutted from its limestone bed. White water rushed over treacherous rapids and idled in mosquito-infested pools.
Today this is all changed. A tame and temperate river, the broad Tennessee flows peacefully to the Ohio and the Mississippi. When the Tennessee Valley Authority, which thus transformed the river, was created 25 years ago, the initials TVA were heralded (and defended) as a brand mark of human progress. But no one in the embattled days of its origin was rash enough to guess its true potential. Originally, TVA's objective was threefold: power, navigation and flood control. Today it generates electrical power for 1½ million customers; more than 12 million tons of freight move through its channels each year; and floods no longer threaten its valley.
But this is only part of the story. The most spectacular outgrowth of TVA is something even its originators did not predict—indeed, did not dare predict for fear of being thought frivolous. For the taming of the Tennessee created a man-made recreational paradise unrivaled anywhere in the world. This vast playground, lying within 500 miles of half the population of the nation, stretches across 26 million acres. Its lakes, with over 10,000 miles of shore line, yield 23 major species of fish.
Everything is geared to the vacationer, and particularly the vacationing family. For auto tourists, the eastern and central lakes are so located that all can be visited at leisure on a two- or three-week vacation. For boating enthusiasts, the cruise from Knoxville, Tenn. to Paducah, Ky. is an unforgettable adventure. A tour of the Tennessee Valley is in some ways as surprising and awe-inspiring as an African safari (SI, March 10). It is with a sense of real discovery that SPORTS ILLUSTRATED explores this totally new American phenomenon.
TOURING THE TENNESSEE VALLEY
Knoxville, less than a day's drive from the major TVA lakes in the eastern and central valley, is the best place to begin an auto tour. NORRIS, CHEROKEE, FORT PATRICK HENRY, BOONE, SOUTH HOLSTON, WATAUGA, DOUGLAS, FONTANA and HIWASSEE lakes can all be visited at leisure in from two to three weeks. This involves about 630 miles of straight driving. Add another 500-plus miles for sightseeing.
NORRIS LAKE
Norris Lake, with its more than 800 miles of wild, tree-covered shore line, is only 26 miles north of Knoxville. Near Norris Dam, the first of 20 great dams built by TVA, broad, grassy meadows slope upward and young deer sneak out from the woods on summer evenings to graze along the lake shore. An ancient gristmill stands in the shadow of the 265 feet of concrete which is Norris Dam, its weathered water wheel still grinding corn into meal.
Overlooking the dam is NORRIS DAM STATE PARK, a rambling woodland laced with bridle paths and hiking trails. Completely equipped cottages, rented by the day ($7 up) or week ($45 up), as well as a lodge, restaurant and several camping areas, are part of the park operation. Right at the dam, the new NORRIS LAKE MOTEL looks out across the lake and, at night, upon a string of lights bobbing from houseboats moored off NORRIS DOCK. The dock itself, one of 14 on Norris, has a snack bar and an excellent clothing and sports shop. A broad macadam launching ramp (fee: $1 per boat) can handle practically any boat up to the size of a battleship, but the trend on Norris is small outboard runabouts.
"On a lake like this, a small, fast boat gets you anywhere you want to go," says Troy Dykes, who operates Norris Dock. "You can also use it for water skiing, and that's a sport that's really becoming popular here." Many of the docks have skis for rent (average: $10), as well as snack bars, boat and motor rentals ($3.50 and up) and overnight cabins.
Every dock sells some kind of fishing equipment, ranging from a selection of lures to complete outfits. Fishing is a major part of the activity on all TVA lakes. The dock on Norris most heavily patronized by anglers is ROGERS DOCK at La-Follette, 32 miles from the dam. Any visiting fisherman who spends an hour at the snack bar stands a good chance of finding out from the dock hands where they're hitting best, and someone may even take him out and show him. This is one of the most rewarding aspects of the Tennessee Valley. The people always seem glad to greet and help a stranger.
Don't miss a side trip to the AMERICAN MUSEUM OF ATOMIC ENERGY at Oak Ridge, 18 miles south of the dam. The museum's two-hour guided tour (admission 50¢) includes a 45-minute motion picture on atomic energy, demonstrations on the uses of radioisotopes in medicine, farming and industry, and a "dime irradiator," for the kids. A dime inserted into the machine is irradiated, encased in a plastic and aluminum container and returned as a souvenir.
CHEROKEE LAKE
Principally a black bass and crappie lake, Cherokee is 59 miles from Norris Dam over a good highway, suitable for boat trailering. Its 463 miles of wooded shore line wind in and out of root-studded coves perfect for bass fishing.
Cherokee Lake has 13 boat docks, the majority of them geared to fishermen. It's always a good idea to buy lures locally, since docks stock those most successful in the area. CHEROKEE LODGE on the north side of the Lake at Bean Station, has archery, badminton, shuffleboard, horseshoes, good swimming and rental horses and ponies to keep children busy while parents fish. Daily rates are $5 a couple; children under 10, free. You may want to take the children to Morristown, five miles away, to see the CROCKETT TAVERN, boyhood home of Davy Crockett.
Galloway's village near Rutledge, 10 miles from Jefferson City, has 75 boats for rent at $2 a day. Night fishing is a big sport here from a lighted floating dock which seats 90 fishermen. Rates at Galloway's motel run from $25 to $40 a week.
The county is dry, as are most counties in the Tennessee Valley, but organizations such as the Elks, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Moose, Rotary and American Legion generally have bars and serve better steaks than the local restaurants. Vacationers who get thirsty while touring should remember to carry along membership cards.
FORT PATRICK HENRY AND BOONE LAKES
The Old Warriors' Path, now Highway 11W, links Cherokee with Fort Patrick Henry and Boone lakes, 76 miles away in the hilly, heavily wooded region of Tennessee called Boone Country. Overlooking Fort Patrick Henry Lake (see map) is 1,000-acre WARRIORS' PATH STATE PARK, one of the most beautiful parks in eastern Tennessee. As a special treat for children, camp overnight at one of the park's public campsites. The park also has several fine picnic areas, a snack bar, boats and horses for rent and many miles of riding and hiking trails along the lake.
If you are not the tenting type, Kingsport is only a 10-minute drive away and has a number of good motels and hotels. It also has a skating rink to distract the young and stock-car racing on Saturday nights.
At Boone Lake, RAINBOW DOCK near Piney Flats and ROCKINGHAM DOCK outside Jonesboro have cabins, boats and motors for rent. MEREDITH'S BOAT DOCK AND GRILL, near Route 4, attracts large fleets of houseboats during the season because of its big launching ramps and fine restaurant. Wednesday is smorgasbord day at Meredith's. A southern smorgasbord, complete with fried catfish and barbecued pork, is a memorable experience.
