Saturday, January 24, 2015

Get Back To Nature With Foggy Bottom Canoe

By Janine Hughes


If you find yourself in a big city, you probably feel every once in a while that you need to get away from the crowds. An escape into the wild is just the remedy. In the Nashville area, the perfect getaway for a day or a weekend is to head to the waters with the help of Foggy Bottom Canoe in Kingston Springs.

The business is one of several that cater to visitors to the Kingston Springs area. This town, with no more than three thousand inhabitants, is only about thirty minutes from Nashville. It's a slice of Tennessee paradise in Cheatham County, located on the banks of the beautiful Harpeth River.

There are several lovely parks in and around Kingston Springs, among them the Kingston Springs City Park. Here you can go for a short walk, play a ball game or have a picnic and the riverside location means that it's easy to cool down on a hot summer's day. If you want some adventure, drive a couple of miles out of town and soar among the treetops on a zipline tour. Otherwise, explore the many hiking trails in the area.

The star of the show in the area is the meandering Harpeth River with its many bends. Here you can go fishing or just have a swim. The best way to enjoy the river, though, is to rent a canoe and go paddling. You may even decide on a guided trip with the folks at Foggy Bottom. Because the river is calm, canoeing here is safe even if you've never done this before.

At one part of the river, there are two horseshoe bends that come close to meeting. This is known as the Narrows of the Harpeth. In 1819, a man called Montgomery Bell used slave labor to create a tunnel here to divert water for his business. This was one of the first proper tunnels built in America and is a fascinating historic site. Nearby is Mound Bottom, another place filled with history. Here you'll find archaeological remains, including burial mounds that date from centuries before Columbus arrived in the New World.

When you decide on a canoeing and hiking adventure on the Harpeth River, there are some essentials that should be in your backpack to make your trip a pleasant one. You'll need a bathing suit and sunscreen. Water and snacks are a good idea too. For hikes along the river, you'll need some sturdy shoes and some insect repellent may come in handy too.

Kingston Springs boasts a warm, temperate climate. Even in the winter months the days are mild and pleasant. However, it can be humid here since the area sees quite a lot of rain throughout the year. The driest months are in late summer and early fall and this is the perfect time to visit if you want to hike in comfort but also want to swim in the river.

Because the area is so close to Nashville, it's a good option for a day trip. However, there is a good selection of restaurants and accommodation for different budgets here too. This is ideal if you've had an exciting day out on the water and can't stomach the drive back to the city just yet. However, it's advisable to book ahead, especially when you visit around public holidays.




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