EXPANDING FRONTIERS

Nashville Round Trip • November 13-20, 2008 • 8 Days
Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers • 782 River Miles

In a region of the United States where fiddles and banjoes are as much a part of local color as muskets and coonskin caps, we offer excursions that are perfect adventures to share with friends and family.

The first European settlers in this region were French fur traders who arrived in 1717. When the pioneers followed Daniel Boone through the Cumberland Gap into what was then part of North Carolina, this lush, green region's fate was sealed. This valley, whose rich agricultural lands provided attractive sites to homesteaders, would surely grow and prosper. Established in 1779, the first settlement of Nashborough (present day Nashville) was named for Revolutionary War hero General Francis Nash.

Settled in 1784, at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red rivers, Clarksville, Tenn., evolved as a river trading post for tobacco, grain and lumber. This river town was named for General George Rogers Clark.


Traveling on the Cumberland River, we'll pass through historic Tennessee Valley Authority locks and dams that were created to make the river navigable and brought electricity to the area following the Great Depression. More than 170,000 acres of the most beautiful lakes in America are found in this region. We'll see much of it, including Land Between the Lakes, a recreational area of lakes and shores that must be seen from our decks to be fully appreciated

BOARDING LANDING
This 8 day Expanding Frontiers excursion begins in Nashville, Tenn. The first settlers of Nashville were
Mississippian Indians, followed by French fur traders and then pioneers. Tennessee became the sixteenth state in 1796, and Nashville was made its permanent capital in 1843. By 1860, Nashville was a prosperous city, soon to be devastated by the Civil War. Because of its strategic location on the river and the railroad, the city was occupied by Federal troops for three years. The Battle of Nashville, fought in 1864, was the last aggressive action of the Confederate Army. In the decades following the war, Nashville experienced a growth in population, business, industry and education. Another area of growth was in country music, which has grown to the point that Nashville is known today as “Music City, USA”.

BARGING
What makes this excursion extraordinary is the beautiful scenery you’ll encounter on two exciting rivers, the Cumberland and the Tennessee. Formed in Kentucky but flowing primarily through limestone basins in northern Tennessee, the Cumberland River runs a course of 687 miles to its confluence with the Ohio River. It begins as a tiny mountain stream and grows substantially in volume from its intersections with several smaller rivers. Chief tributaries include the Little River in western Kentucky, and the Obey, Caney Fork, Stones, Harpeth and Red rivers in Tennessee.

When the Tennessee Valley Authority built a series of dams on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers to provide rural electrification, several lakes were formed, including the very scenic Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake. The area between these two lakes is known as Land Between the Lakes. We’ll barge on Lake Barkley and the Cumberland River with a passage through Cheatham Lock. The Barkley Canal takes us onto Kentucky Lake and the Tennessee River. The Tennessee River begins in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, running through northern Alabama and along the northeast border of Mississippi, before turning northward and emptying into the Ohio near Paducah, Ky. A passage through Pickwick Lock is also a highlight of this excursion.

HOST LANDINGS ALONG THE WAY
From Savannah, Tenn., we’ll take a trip to Shiloh National Military Park, which was established in 1894 to preserve the scene of the first major battle in the Western theater of the Civil War. The 2 day battle, April 6 and 7, 1862, involved about 65,000 Union and 44,000 Confederate troops. This battle resulted in nearly 24,000 killed, wounded and missing. It proved to be a decisive victory for the Union forces when they advanced on and seized control of the Confederate railway system at Corinth, Miss. The battlefield contains about 4,000 acres at Shiloh and there is an interpretive center in Corinth.

The park has within its boundaries the Shiloh National Cemetery along with the well preserved prehistoric Indian mounds that are listed as a National Historic Landmark. The city of Florence, Ala., was founded in 1818, on the banks of the beautiful Tennessee River in the scenic Northwest corner of Alabama. Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, Tuscumbia, and two counties, Lauderdale and Colbert, comprise the Shoals area. The history of Florence and the Shoals began over 10,000 years ago when Native Americans inhabited the area. Evidence of their existence can still be found at the ancient Florence Indian Mound. In 1818, the Cypress Land Company was formed to develop a thriving river town.

