The Tennessee Blueway-The Surreal World

I think one of the most fascinating things about paddling the Tennessee Blueway was the surreal experience of nature and man mixing together! We had 2 experiences that seem to make that stand out the most. All along the river, we saw amazing wildlife mixed with amazing human and industrial history, but on Williams Island the experience was really surreal! As we set camp in what seemed like the most remote wilderness, we could see the Baylor School across the river through the trees! As we prepared dinner we kept hearing something on the river like shouting. As we walked down to the dock we saw a sculling team with the coach in a motor boat going down the river! We saw this crew practicing for about an hour, then they headed in to the school! After our long night experiencing nature (See my earlier post!) we were laying in our tent the next morning and we heard that call again at about 6 am! Row, row, row… and on and on! While I was cooking breakfast and Phyllis was catching up on sleep, I watched the scullers go by about a half dozen times! It was amazing to be in this remote area and at the same time be right in the middle of a very busy human area! The two seemed to come together seamlessly while being totally out of place at the same time! It was beauty in 2 completely different ways! Then we hit the river again!

The second night we camped on the river (Complete story to come in future posts!) we camped in the back yard of a home in the process of being built. We were camped on a cove behind the house overlooking a beautiful mountain and waterway! Turn around and there was a construction site and a half built home 30 yards away! The surreal experience was even more pronounced the next morning! After an amazing night of sleep (I think we were both exhausted from the night before!) I got up early and was sitting by the water watching the sunrise over the mountain. Two deer were drinking water from the cove across from me and a woodpecker was tapping away at a tree nearby. It was one of the most peaceful moments I think I have ever experienced! Then I heard the eagles! No, not the bald eagles we had seen the day before, THE Eagles!! “Take it easy on me…” The construction workers had arrived!! (Very dedicated working on a Sunday on the 4th of July Weekend!) They were kind enough to play the music loud enough so that everyone within a mile could hear it! (It never did wake Phyllis up!) At first I was a little perturbed because they had disturbed my tranquil moment, but then I started humming along to the music (I have always been an Eagles fan!) and watching the deer and birds and the beauty of the mountains again! Rather than take away from my moment, the music seemed to tie it all together! It was an awesome moment! Then a commercial came on the radio station and brought nature and humanity to screeching halt! I cooked breakfast then! And on we went down the river!