A River Road and its Spring Time Gifts

I love a river road.  There is something about a winding road along a river that stirs the soul.   US Highway 41 from  Powell's Cross Roads to Chattanooga is one of those roads.  It is spring here in Tennessee and the world is coming back to life.  This time of year reminds us that we are alive and the world is there for us to live in.

This life seems to be exceptionally better today, but it always does riding on a river road.  I have ridden or driven a lot of river roads.   There is something special about each one.  It always seems the one you are on at that moment is the best.

We leave Interstate 24 at the Powell's Cross Roads exit on the north shore of the Nickajack Lake north of Chattanooga.  We stop at the Marion County Park on Nickajack Lake it is a beautiful peninsula park surrounded by water on 3 sides.  It would be a great place to camp and spend a few days.

As we continue on Highway 41 we cross over the Tennessee River which is dammed to form Nickajack Lake.   There is a smell of blooming wisterias in the air.  The purple blooms litter the roadway enhancing the drive.  I have driven this road before but have never seen this spring color.  It was a sight to behold, with each curve revealing another outburst of purple.  I can only say it is these little gifts from nature that make a travelers life worth living.

We make a couple of stops along the river.  The Tennessee River cuts through the Cumberland Plateau as it flows from Chattanooga.  With high limestone cliffs, it gives the River an enhanced scenic beauty.

We leave the river for the cut around Raccoon Mountain and our destination of Chattanooga.  A river road once again enhancing our lives another time.