SOUTH HOLSTON LAKE
South Holston Lake, 31 miles from Fort Patrick Henry and Boone lakes, is right in the middle of the rough, mountain country sometimes called "the cradle of the southwest." During the Civil War in this area of little or no slavery, alliances were sharply divided between North and South. Today the few farmers of the region struggle against rocky soil to harvest crops of tobacco and vegetables. Back in the hills, the occasional smoke of a still drifts above the trees, signaling a moonshiner at his illegal but never abandoned sport.
The only legitimate summer theater south of the Mason-Dixon line is at Abingdon, Va., eight miles north of Bristol (see map) in the shadow of White Top Mountain. Known as the State Theatre of Virginia, the BARTER THEATRE presents an excellent dramatic bill from June to September. Showing this week is The Mouse Trap.
Throughout this region, small mountain streams afford fine trout fishing well into the summer months. But most fishermen in the area go for the big black bass in South Holston Lake. Streamers, often used behind a small spinner or in front of a worm, are most popular. Although the lake was not completed until late in 1950, big fish are beginning to be taken regularly.
Friendship dock, a short drive from South Holston Dam over a twisting, blacktop road through the mountains, is the most popularly patronized of the seven small-boating centers on the lake. During the season its floating dock handles between 125 and 150 private craft in addition to 31 rental boats. Recently constructed redwood cabins, with or without cooking facilities, rent weekly for $50 to $60 a couple with no charge for children under 10. Friendship's small restaurant also has fish-freezing facilities and carries fishing tackle.
WATAUGA LAKE
Watauga Dam is surrounded by a ring of mountains on a clear, blue lake 37 miles from South Holston. Its water reaches depths of 300 feet in some places. There are nine boat docks on the lake, comprising a half million dollars worth of water-based floats, piers, boat slips and recreational craft. Seven of the docks have overnight accommodations and most of them have campsites and picnic areas.
Watauga lakeshores on Highway 67 has a good restaurant, but here—as at the majority of restaurants in the valley—it is frequently difficult to get a rare steak even when you order it served raw. Watauga Lakeshores' terrace borders a new swimming pool perched high above the lake. Numerous hiking trails begin at the restaurant and wind their way up into the surrounding mountains, along fine trout streams and into great meadows of rhododendron. The altitude at Watauga is 2,000 feet; average summer temperature: 74°.
On the lake itself, fishing is good for large-and smallmouth bass, crappie and some really big pike. Bait and tackle are sold at all docks on the lake. Guides, and this is true of much of the Tennessee Valley area, are generally local fishing enthusiasts who gather at the larger docks. They are happy to take visitors out for a few dollars (average: $10 a full day) when they are not working elsewhere. During the best fishing months—April to October—this means there are lots of guides on the docks. Although they are not professionals in the Florida sense of the word, they invariably know the immediate waters as well as the fish.
To play a round of golf and see some lovely scenery en route, drive south on 19E across the North Carolina border to Linville, a vacation town huddled against Grandfather Mountain. Linville Falls and Linville Gorge are beautiful natural spectacles. The colorful community of LITTLE SWITZERLAND is here, as well as LINVILLE GOLF COURSE (public), considered one of the finest in the South.
DOUGLAS LAKE
The drive from Watauga to Douglas Dam is 111 miles, a long haul, particularly where children are concerned, but worth it. Break up the trip by stopping halfway at Greeneville. THE ROUND TABLE RESTAURANT at KING ARTHUR'S COURT on Route 35 is considered by many Tennesseans the best restaurant in the eastern area of the state.
If the youngsters have already seen Davy Crockett's boyhood home, they are sure to insist here on a visit to Davy Crockett's birthplace, 3½ miles off the highway at the Greene County line. The washboard road to this historic site runs through some of the most backwoods country in the South, involves driving the car across a stream and makes one wonder how Old Davy ever managed to leave home.
Greeneville, and Newport at Douglas Lake, feature stock-car racing Saturday nights on reasonably modern tracks. Newport is also the scene of a good portion of Tennessee's cock-fighting activity, a sport which is illegal in the state but, like moonshining, nevertheless has a dedicated following.
The best way to find a cockfight, since most take place in secluded barns and sub rosa atmospheres, is to pass the time of day with one of the local gas station attendants while you let him fill your tank, change your oil, grease the car and sell you cigarets and soda pop. Then, casually, the conversation should shift to something like, "I was supposed to meet old Joe here about the cockfight...." After looking at your watch a few times, convey the impression that Joe, as usual, has left you in a strange town with money riding on a good bird you can't find. Few real aficionados can resist this approach.
Douglas Lake is 43 miles long and a mile and a half wide. Fifteen docks, 13 of them in the Dandridge area, provide overnight accommodations for 170 people and daytime services for many times that number. The majority of visitors to Douglas come for the day, since the lake is located halfway between Knoxville and Gatlinburg. They generally stop at DANDRIDGE MUNICIPAL PARK on Route 66, eight miles from Douglas Dam, where they can picnic, camp and fish free of charge. Largemouth bass, crappie and small stripers make up the principal catches on Douglas. There are several good places to stay overnight. GALLOWAY'S LANDING near Dandridge has its own paved road, launching ramp and more than 50 rental boats. Its kitchen-equipped cabins accommodate four and rent for $6 a day or $35 a week.
At nearby INDIAN CREEK BOAT DOCK, boats are furnished free with each cottage. ISLAND VIEW CAMP, five miles west of Dandridge, caters particularly to fishermen. Its floating dock has 75 boats for rent, a tackle shop, live bait and freezing facilities. The Island View's restaurant specializes in hushpuppies, southern fried chicken and country ham. This last, hickory smoked and aged without refrigeration, is one of the most delicious dishes in the Tennessee Valley.
SMOKY MOUNTAINS AND FONTANA LAKE
The next lake target in your tour is Fontana, 93 miles from Douglas, but plan to stop halfway at Gatlinburg, a charming resort town at the edge of GREAT SMOKY NATIONAL PARK. There's something special for every member of the family at Gatlinburg, so if time permits, spend a couple of days there. For children, there is an amusement area at Pigeon Forge, six miles outside the town. This has a wild-animal farm, miniature frontier town, a moonshiners' village, the SMOKY MOUNTAIN CAR MUSEUM and SMOKY CITY. While the kids are looking at "wild animals," parents can shoot a few holes on the Pigeon Forge championship public golf course.
But the greatest boon to vacationing families is Gatlinburg's KINDERKAMP on Cherokee Orchard Road just off the highway. From June to September the Kinderkamp opens at 7 a.m. and closes at midnight for children (3 months to 12 years) of tourists. Rates are 50¢ an hour during the day; 75¢ an hour in the evening.
