Land Between the Lakes offers outdoor adventures, Southern food, culture

We sipped coffee on our lodge room’s balcony as predawn darkness yielded to a glorious sunrise across the lake. Through binoculars, we watched a great blue heron wing along the distant shore of massive Kentucky Lake.

Although the Great Lakes and oceans come to mind when thinking of watery grandeur, our recent visit to the Land Between the Lakes in Kentucky and Tennessee helped us comprehend how two massive reservoirs link to an interconnection of rivers, oceans and lakes spanning much of the United States.

That afternoon, Captain Ron Harper motored us down a few of Kentucky Lake’s 2,000 miles of shoreline in a pontoon boat.

“From here, a boater can traverse thousands of miles of water down to the Gulf and up and down the Mississippi, Ohio and other big rivers,” he said. When not piloting the pontoon boat, Harper takes visitors on sailing experiences in his 27-foot sailboat. “The wind’s best in the fall, and this lake’s so big I can sail 25 or 30 miles,” he continued.

What’s now called the Land Between the Lakes was once known as the Land Between the Rivers. In a quirk of geography, the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers flow parallel and northward only a few miles apart. Once called the Trace, the land between these rivers had been a travel corridor for bison and Native Americans. It was later settled by mostly small farmers who cleared away the forest to create pastures and cropland.

In response to massive flooding, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration created the Tennessee Valley Authority in 1933 to construct dams that would put people to work, temper floods and generate electricity. Kentucky Lake’s Dam was completed in 1944 across the Tennessee River. With about 160,000 surface acres of water, it is the largest reservoir east of the Mississippi River.

The dam that formed the adjacent Barkley Lake on the Cumberland River was completed in 1966 and created a “small” reservoir of 58,000 acres. It’s named for President Harry Truman’s Vice President, Eban Barkley. In comparison, these two lakes make Iowa's Coralville Reservoir’s 5,000 surface acres a mere puddle.

Kentucky and Barkley Lakes are at the same surface elevation, enabling barges and pleasure boats to easily move from lake to lake through a short canal. Both dams have locks that lower boats to rivers about 30 miles above their confluence with the Ohio River near Paducah, Kentucky. Boating enthusiasts can start at Land Between the Lakes, follow the Ohio River to the Mississippi, and then motor all the way up to Minneapolis or down to the Gulf and beyond on saltwater.

Harper guided our pontoon boat into The Breakers Marina where we hopped out to enjoy a sandwich of southern style blackened catfish.

“The marinas scattered along both lakes welcome boaters to stop for a meal, tie up for the night, buy gas, discharge sewage for proper treatment, take a shower and fill the boat’s fresh water tank. Marinas make long distance boating convenient,” Harper said.

We’re not power boaters and prefer being on the water in our canoe. The big reservoirs, currents and waves can be intimidating to small paddle boats, but plenty of sheltered coves offer safe and pleasant canoeing.

Boating’s far from the only outdoor recreation at Land Between the Lakes. In order to create these enormous reservoirs, the government had to acquire land from at least 800 farmers, often using eminent domain. It was contentious. Over time, bad feelings have dwindled. The once-cleared farmland has now rebounded into dense forests sandwiched between water. It’s open to a wide array of upland recreation ranging from hiking and mountain biking to hunting during open seasons.

Getting there: Metropolis and Paducah

The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky, features intricate quilts of modern-day quilters. Its popularity, and economic force is part of the reason Paducah has been named a UNESCO Creative City. On display now are quilts by internationally known quilter Caryl Bryer Fallert-Gentry. (The Pattersons/for The Gazette)

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Superman statue outside the museum in Metropolis, Illinois. (The Pattersons/for The Gazette

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After passing through the Quad Cities, we made the long drive south through Illinois’ farmland until exiting the Interstate to visit Superman. Actually, we visited his hometown of Metropolis overlooking the Ohio River.

From there, we drove across the big river planning to spend a short overnight in Paducah, Kentucky. Plans changed. We lingered to view the amazing murals gracing the town’s floodwall. They depict area history from the Native American era to today.

Then, we toured The National Quilt Museum. Although not quilters, we marveled at the intricate artistic detail that skilled people stitched into dozens of quilts. It was afternoon before we headed for the big lakes.

The Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area

Paducah’s a gateway to the nearby Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area.

Leaving town, we drove south between the two dams and traversed a 60-mile-long isthmus on a pleasant winding and paved road that led us south through dense trees and across the Kentucky/Tennessee state line. Frequent side roads beckon travelers to campgrounds, overlooks, and fishing and hunting spots. We were there in steamy August, but locals told us autumn leaf color peaks and the weather’s ideal in early November.

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After a stop at the Visitor Center we continued south, rounded a bend and were surprised to spot a herd of bison grazing in a large field. Once common, these huge animals were extirpated with the coming of settlement. The herd we saw was later reestablished, proving there’s no need to drive to Yellowstone to see these largest of North America’s wild mammals.

Just west of Kentucky Lake off the US 79 bridge, we turned in at Paris Landing State Park and checked into its modern lodge. Four stories up, our room, like all guest rooms, faced the lake to the east giving us outstanding sunrise views. Managed by Tennessee State Parks, the lodge has a dining room, swimming pool, nearby golf course and boat ramp. Many fellow residents were families with young children scampering in the pool. The Lodge was our base camp for exploring the area.

One of our stops was the Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge on a jut of land between Kentucky Lake and a huge cove. The US Fish and Wildlife Service manages the land as a resting place for migrating waterfowl, but we also enjoyed spotting deer and songbirds along field edges. The best birding is during peak fall and spring migration periods.

Hundreds of private campgrounds, lodges, motels and restaurants are scattered about the region. We quickly learned that fried, blackened and grilled catfish was a popular local dish, which we enjoyed. Blues Landing Restaurant near our Lodge served up delicious Cajun food along with more standard American food.

Paris without the long flight

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Many of our friends recently traveled to tour distant European destinations. We stayed home in Iowa.

However, before we headed to the Land Between the Lakes, we told friends we planned to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris. They were impressed, not knowing that we’d view a tower replica in the town of Paris, Tennessee, a few miles west of the lodge. The tower’s located in a popular city park and rises 60 feet into the air. We enjoyed it without the long, expensive flight across the ocean.

Enroute to Florida

Folks we know make marathon drives to Florida. Like them, we once also focused on destination driving and zoomed along interstate highways racking up many miles a day. Unfortunately, we bypassed fascinating places. Now, we break up long drives to explore often relatively little known yet interesting natural areas and towns.

The Land Between the Lakes is almost perfectly situated for a pleasant stop for anyone driving from the Cedar Rapids area to the Sunshine State. It’s about half way there and is right on the way. Hopping off the Interstate and driving the two lanes through the forested Land Between the Lakes offers a pleasant driving interlude from interstate highways.

Spending a couple of days in the Land Between the Lakes offers the opportunity to relax in nature, boat, fish, hike or enjoy colorful sunrises as we did.

From there, it’s not far to Nashville and then on to Florida.