Magnus Moves! Massachusetts and back, Day 3

Thursday, July 11

Written at the time:
At Montgomery Bell State Park in Tennessee, not too far from Nashville. I chose a site at the far end of the campground, next to the last site which was next to the dumpsters.  Just behind us there is a creek and just behind it, a 25' bluff.  Nothing "scenic" but nice, very nice. The creek has water but I wouldn't exactly call it burbling. It's hardly even moving.  Off to the left side of us is the main body of the campground, lots of it. But off to the right is a big, mowed field set up for baseball and with a running trail all around. Past that is a day use area and some hiking trails.

 If I'd been in the main loops of the campground, I'd have hated this place with a passion. But as it is, I kind of like it. There's people and dogs and children and all sort of crap here, but it's also got some great--and deserted!--trails. And it has otters!  And broad-winged hawks.

To explain, as Molly and I headed out for a walk, we passed a horrible intermittent squeal in the the trees by the creek. And at first, I didn't think it was even a bird. But Merlin did--Broad-winged hawk. A couple of them, bitching at each other in the trees. But I never saw them.

We had a good walk although i couldn't figure out the map at all. but finally we reached a point where a sign said "campground .3 miles"  It was nearly time to get back and help fix supper, and so that's where we went.  What it didn't say was that the trail was going to cross the creek and rejoin the campground at the tent sites at the far end--at the opposite end from our site.

Going back through the crowded campground was stressful. But I only saw one loose dog, and luckily it didn't come to greet us.

The other memorable thing about the campground was that just as darkness was falling, a family of four or five otters came slowly down the creek, playing as they went and occasionally raising up their heads to take a look at us. Lovely.

As far as a review of the campground goes, the sites are roomy but they're crammed really close together and it's a crowded mess.  In fact, our slide-out overhung the neighboring site's picnic table.  The park itself is huge and spacious. and the trails, as I say, were well marked, lovely and deserted.  Even though the park was crammed full of people, the minute we set foot on a trail and stepped away from the road, we were all alone in a primeval woods.

So, I'd definitely come back for the otters and the trails, but not on a Thursday or weekend evening during peak camping season.