The Mountain View Hotel has the best restaurant in Gatlinburg. In the center of town is the GATLINBURG SKY-LIFT, first in the South, which runs 1,800 feet up to the crest of Crockett Mountain. (In spite of his humble beginnings, Davy was well-traveled. Like Kilroy, he seems to have been here too!) A road also winds up to the top of Crockett Mountain, but the curves are all hairpins and the incline very steep. Check brakes before driving anywhere in the Smokies.
A big attraction at Gatlinburg, for parents and children alike, are daily nature hikes which the National Park Service conducts free of charge through the Great Smokies. Even tourists who have never considered themselves naturalists will find these hikes fascinating. For the real outdoor enthusiast, well-maintained and marked sites are scattered throughout the park for overnight camping. Trout season runs until August 31 and there are 600 miles of trout streams in Great Smoky National Park.
If sleeping out holds no appeal, there is a unique lodge, reachable only on foot (about a three-hour hike) or by horseback, perched right on top of triple-peaked Mt. LeConte, which towers a mile above Gatlinburg. Trails to the lodge wind past Rainbow Falls and Trillium Gap through some of the wildest and most beautiful portions of the Smokies. An overnight stay at LECONTE LODGE, including lodging, breakfast and dinner, is only $7 per person.
The best time to make the mountain drive from Gatlinburg to Fontana is early in the morning or toward late afternoon when the famous Smoky Mountain bears are most likely to be foraging in roadside refuse cans. Take a side trip on the way to 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, highest peak in the Smokies. As a matter of fact, this mountain is the "Old Smoky."
Cherokee, at the southern extremity of the park, is the largest Indian Reservation in eastern America. The Indians, alas, have gone 20th century, and although they dress in full feather and buckskin for the tourist, the village is actually a honky-tonk of souvenir stands, red-skinned barkers and candy-apple stalls. This doesn't bother children, so expect to stop at the CHEROKEE INDIAN MUSEUM and the OCONALUFTEE VILLAGE where for $1.20 admission you can watch beads being strung and baskets being woven.
Cherokee also has an open-air theater, the MOUNTAIN-SIDE, which nightly, except Monday, presents Unto These Hills, a drama of the Cherokee, which is well worth the $1.50 to $3 admission.
It's only an hour's run by car from Cherokee to 480-foot Fontana Dam, on the North Carolina side of the park. FONTANA VILLAGE, originally built to house dam construction personnel, is now operated as a resort which accommodates 1,200 people daily. Make reservations early because last season as many as 400 visitors were turned away in a single day.
If you like the real thing—not a jazzed-up tourist version—semiweekly square dances to the Fontana Village Square Dance Band are held in the large recreation hall. The village also has concerts, lectures, handicraft instruction and art lessons. A children's playground and pony ring provide entertainment for young fry. In addition, there is free group baby sitting Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and private sitters are available for 65¢ an hour at all times.
Accommodations at Fontana Village are moderately priced. Double rooms in the 56-room lodge rent at $7 a day; huge three-bedroom six-person cottages with kitchens for $102 weekly. The air-conditioned two-line cafeteria serves only cafeteria-quality food.
Fishing on Fontana—there are seven boat rental docks—is particularly good for largemouth bass, occasionally in the 8-to 10-pound class, and also for crappie and bream.
HIWASSEE LAKE
The last lake before returning to Knoxville is Hiwassee, a 95-mile drive from Fontana through great woodlands, past deep gorges and into a sparsely developed area of North Carolina which is almost surrounded by National Forests. The dam rises 307 feet above the bed of the river, forming a lake considered by many anglers the best game-fishing waters in the southern Tennessee Valley. It has been stocked with thousands of black bass and annually yields limit catches of this species, as well as pike and crappie. There are eight boat docks on the lake, all near Murphy, N.C.
The nearest motels and tourist courts are at Murphy on the eastern end of Hiwassee Lake. But for the family which likes roughing it in a trailer or tent, particularly if they want to be right where the best fishing is early in the morning, the lake itself is a lovely wilderness area for camping out overnight.
On the way back to Knoxville, break the 98-mile drive with a luncheon stop at SPIKE'S RESTAURANT outside Maryville. If nobody's hungry, wait for the DIXIELAND RESTAURANT in Knoxville, which serves really first-class food, cold beer and rare steaks.
DALE HOLLOW AND CENTER HILL LAKES
There are two more lakes cradled in the great arc formed by the Tennessee and its tributaries, which are not part of the TVA system but are linked so closely to it geographically that they definitely belong in this tour. Dale Hollow and Center Hill, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Cumberland River, are two of the finest fishing lakes in the United States. The Outdoor Writers Association recently voted Dale Hollow the best fresh-water-fishing lake in North America.
Both Dale Hollow and Center Hill lakes can be reached by car from either Knoxville or Nashville in under three hours. Dale Hollow straddles the Tennessee-Kentucky border in the center of the state and is perhaps the best known of the two. This spring it yielded the largest brown trout ever taken on this continent (SI, May 5)—a whopping 26-pound 2-ounce fish hooked on a Doll Fly in the tail waters of Dale Hollow Dam. Three years ago this same lake produced the world's record smallmouth bass, 11 pounds 15 ounces. In between record fish, its uncountable numbers of six-, seven- and eight-pound bass lure anglers here from all over the nation.
The best place to stay is at CEDAR HILL RESORT, on Dale Hollow near Celina, Tenn. There are 20 new cottages here, as well as a motel and restaurant overlooking the water, a fine fishing dock with complete tackle, 70 fishing boats and a 30-foot houseboat which may be rented for night fishing parties ($18 daily charter or $100 per week) or for overnight trips on the lake. These are fun even for nonfishermen.
Besides smallmouths and brown trout, largemouth and Kentucky bass, walleyes, crappies to 3½ pounds, rainbows, striped bass and catfish are abundant at Dale Hollow. Dick Roberts, who runs Cedar Hill Resort, has a regular staff of 10 guides who usually report in at the dock around 6 each morning. The safest bet, however, is to call the night before, particularly if you want a specific guide, such as "Cherry," the best known at Dale Hollow. The usual guide fee is $10, but most anglers add another $5 if their luck is especially good.
Much of the 850-mile shore line at Dale Hollow is heavily overhung with wooded growth. Hundreds of small, bush-covered points jut out into the water, forming a myriad of coves where big bass lurk. A skilled fisherman, who is able to lay his surface lure close in under the overhanging growth, can almost take bets on a strike. However, while he's-playing his fish, less proficient anglers (like myself) are more often than not untangling yards of monofilament from bushes that invariably get in the way.
Warning: There are a fair number of snakes in the Tennessee Valley region, some of them poisonous. Look around before hopping out of a boat onto the shore. It is possible, but not likely, to step on a copperhead.
Because fishing is terrific on both Dale Hollow and Center Hill, some rivalry exists between them. The U.S. record walleye (21 pounds 4 ounces) was taken at Center Hill last year. Ever since Dale Hollow's big trout, Center Hill has been one record behind. The lake's top angler, Auvel Hayes, doesn't believe the box score will stay like this much longer. He's convinced there is an even bigger smallmouth than the present world's record just waiting to be taken out of Center Hill.
