A short day with lots to see: 31.73 miles, 2:29 hours, 11.91 average
Another day began and we were off in the cool morning. We are appreciating the cooler temps and dry air, such a wonderful change from the previous heat and humidity. We had the bikes loaded on the car so Bill could drive us, once again, over a bridge, this time across the Cumberland River. So many bridges are very bicycle-unfriendly so we take advantage of the safety of our support wagon. We rode through The Land Between the Lakes, a national park between the dammed-up Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, an area almost 50 miles long. The road was basically deserted except for us, with side roads to campgrounds, trailheads, boat ramps and old cemetaries. It was mostly forested and fairly flat, just lovely riding.
By 9:15 we were in Tennessee!
We stopped at Homeplace 1850, a living-history area. Ten cabins-barns-sheds had been moved into the site from nearby. Fascinating log joinery, wood siding, stone foundations. Two women were piecing together quilts dressed in period costumes, and a gentleman was getting set up for some activity near the tool barn. Everything that is made here as part of the demonstrations remains on the farm, such as quilts, forged iron and these chairs shown in a picture below.
There were gardens and fields, horses, oxen, pigs, chickens, ducks, and sheep. We were very impressed with the museum's exhibits and grounds.
After more than an hour spent at the Farm we shed some of our riding layers and headed to Dover at the south end of The Land Between the Lakes. After checking into a cabin, we hopped into the car for lunch then drove to nearby Fort Donelson National Battlefield. There had been hundreds of cabins for sleeping quarters, but the fort itself was a 15 acre site made of dirt mounds and trenches, many of which remained. Originally a Confederate fort, of three in the area to protect the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, it was the site of an important battle of the Civil War in February 1862. Two forts, Henry and Heiman, were attacked from the rivers and no match for the Union's new ironclad gunboats. At Fort Donelson the Confederates had a much stronger position with two river batteries of 12 heavy guns crippling the gunboats.
After several days the land troops managed a vigorous attack and succeeded in surrounding the fort. Confederate General Buckner asked for terms of surrender to an obscure brigadier general named Ulysses S Grant, both West Point graduates and former friends. Grant's answer was short and direct: "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." Securing the fort allowed the Union to have the valuable position of opening a path towards Nashville and other areas to the south. The building below, the Dover Hotel, was the site of the signing of the terms of surrender.
It was a battle of many casualties. The Confederate soldiers were buried in the fields. 670 Union soldiers were reinterred in the Fort Donelson National Cemetery. Today the cemetery contains both Civil War veterans as well as other veterans who have served since that time.
We were back at the cabin for showers, rest time, and prepared a great dinner of grilled salmon, zucchini, garlic bread and salad. Another wonderful day was over.
Another day began and we were off in the cool morning. We are appreciating the cooler temps and dry air, such a wonderful change from the previous heat and humidity. We had the bikes loaded on the car so Bill could drive us, once again, over a bridge, this time across the Cumberland River. So many bridges are very bicycle-unfriendly so we take advantage of the safety of our support wagon. We rode through The Land Between the Lakes, a national park between the dammed-up Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers, an area almost 50 miles long. The road was basically deserted except for us, with side roads to campgrounds, trailheads, boat ramps and old cemetaries. It was mostly forested and fairly flat, just lovely riding.
By 9:15 we were in Tennessee!
We stopped at Homeplace 1850, a living-history area. Ten cabins-barns-sheds had been moved into the site from nearby. Fascinating log joinery, wood siding, stone foundations. Two women were piecing together quilts dressed in period costumes, and a gentleman was getting set up for some activity near the tool barn. Everything that is made here as part of the demonstrations remains on the farm, such as quilts, forged iron and these chairs shown in a picture below.
There were gardens and fields, horses, oxen, pigs, chickens, ducks, and sheep. We were very impressed with the museum's exhibits and grounds.
After more than an hour spent at the Farm we shed some of our riding layers and headed to Dover at the south end of The Land Between the Lakes. After checking into a cabin, we hopped into the car for lunch then drove to nearby Fort Donelson National Battlefield. There had been hundreds of cabins for sleeping quarters, but the fort itself was a 15 acre site made of dirt mounds and trenches, many of which remained. Originally a Confederate fort, of three in the area to protect the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, it was the site of an important battle of the Civil War in February 1862. Two forts, Henry and Heiman, were attacked from the rivers and no match for the Union's new ironclad gunboats. At Fort Donelson the Confederates had a much stronger position with two river batteries of 12 heavy guns crippling the gunboats.
After several days the land troops managed a vigorous attack and succeeded in surrounding the fort. Confederate General Buckner asked for terms of surrender to an obscure brigadier general named Ulysses S Grant, both West Point graduates and former friends. Grant's answer was short and direct: "No terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted." Securing the fort allowed the Union to have the valuable position of opening a path towards Nashville and other areas to the south. The building below, the Dover Hotel, was the site of the signing of the terms of surrender.
It was a battle of many casualties. The Confederate soldiers were buried in the fields. 670 Union soldiers were reinterred in the Fort Donelson National Cemetery. Today the cemetery contains both Civil War veterans as well as other veterans who have served since that time.
We were back at the cabin for showers, rest time, and prepared a great dinner of grilled salmon, zucchini, garlic bread and salad. Another wonderful day was over.
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