A young Italian surveyor, Ferdinand Sannoner, laid out the town of Florence and named it for his favorite city in Italy. Tuscumbia is the birthplace of “America’s First Lady of Courage,” Helen Keller. Florence is the birthplace of the “Father of the Blues” William Christopher Handy. Settled in 1784, at the confluence of the Cumberland and Red rivers, Clarksville, Tenn., evolved as a river trading post for tobacco, grain and lumber. It is the county seat for Montgomery County and is the fifth largest andthird fastest growing city in Tennessee. The town is home to Fort Campbell and the famed 101st Airborne Division, as well as Austin Peay State University. This quaint river town was named for General George Rogers Clark. Visit the historic downtown area and the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center and take a trip to a local winery. View ‘As the River Flows,’ a permanent exhibit housed in the Cumberland River Center where we dock that features a 12-panel chronological history of the Cumberland River and its significance to the development of Clarksville.

DESTINATION LANDING
This excursion ends with an overnight stay in Nashville, Tenn. Your excursion includes a pass to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame, which tells the history of country music while honoring some of its major figures.

WHAT IS “RIVERTIME?”
A RiverBarge Excursion is a timeless vacation, filling your days and nights with unforgettable sights and sounds. Your watch will become less essential as time goes on. The river has its own sense of time. It doesn’t conform to our schedule; we conform to its. We arrive and depart as it permits. Set your watch aside. In other words, set it to “ RiverTime” and let the river make your vacation time well spent.

NASHVILLE ROUND TRIP DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
DUE TO VARYING RIVER AND WATERWAY CONDITIONS, SCHEDULES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

Day 1 - Thurs - 11/13 - Boarding in Nashville, Tenn., begins at noon. Your stateroom is available at 3:00 p.m. An early evening departure from Nashville will begin our barging adventure on the Cumberland River.

Day 2 - Fri - 11/14 - An early morning passage through Cheatham Lock will begin a day of barging on the beautiful Cumberland River and Lake Barkley. We’ll leave Lake Barkley via the Barkley Canal and enter
Kentucky Lake and the lovely Tennessee River this afternoon.

Day 3 - Sat - 11/15 - When we arrive in Savannah, Tenn., around midday, we’ll depart on a motorcoach and enjoy a city tour of Savannah and a visit to Shiloh National Military Park. Early evening departure with
more barging on the scenic Tennessee River and a late evening passage through Pickwick Lock.

Day 4 - Sun - 11/16 - Early morning arrival in Florence, Ala. We’ll visit Ivy Green, the home of Helen Keller, and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. As an added bonus, we will stop at Spring Park to see the Spring
Park Light and Water Show. We’ll depart Florence in the afternoon and continue barging on the lovely Tennessee River with another late evening passage through Pickwick Lock.

Day 5 - Mon - 11/17 - Enjoy an entire day of barging as we finish our last leg of barging on the Tennessee River and Kentucky Lake. We’ll again pass through the Barkley Canal and onto Lake Barkley and the
Cumberland River late this afternoon.

Day 6 - Tues - 11/18 - Today, we’ll continue barging on the Cumberland River with an afternoon arrival in Clarksville, Tenn. Visit the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center or take a trip to a local winery before
our late evening departure.

Day 7 - Wed - 11/19 - Enjoy Cumberland River barging and a passage through Cheatham Lock early this morning before our midday arrival in Nashville, Tenn., where we’ll have an overnight stay. You’ll find plenty to do
from sightseeing and shopping to world-class entertainment. Take the complimentary shuttle from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m. to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Honky Tonk Row. Or, on your own, visit the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and the Wildhorse Saloon, which are within walking distance of the barge.

Day 8 - Thurs - 11/20- Enjoy a hearty breakfast before your morning disembarkation that includes a narrated limited city tour of Nashville on the way to the airport for those guests with flights 1:00 p.m. or later.