Hayes runs COVE HOLLOW RESORT on the lake near Lancaster, Tenn. Like Dick Roberts' resort, Cove Hollow is really geared to the serious fisherman. Fishing boats and motors are for rent at the dock where eight top Center Hill guides make their headquarters. If they're all booked up, local sportsmen seldom need much persuasion to run out to a nearby cove for a few hours.
Auvel Hayes and the Doll Fly are synonymous at Center Hill. Until Hayes began fishing seriously with the Doll Fly a few years ago, it was just another local Knoxville lure, no more or less effective than many of the others used in the area. Then Hayes suggested a few innovations to its originator, Elmer Thompson, and together they arrived at the present design.
Hayes believes the really big bass are down at depths of from 20 to 30 feet. The Doll, which can be worked on casting, spinning or trolling tackle, is heavy enough to get that deep and apparently attractive enough to make the big ones strike. The evening I fished with Hayes he hooked into an eight-pound smallmouth where my surface lures couldn't intrigue anything over three pounds. Frankly, I'd rather see a small bass hit a lure on top of the water than feel a big one down deep, but that's purely personal preference. As far as beating the present smallmouth record is concerned, the chances are very good that a Doll Fly fisherman will do it. And the chances are even better that it will come from the Tennessee Valley area, where fish—and all other vacation attractions for the traveler—grow better every year.
CRUISING THE TENNESSEE
Where the Holston and French Broad rivers converge at Knoxville, the big Tennessee begins its 652-mile flow to the Ohio, winding through four states and a vast semiwilderness of camping, hiking, fishing and vacationland. All of the great man-made lakes on the river can be reached by car, but for a unique and exciting adventure, the best way to enjoy this area is to cruise down the length of the Tennessee River. Although the run from Knoxville to Paducah can be made in nine days, at least three weeks should be allowed to really enjoy a cruise down the Tennessee. There is much to see and do along the way.
An outboard or small to medium inboard cruiser is ideal for this trip. The boat should be able to make 18 mph for some of the longer runs between overnight stops. Many vacationers prefer to sleep aboard, but even if this isn't part of the plan, cruising will be more enjoyable with a place to stretch out or put the children to bed. There are few shoreside stops. A head and small galley make living more comfortable along the way.
This reporter made the Tennessee River cruise in a 22-foot Chris-Craft Cavalier. This was just about as small a boat as safety and comfort demand. You can't rent a boat this big in the Tennessee Valley area. To bring in a 22-footer of your own, the average lightweight trailer is too small. A commercial trailer like the 1,000-pound Peterson Bros. Gator which the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED expedition used, handles the job nicely. Smaller craft can be rented on a day basis on all of the lakes. The Cavalier was equipped with two 35-hp Evinrude out-boards, which averaged 20 to 22 mph downstream when pushed. With four six-gallon tanks, the boat had a top-speed cruising range of 36 miles—minimum for this trip—and an emergency reserve which allowed another five miles for miscalculating the next gas stop. This happens, so be prepared. The river is big and lonely—and like all rivers can be dangerous if approached incautiously.
Navigation charts are essential in making this cruise. The Tennessee Valley Authority publishes a complete set of revised charts to the river, showing underwater conditions, navigation channels and sailing aids. They sell for $10 and may be obtained by writing to TVA, Knoxville.
FORT LOUDOUN TO WATTS BAR—122 miles
A water-minded city, Knoxville, on Fort Loudoun Lake, is the best place to begin a cruise down the Tennessee River. Knoxville has boat-repair facilities for every brand of marine equipment manufactured, 20 public access areas to the lake and over a dozen docks developed by the county, private enterprises, clubs and municipal organizations for public use.
The ANCHORAGE YACHT BASIN near Cates Bridge at Highway 73 has a 500-foot dock with 10 feet of water at the fuel pumps, slips to accommodate boats up to 50 feet in length, 24-hour service and complete marine supplies. The nearby RIVERLAKE MARINA can float boats up to 15 tons and 50 feet. A machine shop at the marina handles work on diesel and gasoline engines and hulls.
Any boat starting a cruise down the Tennessee should be completely overhauled and put in first-class running condition before departure from Knoxville. Extensive repairs are practically impossible along the way. Extra sparkplugs, a tool kit and enough spare bumpers to take care of the many unpadded docks along the river should all be put on the boat here.
Gas can be a problem. The simplest way to avoid running out of gas, this reporter found, was to fill up the tanks at every available spot on the river, regardless of whether they'd been filled only 10 miles before. Even so, I ran out of gas twice; both times, fortunately, within sight of the next pump station.
Running downstream, the main channel is marked with black buoys on the right and red buoys on the left. These buoys are keyed with mileage distances figured from Paducah, Ky. The U.S. Coast Guard maintains all buoys, lights, day marks and safety harbor aids. Numerous secondary channels run from the main channel into tributary creeks, streams and rivers. In most cases these are less clearly marked than the main channel but, in daylight, reasonably easy to follow.
In general, a comfortable cruise is one which requires straight runs of no more than four hours. This permits enough leisure to stop en route and cast into the shore for bass, or to throttle down to trolling speed for baby stripers and crappie. It also insures being moored at a safe harbor before nightfall.
With a fast boat and a before-breakfast start it is possible to run the 116 miles from Knoxville to WATTS BAR RESORT in one day. Even averaging 20 mph, however, this is more than a six-hour trip, allowing time for locking through Fort Loudoun Dam.
Few children can cruise six consecutive hours without making life unbearable for themselves and their parents. For families with children, therefore, and anyone with a reasonably slow boat, plan an overnight stop en route at either LONG ISLAND MARINA or CANEY CREEK. Gas stops on Fort Loudoun Lake are at LOUISVILLE, 22 miles from Knoxville, and at CONCORD (mile 618).
The first lock en route is at 122-foot-high Fort Loudoun Dam (mile 602). This takes about 15 minutes to lock through. For anyone who has never handled a small boat through a lockage system the experience is bewildering and sometimes frightening. Ordinarily, the locks operate every hour on the hour for pleasure craft, at any time for commercial craft. Since the Tennessee handles a vast amount of commercial traffic, this means that the locks are in operation practically every minute of the day.
Sometimes pleasure boats are permitted to share a lockage with a barge when the barge doesn't fill the entire lock space. But this can be harrowing for the novice on cruise. Everything happens fast. The barge moves through the open lock gate, sending a great backwash behind it. At the same time a loudspeaker bellows from somewhere near the dam: "Come ahead there." In the churning water being kicked up inside the lock there doesn't seem to be room for even a canoe, let alone a small cruiser. The voice shouts again. Since there is no other boat in sight, the cruiser hesitantly inches forward into the barge's swirling backwash. The personless voice shouts: "Fasten to the 10-bitt," as the huge steel-and wood-bumpered gate swings closed behind. This is no place for anyone with claustrophobia.
