We're "enjoying" the heat wave that the rest of the nation has been exposed to, and that heat has made us less ambitious in our hiking and exercise. We are being spoiled to spending the middle part of the day under the air-conditioner. The other option is to head to the water to cool off. So we headed to Norris Lake, about ten miles from our Raccoon Valley campground. It was a pleasant surprise to find that this Tennessee state park had no day use fees.
Because it is up-river from the Tennessee River, it doesn't have the silt that gives a lake the usual muddy color. We were pleasantly surprised to find the prettiest emerald green lake we have seen in a very long time. We couldn't wait to get our kayak inflated to get out on that beautiful water.
The water is perfectly clear, and very deep.
There were some interesting rock structures in the lake, with water marks that show that the water has been higher recently.
It was especially fun to kayak between the rocks.
When it got too hot on top of the water, we took turns going for a swim in that inviting water. It was another pleasant surprise that the water felt as good as it looked.
We took turns getting into the water, as we don't have much practice getting back into the kayak from deep water. It isn't pretty, but with a group effort we could get Denisa back into the kayak without capsizing the entire boat.
We spent several hours paddling around the lake, while the clouds continued to build in the sky.
We have been surprised to see that some tree branches are already sporting their festive fall colors. We're not sure what has caused these few leaves to turn prematurely red, but this is going to be a gorgeous shoreline this fall if the rest of these trees turn colors.
Our only wildlife siting on the water was this heron, balanced on some of the dead wood at the edge of the water.
Our only land mammal was this deer, who darted into the forest as soon as we got too close.
Besides enjoying time on the lake, we were pleasantly surprised with the old preserved buildings in the state park. This is the Rice Grist Mill, built in the 1800's. We were a little confused about the name of this mill, thinking that rice is a crop usually grown in a flatter and wetter area. Then we found out that it was built by the Rice family, and used to mill corn. That made more sense to us now.
The cogs and wheels connected to the water wheel still go round and round inside the mill. But there is one broken piece that keeps the mill stone from being operational. For some reason, it's a little hard to find replacement parts for 200-year-old mills.
Close by is the barn from a similar time period. Now that we are away from the coast, Denisa is finding that she likes pictures of old barns almost as much as old lighthouses. This barn is filled with the farming tools used in the 1800's, open and free for visitors to touch and enjoy.
Not far away is the Lenoir Pioneer Museum. This museum became a reality when Will and Helen Lenoir donated their sizable collection of Appalachian memorabilia they had spent a life-time collecting. There were labels that described the name or purpose of many things. Other times we would just stare at a unique implement, wondering how it was used.
There were so many things to see that we were on museum over-load. The Lenoirs loved to collect anything odd or old, and they loved the stories that went with them. They spent their life visiting rural homes in East Tennessee with the question, "You have anything old you'd sell?" They loved agricultural items, but there was also a section of glassware, and rooms set up as they would have looked in homes one hundred years ago.
They had an amazing collection of mouse traps that they had purchased over the years. Many were home-made, others were examples of manufacturers trying to build a better mouse trap. We are pleasantly surprised with little museums like this that have so much to see, and are still free to the public.
We stopped by the visitor center, and got a little education on the river systems managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). We have seen signs and evidence of this group ever since we spent time in eastern Alabama. There are dams built all along the Tennessee River, with hydro-electric power plants providing much of the energy in this part of the country. This is the tailwaters just down stream from the large dam that forms Norris Lake, and produces electricity.
We thought about putting the kayak in below the dam, but one must know about the water release schedule to avoid a heavy current that would be impossible to row against. When the demand for electricity is low, there is no water released through the hydro-electric plant so there is no water current. This would cause the tailwaters to actually dry up, damaging the water ecosystems that depend on a constant flow.We also learned a new word today--weir. This is an example of a weir--a rock-filled crib of water that can be steadily released down stream to keep a constant flow of water.
As you can see from the darkening skies in the picture above, we were very lucky not to get caught in a rain storm today. It was another pleasant surprise when the forecast rains arrived right after we got back home for the day. What a pleasant ending to another pleasant day around Raccoon Valley.
We have been surprised to see that some tree branches are already sporting their festive fall colors. We're not sure what has caused these few leaves to turn prematurely red, but this is going to be a gorgeous shoreline this fall if the rest of these trees turn colors.
Our only wildlife siting on the water was this heron, balanced on some of the dead wood at the edge of the water.
Our only land mammal was this deer, who darted into the forest as soon as we got too close.
Besides enjoying time on the lake, we were pleasantly surprised with the old preserved buildings in the state park. This is the Rice Grist Mill, built in the 1800's. We were a little confused about the name of this mill, thinking that rice is a crop usually grown in a flatter and wetter area. Then we found out that it was built by the Rice family, and used to mill corn. That made more sense to us now.
Close by is the barn from a similar time period. Now that we are away from the coast, Denisa is finding that she likes pictures of old barns almost as much as old lighthouses. This barn is filled with the farming tools used in the 1800's, open and free for visitors to touch and enjoy.
Not far away is the Lenoir Pioneer Museum. This museum became a reality when Will and Helen Lenoir donated their sizable collection of Appalachian memorabilia they had spent a life-time collecting. There were labels that described the name or purpose of many things. Other times we would just stare at a unique implement, wondering how it was used.
There were so many things to see that we were on museum over-load. The Lenoirs loved to collect anything odd or old, and they loved the stories that went with them. They spent their life visiting rural homes in East Tennessee with the question, "You have anything old you'd sell?" They loved agricultural items, but there was also a section of glassware, and rooms set up as they would have looked in homes one hundred years ago.
They had an amazing collection of mouse traps that they had purchased over the years. Many were home-made, others were examples of manufacturers trying to build a better mouse trap. We are pleasantly surprised with little museums like this that have so much to see, and are still free to the public.
We stopped by the visitor center, and got a little education on the river systems managed by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). We have seen signs and evidence of this group ever since we spent time in eastern Alabama. There are dams built all along the Tennessee River, with hydro-electric power plants providing much of the energy in this part of the country. This is the tailwaters just down stream from the large dam that forms Norris Lake, and produces electricity.
We thought about putting the kayak in below the dam, but one must know about the water release schedule to avoid a heavy current that would be impossible to row against. When the demand for electricity is low, there is no water released through the hydro-electric plant so there is no water current. This would cause the tailwaters to actually dry up, damaging the water ecosystems that depend on a constant flow.We also learned a new word today--weir. This is an example of a weir--a rock-filled crib of water that can be steadily released down stream to keep a constant flow of water.
As you can see from the darkening skies in the picture above, we were very lucky not to get caught in a rain storm today. It was another pleasant surprise when the forecast rains arrived right after we got back home for the day. What a pleasant ending to another pleasant day around Raccoon Valley.
What Kayak do you have and are you happy with it?
ReplyDeleteWe've had our Sea Eagle 370 kayak for around 7 years, and we have really enjoyed it. We have used it all over the country, but we found that the oyster beds in the salt water will slice a hole in it. But Mark was able to repair those holes, and we're still going strong!
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