HARPETH RIVER NARROWS

Today, I went on a hike. This area of Tennessee has quite a few state parks and it seems that several of them has something to do with Montgomery Bell. I'm staying in Montgomery Bell State Park, but Harpeth River State Park and the Narrows has Montgomery Bell in its history.

Montgomery Bell was a manufacturing entrepreneur who was crucial to the economic development of early Middle Tennessee. He was known as the "Iron Master of the Harpeth" and the "Iron Master of Middle Tennessee".

The Montgomery Bell Tunnel is a man-made water feature which directs water through a tunnel at a narrow portion of an oxbow on the Harpeth River. Created in 1818 by Montgomery Bell, the 290-foot long tunnel was devised to power an iron-manufacturing operation known as Pattison Forge. The area is now protected as being a Tennessee state park, as well as a National Historic Landmark.

So, I went out in search of the Montgomery Bell Tunnel.  Here's what I found:

Pretty, right?

Instead of taking the picture of the tunnel, saying isn't it pretty, and hiking back to the car, I decide to hike up to the bluff lookout.  What in the world has gotten into me???? In case you don't know, I am deathly afraid of heights.  I know, not good.  But, hey, I can do this.  It did turn out to be a pretty view.

On my way up

There were a lot of canoes and kayaks on this river. I bet it is really crowded during the summer.  While driving here, I kept thinking how this reminded me of the River Road in the hill country in Texas. When I saw the canoes and kayaks, I knew I had been thinking right.

Mr. W sitting on the top of the bluff. Very picturesque.

Did I mention that I was about to hyperventilate by the time I got up here? :)

Are you surprised that I sat on this rock on top of the bluff?  Me too! I sat very, very still.

Most of these people were a nice shade of red. Oops, someone forgot their sunscreen.......

Getting something in your shoe does not feel so good when you are walking up and down hills. Man, those are some white legs!

Mr. W wanted me to say that he walked down to take the picture and then had to walk back up to help me get down. And his point is......?

The other side of the tunnel

The river was moving just enough to be perfect for going down the river.

When we got back to the truck, Mr. W asked me if I enjoyed the hike. I did, but it wasn't on my top 10 fun things to do.  However, after we stopped at McDonald's and got an ice cream cone, I told him that this might have moved to my top 10 fun things list!

When I returned to where I'm staying, I went to a different part of Montgomery Bell State Park to see one of the other lakes on this property.  You can fish on this lake.  There was a pavilion that you can reserve and many picnic areas.  There were fishing boats and kayaks on this lake. The water is clear and very pretty. 

Water going over the dam.

The water flowing downstream after it comes over the dam.

I'm pretty proud of myself for hiking up that high.  But, I can tell that I'm not in the best of shape.  I think more hikes are in my future.