Almost immediately the water begins to drop inside the lock. This is usually before the cruiser's novice deck hand has figured out what and where the 10-bitt is. (Actually, it is one of a series of moorings inside the lock wall which floats up and down as the water level inside the lock rises or drops.) The novice's often abortive struggle to lasso what must be the bitt with the bow line is then further impeded by a growing feeling of panic as both the water level and the bitt sink along the wall. At the helm, the pilot must jockey the boat near enough to the bitt to give the deck hand a fighting chance, yet keep far enough away from the barge to avoid heeling dizzily in its wake, and far enough off the wall to prevent ripping a hole in the hull.
"The biggest trouble we have with novices," says one lock operator, "is to keep them from mooring to the stationary ladders down the inside of the lock. Every now and then one of them does and it's a sight to see. If the rope is strong enough and the boat small enough, the bow is usually three feet out of the water before they realize what has happened!"
On the down-river side of Fort Loudoun lock is Watts Bar Reservoir, a 72-mile-long lake with 783 miles of shore line. LENOIR CITY, a mile from the dam, has gas at FATE EVANS DOCK and the LENOIR CITY MARINA. The next gas is at LOUDOUN MARINE PARK (mile 592). LONG ISLAND MARINA (mile 571) and CANEY CREEK DOCK (mile 561.9) both have limited overnight cabins, snack bars and dockage facilities. These are good places to take advantage of overnight mooring facilities and sample sleeping aboard ship.
Watts Bar Resort is only a 30-mile run from Caney Creek. Its harbor is a protected natural cove which at first glance is reminiscent of a blue-and-white New England fishing port. Constructed in 1939 to house dam personnel, Watts Bar Village has been remodeled into a first-class resort by its owners, Sally and Pete Smith. On the walls of the restaurant, which overlooks a California-style swimming pool, is a collection of fine Mexican and Spanish paintings. The food at all meals is excellent (steaks ordered rare are served rare) but for breakfast a particular specialty of Watts Bar is buckwheat cakes—the old-fashioned, fermented Vermont kind.
Watts Bar Resort is worth a stop of several days. Besides swimming and riding there is good fishing here for large-and smallmouth bass, crappie and young stripers in coves near the resort. Some of the best fun is fishing on light tackle for big, gamy shad, called in this area fresh-water tarpon.
For auto travelers the dock has a complete fleet of aluminum boats and three 7½- and 18-hp motors are for rent. The resort also rents a number of "sunfish" (small boats which resemble sailfish in design). These are regularly raced on the lake by guests.
Watts Bar facilities range from studio-type one-room apartments ($8 daily) to 3-bedroom kitchenette cottages ($18.50), all air-conditioned and beautifully furnished.
WATTS BAR TO CHICKAMAUGA—59 miles
From Watts Bar Dam you will have a fast (three hours) run down to LORET RESORT VILLAS on Chickamauga Lake, near the very lively city of Chattanooga. There isn't any place to buy things along the way, so stock up on cold beer (legal here), soda and ice before leaving Watts Bar.
The lock through 112-foot Watts Bar Dam takes about 15 minutes. On the downstream side, Chickamauga Lake is approximately the size of Watts Bar and has a shore line of 810 miles. It averages between a quarter and a half mile wide for much of its 59-mile length. This is an easy stretch to run, with deep water virtually from shore to shore. It is a good place to let young members of the family practice river piloting.
At least one gas stop is necessary on this run. The most convenient place is at Dayton Light (mile 504.4), 26 miles from Watts Bar. A well-marked secondary channel swings right from the river and runs a mile and a half to DAYTON'S DOCK in the town of Dayton. Other fueling points are at PINE HARBOR, SHADY GROVE HARBOR and BASS BAY RESORT CAMP. From here it is only another 16 miles to Loret Resort Villas on Harrison Bay (mile 479) in Chickamauga Lake.
This is an area the serious bass fisherman will really enjoy. Harrison Bay is approximately two miles across. It is a series of flats and shallows spotted with small islands, many of them root-covered and submerged. It is ideal water for casting surface lures over stump beds or trolling along the island banks.
The most popular bass trolling lure in this area is a silver-colored Buck's lure, although almost any color combination of this lure will take fish. Sam Thatcher, who manages Loret Villas when he isn't out fishing, has a standing bet with all comers that he can take a bass within 15 minutes any time he trolls a Buck's lure. Thatcher claims he has had to pay off only once—and on that occasion he hooked into a 2½-pounder five minutes after the time limit expired. Whether or not this is true, there is no question that there are plenty of bass in Harrison Bay.
There is also a floodlighted fishing dock, which is almost as popular with less serious fishing members of the family as its bass waters are with dedicated anglers. Loret's boat dock is one of the prettiest on any TVA lake, particularly at night. Its lighted stalls accommodate more than 100 boats. Dockage is included with cottages, which rent from $11 up. All of Loret's cottages are air-conditioned, equipped with kitchens and look out across the bay. A new restaurant opened this year.
Picnic Island, attached to the mainland by a floating walk, is directly opposite the resort. Its name, of course, comes from the most popular activity which occurs there. Water skis and speed boats are for rent—and very much in demand—here. In fact, the latter sport is so popular on weekends in the deep waters near Wolftever Bridge that even an expert needs courage to jockey the crisscrossed wakes of several hundred hot-rod runabouts.
There is plenty of night life in Chattanooga, only a 30-minute drive from Loret Villas. (Baby sitters and transportation to the city are both available at the resort.) Although mixed drinks are as taboo here as in most of Tennessee, many nightclubs—and Chattanooga has a number of good ones—show a casual disregard for this and other restrictions.
One of the best places to spend an evening is the CASTLE IN THE CLOUDS, which is high above Chattanooga on Lookout Mountain. It is an elaborate, exotic showplace with first-class food, a good orchestra and big-name entertainment. On warm summer evenings there is dancing on the outdoor patio against a panorama of winking lights from the city far below.
Nearby, THE CHATEAU is a smaller, more intimate restaurant which serves the best food in the Chattanooga area. Its dimly-lighted dining room is flanked on one side by a horseshoe-shaped bar and on the other by a well-played piano.
Chattanooga's CABLE INCLINE RAILWAY, a big attraction for kids, runs to the top of Lookout Mountain from the center of town. ROCK CITY, which advertises on practically every barn and birdhouse within 200 miles, is worth visiting at any age. Lookout Mountain and the Chattanooga-Chickamauga area are especially interesting from a historical point of view. Besides the spectacular drive along Missionary Ridge, nearby CHICKAMAUGA BATTLEFIELD, the nation's oldest and largest military park, houses the country's most complete collection of firearms. These weapons are representative of every war in which Americans have fought since prerevolutionary times.
