As mentioned, Timmery and I loosely talked about plans for a river day. These locals know folks that have property on the river and with the heat of the summer, I can think of no better way to spend a day than to be in cool water for hours. Everyone brings some food, hammocks, kayaks, and whatever else and escapes... can't wait! I kiss my sweet pup goodbye, hit the store, and off we go!
En route, Lance points out the Coffee Bank at Whites Creek. Apparently, James lived in this area for a spell while he attempted to get his act together. Back in the day it used to be a saloon and one of Jesse James's gang members was arrested here after getting drunk and bragging about their robberies. James fled town the next day.
Forty-five minutes and one long winding road later, we arrive at the river. It is more beautiful and peaceful than I imagined. I met more of Lance's friends, more kind and welcoming people. Camp was set up, people brought food to share; everyone was chill and happy and out to have a good time. There are dogs of all sizes running around and going for swims. The water temperature is perfect, just cold enough to enjoy but not freezing.
In one part of the river there is a natural small hole, almost like a hot tub, except not hot. This little pool of water was significantly colder than the rest of the river and it was quite the task submerging myself in there. Water trickled down from up the hill and Lance used the shade and cold wet rocks as a natural cooler. I talked to two lovely dudes, Daniel and Jesus, a lot about different cities and traveling the world. One of my favorite parts of this trip is meeting people who love adventure and want to keep moving, exploring, and experiencing life. They are visiting Nashville from Chicago and I will be in that area in a few weeks, so we make tentative plans to meet up.
It felt so good being in the water, skipping rocks, floating on rafts, spinning in tubes, and kayaking up and down. I haven't skipped rocks in years, but Timmery, Lance, and I did it for what felt like hours throughout the day. There were also giant bubbles out for everyone to enjoy. I can't stress enough how cool and easy going everyone was and I can't wait to meet up with these fine folks again! One of the highlights of my day was this neat rock I found.. what a unique shape! Hahaha. Snuggled the pup when I got back but didn't tell him about all of the other dogs that were at the river. Nashville has been pretty neat and I'm so happy that staying at Mystic Valley worked out.
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