After we left the Smokies we spent a few nights at Montgomery Bell State Park west of Nashville, then headed to Pickwick Landing State Park near the TN/AL/MS state lines. We spent the time sightseeing and visiting several Civil War Sites.
Our space at Pickwick Landing, near where the Tennessee River runs through Pickwick Lake. Donnie built our one and only campfire of the whole trip and we “burned a few dogs” as my sister Kathy would say. It was a nice quiet park with only a few other campers. In fact, it was so quiet at night we heard coyotes howling.
We camped here with my (BJ’s) Mom and Dad in 1988 when Casey was just eight years old. That trip we really enjoyed watching the barges and tug boats going through the locks at Pickwick Dam, but were unable to repeat the experience. The whole area is now fenced off and no longer open to the public. We guessed it was a safety measure put in place after 9/11.
Here is a photo of tug and barge heading toward the locks.
We drove down into Alabama one day and discovered this creek covered in fog. On the way back we stopped in Corinth, MS at Martha’s Menu, another “meat and three”. Donnie and I have noticed that our jeans are fitting a little snugger after our stay in Tennessee! Wonder why.....
Shiloh National Military Park, site of Battle of Shiloh, April 1862, near Pickwick Landing State Park. Donnie’s second trip to Shiloh, my fourth. We both agreed if you believed in ghosts or spirits, this would be the place to find them.
One of five Confederate burial trenches.
The Sunken Road near the Hornet's Nest where some of the fiercest fighting of the battle took place.
The Bloody Pond where the blood of so many soldiers, North and South, stained the water red.
I didn’t get any photos of our campsite at Montgomery Bell but I always manage to take pics of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church Birthplace. Above are the chapel and replica of the log cabin where the church was founded in 1810. Both structures are on the state park grounds.
The Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge at a height of 145 ft crosses TN State Route 96. The double arched bridge was completed at a cost of $11.3 million in October 1993.
View from the top of the bridge.
One day we went to Franklin, TN to tour the site of the Battle of Franklin. But first things first: breakfast at Dotson’s, one of the “meat and three” cafes in TN that I had researched. It definitely did not disappoint with eggs, bacon, hashbrown casserole, biscuits, homemade preserves, grits and gravy! It was so good that we went back a couple of days later for the “meat and three” which was just as impressive as breakfast. If you are ever in Franklin we highly recommend Dotson’s, just don’t let the “no frills” exterior and atmosphere keep you from enjoying an exceptional meal.
After breakfast, we drove around town then visited the 1826 Carnton Plantation nearby. On November 30, 1864, the McGavock family who owned the plantation, witnessed one of the worst losses for the Confederacy. The battle lasting only five hours, took a toll of over 10,000 men who were killed, wounded or captured. Carrie McGavock, opened her home as the largest field hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers. The novel “The Widow of the South” is based on Mrs. McGavock and the plantation during the battle.
A giant 150 year old Osage Orange (Texans call it Bois D’Arc) tree in the plantation gardens.
The Confederate Cemetery on the plantation grounds.
Fort Donelson National Battlefield near Dover, TN. The Union victory in February 1862 opened the Cumberland River, advancing the Northern invasion of the South.
The Cemetery Lodge, which now houses burial records, was built in 1877 on the grounds of the Fort’s National Cemetery.