CHICKAMAUGA TO GUNTERSVILLE—122 miles
Most vacationers on cruise plan to spend several days on Guntersville Lake. The 122-mile run to Guntersville from Loret, however, is the longest on the trip and should be broken by an overnight stop along the way. MULLINS COVE FISHING DOCK (mile 435.8) and MUD CREEK (mile 394.7) both have small overnight cabins. Mud Creek is just under 90 miles, dock to dock, from Loret and involves the time delay of two lockages. If it can be reached in a single run, accommodations here are somewhat more comfortable than at Mullins Cove. But Mud Creek is definitely not water which even the expert should attempt to navigate after dark.
Nine miles downstream from Loret, Chickamauga Dam (mile 471) is 129 feet high and an easy lockage. Just before the dam, gas up either on the right bank at GOLD POINT MARINA or on the left at CHICKAMAUGA BOAT HARBOR. The next gas stop is 35 miles from the dam.
Hales Bar Reservoir is on the other side of Chickamauga Dam. Here the river runs past the most heavily industrialized section of Chattanooga, along the base of Lookout Mountain and around Moccasin Bend. For the next 30 miles it cuts through the Grand Canyon of Tennessee, traversing some of the most spectacular country in the state. The river twists and winds its way past Signal Mountain, through such picturesquely named areas as Skillet Gap, Pot Point, Grindstone Ridge and along Raccoon Mountain to Ellis Gap. For car trailers, the Lee Highway runs parallel to Hales Bar in this section of the reservoir.
If planning an overnight stop, follow the markers at Mullins Cove Light (mile 435.8) to Mullins Cove Fishing Dock. There are also several fueling points five miles from Mullins Cove at Hales Bar Dam.
In Guntersville Reservoir, two miles downstream from the dam, the Lee Highway Bridge crosses the water. Here RAULSTON'S DOCK and BEENE'S DOCK can handle refueling problems and also launch boats up to about 28 feet.
Once past Long Island (there are several Long Islands on the river; this one is at mile 416.5), the channel runs broad and clear to Mud Creek. This is a good place to water-ski. It was possible to ski behind the boat I had on many of these stretches, although its 20-mph speed was somewhat slow for success with a monoski—at least as far as an amateur monoskier was concerned.
Mud Creek is 2½ miles off the main channel at Mud Creek Light. The secondary channel is nearly impossible to locate from the river. This spring the markers for the first half mile into the creek had fallen to ruin or been washed away and only a twisting, narrow passage between heavily overgrown banks was visible from the main channel. As deceptive as this passage appears, it is deep and safe to travel—merely frustrating to locate. A half mile up the creek, small markers run all the way to MUD CREEK DOCK.
The restaurant here specializes in Alabama barbecue at $1 a plate. This meal more than compensates for the difficulties in locating the channel. In addition to cabins, Mud Creek also has a tackle shop and overnight moorings in a protected harbor if you plan to sleep aboard. It is less than 40 miles from here to Guntersville, with one gas stop at STEWART'S DOCK, just past the Pine Island Light at mile 368.
But this area is big water, and it can be dangerous. Storms come up on these river lakes with less warning and only slightly less fury than they do on oceans. I encountered such a storm this spring and spent an anxious 10 minutes fighting it in the middle of one of Guntersville's broadest stretches. It came with no obvious warning. One moment the sky was blue, the next it was black. In seconds the lake was slapping and pounding against the sides of the boat. The Cavalier is sturdy and easy to handle. It took a beating that day which a smaller craft might not have survived.
If you do get caught in such a blow there are safety harbors marked with wooden arrows all along the river, and a particularly large number of them in these broad, unprotected areas of Guntersville Reservoir. Any one of them can be reached in a maximum of 10 minutes' fast running. With a watchful eye on the weather, that's usually sufficient time to beat a storm to shore.
The George S. Houston Bridge stretches across the river at the city of Guntersville, destination for this lap of the cruise. There is an inexpensive motel with small dock, the LAKE SHORE, directly under the bridge on the right bank of the river. But the finest place to stop in Guntersville is VAL-MONTE RESORT, the newest on the entire Tennessee River.
Val-Monte belongs—or will shortly—in a class with Bermuda's Coral Beach Club. It is an exclusive, first-class resort, operated as a public club for guests who are willing to pay for the best. Because this is Val-Monte's first season, many of its buildings have not been completed. An ultramodern waterfront hotel is currently under construction and will be opened later this summer. A sleek motel on the white-sand beach has already been completed, as have the clubhouses, restaurant, pro shops, lounges and wall-to-wall-carpeted locker rooms. Val-Monte has a par-3 nine-hole, electrically lighted golf course, a streamlined marina which can dock over 100 boats, bridle paths and horses, playgrounds, beach cabanas and extensive boat rentals.
The GUNTERSVILLE MARINA nearby serves good fried shrimp in its restaurant and carries a large stock of fishing tackle at its dock. The GUNTERSVILLE YACHT CLUB in the city extends its privileges to members of other clubs.
Because of great expanses of deep water in the area, aquaplaning, water skiing and sailing are very popular near Guntersville. Dozens of stumpy coves and bays offer good bass fishing year-round and particularly fine quail shooting nearby in the fall.
GUNTERSVILLE TO WHEELER—74 miles
Sleep late the morning you leave Guntersville for Wheeler Lake, because brunch at VAUGHN'S FISHING CAMP, less than an hour away, shouldn't be missed. Guntersville Dam is nine miles downstream from the George S. Houston Bridge. It is 94 feet high and takes about 10 minutes to lock through. Vaughn's is a mile downstream on the right bank. For $1.25 a plate, they serve a delicious fish fry.
The first gas stop on Wheeler Reservoir is 24 miles from Guntersville at the MADISON COUNTY BOAT HARBOR (mile 334). From here the river passes Huntsville Arsenal and runs through WHEELER NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, a vast, protected wilderness which stretches undisturbed for almost 20 miles along either side of the river. Bird watchers will be glad they remembered to bring along binoculars here.
Decatur, Ala., a city of 25,000 population, is on the left bank of the Tennessee at mile 305. Near Keller Memorial Bridge, the WHEELER LAKE YACHT CLUB at Decatur Harbor offers its facilities to transient boat owners. The INGALLS SHIPBUILDING COMPANY, two miles downstream, does an excellent overhaul, if one is needed.
Twenty-one miles downstream you may want to make an overnight stop at ELK RIVER LODGE. The lodge is owned and operated by the State of Alabama primarily as a fishing camp. Its rooms are new and clean but double-decker, dormitory style with a public bath down the hall. A small short-order restaurant was added this year but most guests cook in the large community kitchen. Beds rent for $2 a night.
The Elk River Lodge is located in the heart of a great wooded wilderness. Large snapping turtles swim into the harbor and a number of mallard ducks have adopted it as their home. In fact, they're so friendly that one drake managed to fly right into a line I was casting off the back of the boat. (The duck season is closed in summer, even for birds taken on rod and reel.) There is fairly good bass fishing nearby, but without guide service (Elk River Lodge doesn't seem to have any) the right spots are hard to find.
WHEELER TO PICKWICK LANDING—68 miles
Leave Elk River Lodge by 8 a.m. at the latest to make the seven-mile run back to the Tennessee River and the 77 miles cruise to PICKWICK LANDING before dark. The resort at Pickwick is worth visiting, so allow enough time to look around. There are four lockages involved in this stretch of river which can seriously delay a small boat if freight traffic is heavy. Locking through the first, Wheeler Dam, into Wilson Lake (mile 275) takes about 10 minutes, and traffic moves rapidly. On the other side there are several docks with gas for the run down Wilson Reservoir.
Wilson is only 15½ miles long, but its antiquated triple-lock system, now being replaced by a modern single structure, takes longer to lock through than any dam on the Tennessee River. Big barges have to lock in sections, a time-consuming operation during which pleasure boats can be held up several hours. When finally through, gas up again at O'NEAL HARBOR DOCK, two and a half miles downstream on the right bank. The next gas stop is WATERLOO DOCK, just under 30 miles from O'Neal, past Waterloo Light (mile 227.8).
Pickwick resort (mile 207.8), back in the state of Tennessee, is located on a 200-acre pine-covered peninsula which juts out into Pickwick Lake. It is a complete community with its own restaurant, post office, village hall, hotel and series of small cottages and full-size houses which range in rental from $45 to $72 weekly. The restaurant is strictly short-order since most people use cottage cooking facilities. It also sells ice cold, legal beer (by the glass or case), limited groceries and canned goods. Fox hunting is very popular in this area. Regular hunts, attracting up to 200 local participants, occur throughout the year. The resort can arrange for guests to go along with fox hunters if they wish. During the fall, there is also good deer and bird shooting in this heavily wooded region.
But Pickwick's greatest attraction is fishing. Dozens of small coves yield limits of big bass to the plug caster, fly fisherman or troller. Guides are available at the well-equipped dock, but the best nonprofessional guide of all is Pickwick's president, Wesley Dickson. For a lure, Dickson swears by a spotted black Bomber, cast close to the overhanging shore and retrieved slowly. He keeps up a quiet conversation as he fishes and has little patience with any cove which doesn't produce a strike on the first cast. They usually do for him.
Besides the dock at Pickwick Resort, Dickson operates another floating dock beneath Pickwick Dam. Fishing under the spillways is a harrowing and highly popular sport at most TVA dams, but particularly at Pickwick. A certain number of small fish invariably are ground up in the generators at all these dams. They form a natural chum which lures big catfish, carp, walleye and bass to the turbulent waters beneath the dams.
TVA officials discourage this kind of fishing because of the danger of boats being sucked under several thousand pounds of cascading water. A few are each year—but fishermen crowd to the dams anyway because the really big fish are here. From spring to fall a fleet of small outboards—sometimes as many as 300—bob up and down in the massive shadow of the dam, their motors racing to hold them stationary in the strong currents. Live bait, particularly minnows, are most popularly fished at depths of 10 to 25 feet. Dickson's floating dock is handy nearby to replace baits, rent boats, sell soda pop and offer advice to newcomers.
PICKWICK LANDING TO KENTUCKY—185 miles
Pickwick Landing Dam is the gateway to Kentucky Reservoir, the largest man-made lake in the world. Its 184-mile length has a shoreline of 2,380 miles. Surrounding this vast expanse of blue are more than $17 million worth of land- and water-based recreational facilities. Last year, by TVA's calculations, there were more than 6¼ million visits to the lake for recreational purposes. Nearly 2 million people came just to visit Kentucky Dam. Fourteen years ago this dam did not exist. Today it forms the most heavily used recreational area in the Tennessee Valley.
A minimum of three days, preferably a week, should be allocated to Kentucky Lake. It has a tremendous variety of shoreline, ranging from pink-tinted rock cliffs which rise above the water to lush meadows which stretch into the Kentucky countryside. The river lake is fairly narrow to the first overnight stop at PERRYVILLE, 72 miles from Pickwick Dam. A swift current runs toward the Ohio and makes traveling on this lake somewhat faster than on any of the others.
Shiloh National Military Park is on the left bank, 8.7 miles downstream from Pickwick. It shouldn't be missed but often is, for the only marker on the shore is a small wooden sign at PITTSBURG LANDING (mile 198.1) which says, NO FISHING. Decades ago, old steam paddle wheelers used to dock here. Although it is probably not encouraged, the water is deep enough to pull in and moor to the NO FISHING sign. A small path leads up from the river's bank to a peaceful Civil War cemetery high on a hill overlooking the Tennessee. On this spot, the first great western battle of the war was fought in April of 1862. The course of this two-day battle is marked throughout the park. In the museum theater, a 20-minute film made recently in Hollywood reenacts the battle and is shown free of charge upon request.
From Shiloh, the next gas stop is just under Milo Lemert Memorial Bridge (mile 190) at Savannah. Although navigation charts show SAVANNAH DOCK here, the dock was abandoned six years ago. Commercial mussel fishermen have since taken it over as a camp for their mussel-gathering operations. They welcome visits from passing cruisers and will telephone to Savannah for gas. The city is only a short distance from the river, so there is no real delay at this fueling point. Stop again at BROWN'S DOCK (mile 158.6). From Brown's it is 23 miles to TENN-TUCKY LAKE COTTAGES at Perryville.
Bob McCauley's Tenn-Tucky Dock at Perryville is equipped to handle 54 boats up to about 28 feet in length, has a bait and tackle shop on the water and 30 fishing boats for rent. Tenn-Tucky cottages, many with two bedrooms and complete kitchens, were built this year and rent for $7.50 up daily. Perryville is a fine overnight fishing stop for bass enthusiasts.
It is a 69-mile run from Perryville to PARIS LANDING. Attention, bird watchers! Just outside Perryville the TENNESSEE MIGRATORY WILDLIFE REFUGE begins where the river broadens into wide shallows and numerous tributary creeks. The first gas stop is at LUCAS HARBOR (mile 100.5). Gas is also available at TRAIL'S END and CLYDETON DOCKS in Big Richland Creek (mile 88.1) and at the EVA FISHING CAMP DOCK opposite Daniel Light (mile 97.7).
The Inn at Paris landing state park (mile 66.4), owned and operated by the State of Tennessee, is the most beautiful resort between Guntersville and Kentucky Dam. Its 30 rooms each have secluded private balconies overlooking landscaped lawns which stretch to the water. There is an island-in-the-tropics quality here which stems partly from its exotic architecture, unusual in this part of the country, and partly from an atmosphere of leisure, fine service and luxury.
The Inn's great-windowed dining room serves the best food on Kentucky Lake. A private dining room, which accommodates 250 people, is frequently used for banquets, dances and conventions. The park has a large stable, tennis courts, an archery range, golf-putting green, beaches and facilities for horseshoes, badminton, shuffleboard and croquet, as well as an excellent dock, where 50-foot yachts are a common sight.
The park and inn are open year-round. Rates at The Inn—which include use of its fine facilities—are $5 single, $7 or $8 double, per day. There is only one thing wrong with Paris Landing: everything it has to offer is so superior that The Inn is generally booked solid months in advance.
Several tourist courts and smaller resorts in the immediate area of Paris Landing provide less elaborate but good accommodations. LAKE VIEW COURT, within walking distance of PARIS LANDING DOCK, is a streamlined motel with good service and a television set in every room. GARRISON'S RESORT is 3½ miles away, on the water. It has housekeeping cabins and excellent water-skiing equipment and facilities. A complete skiing outfit: Cherokee boat, new 35-hp motor and skis, rent at Garrison's for $20 a day. The best bass fishing in this area is in Lost Creek, Piney Creek and Buzzard's Cove, across the river from Garrison's Resort.
A stone's throw from Piney Creek, the Tennessee-Kentucky border separates the states on the left bank of the river at mile 62.5 and runs downstream, following the main channel, to mile 49.4 on the right bank. There are dozens of small docks and fishing camps in this area; 114 on the entire lake.
A mile before Eggners Ferry Bridge (mile 41.8) is KENTUCKY LAKE STATE PARK. Like Paris Landing State Park, this is an extensive, modern recreation area. A considerable amount of rivalry exists between these neighboring state parks, based chiefly on their new hotels. The $600,000 KENLAKE HOTEL at Kentucky Lake State Park is much larger than The Inn at Paris Landing. In addition it has efficiency cabins ranging in rents from $72 to $96 weekly, which can handle many more guests during the season. It lacks the elegance of The Inn, however, bo h in appearance and service. Kenlake has good dock accommodations, a large tackle shop, 75 rental boats and overnight tie-ups which can handle boats of practically any size.
The FISHERMEN'S ONE STOP is at Eggners Bridge on the river's right bank. It is a first-class dock which provides everything for the fisherman from boats and motors to tackle, overnight cabins and a private landing strip for sportsmen who fly in for the weekend from Memphis and Nashville.
At the dam, KENTUCKY DAM VILLAGE is another state park which has a modern lodge, numerous one-, two- and three-bedroom cottages and extensive boating and swimming facilities on the lake. There are several public launching areas, miles of bridle paths along the water, numerous public beaches and a good 18-hole public golf course with its own clubhouse, lockers and pro shop.
The VILLAGE DOCKS, operated by J. W. Coakley, who is a master fisherman in his own right, have 15 feet of water at the fuel pumps, overnight tie-ups, fishing guides, rental boats and 24-hour watchman service.
In spite of all the fine bourbon made in Kentucky, this part of the state is as dry as most of Tennessee. The nearest watering place is Paducah, final destination on the Tennessee River cruise. Paducah is less than an hour away by car (there is an auto rental service at the dam), 22 miles by water. A fine marine railway at Kentucky Dam Village hauls out boats up to 30 tons and 50 feet. Many people making the cruise from Knoxville take advantage of this facility and pull out at the dam, to then ship or trail their boats home. But whether the cruise ends here or at Paducah, there seems to be a single point on which all travelers down the Tennessee agree: some day they'll return to run the river again.
PHOTO
CRUISING DOWN KENTUCKY LAKE, THE AUTHOR TAKES TIME OUT FROM HELM OF CHRIS-CRAFT TO READ MYSTERY NOVEL...
PHOTO
PULLS IN RARE CATCH, A DUCK WHICH INTERCEPTED CAST AT ELK RIVER...
PHOTO
TRIES WATER SKIING ON WILSON...
PHOTO
SHOWS OFF 2½-POUND BASS TAKEN ON SURFACE LURE FROM CENTER HILL LAKE...
PHOTO
AND SUNBATHES AT GUNTERSVILLE
TWO ILLUSTRATIONS
MAP
SUMMER VACATIONLAND for auto and boat travelers is vast Tennessee Valley area. Although all lakes in the valley may be reached by car, and all have fine boating water, some lend themselves better than others to a particular kind of travel. Shown above is the author's tour by auto (light blue) and her cruising course (dark blue) along the Tennessee River.
KENTUCKY
PADUCAH
KENTUCKY LAKE
NASHVILLE
CUMBERLAND RIVER
CENTER HILL LAKE
DALE HOLLOW LAKE
NORRIS LAKE
TENNESSEE
TENNESSEE RIVER
CHICKAMAUGA LAKE
PICKWICK LAKE
WILSON LAKE
WHEELEP LAKE
MISS.
ALABAMA
GUNTERSVILLE LAKE
VIRGINIA
FORT PATRICK HENRY LAKE
BRISTOL
SOUTH HOLST LAKE
CHEROKEE LAKE
BOONE LAKE
DOUGLAS LAKE
WATAUGA LAKE
KNOXVILLE
FORT LOUDOUN LAKE
FONTANA LAKE
HIWASSEE LAKE
WATTS BAR LAKE
CHICKAMUGA LAKE
HALES BAR LAKE
CHATTANOOGA
GEORGIA
NORTH CAROLINA
SOUTH CAROLINA
THREE PHOTOS
RECORD CATCHES from Dale Hollow and Center Hill are held by proud anglers: D. L. Hayes (left) with world's record smallmouth bass; Bennie Bryant with U.S. record walleye; and George Langston (right) with national record brown trout.
PHOTO
VACATIONERS CROWD VALLEY BEACHES TO SUN AND SWIM
ILLUSTRATION
NINE TVA DAMS AND THEIR LOCKS ON TENNESSEE ARE SHOWN ABOVE WITH DISTANCES FROM RIVER'S MOUTH AT PADUCAH
KENTUCKY
0 PADUCAH
22 MILES ABOVE MOUTH
PICKWICK 207
WILSON 259
WHEELER 275
GUNTERSVILLE 349
HALES BAR 431
CHICKAMAUGA 471
WATTS BAR 530
FORT LOUDOUN 602
652 KNOXVILLE
PHOTO
MASSIVE TVA LOCK TOWERS OVER APPROACHING CRUISER
PHOTO
A POPULAR BUT RISKY SPORT ON TENNESSEE RIVER IS FISHING BENEATH DAMS FOR BIG CATFISH, CARP, WALLEYE AND BASS