Tag: Savannah

Village Between The Lakes

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about the other Savannah – the one on the Tennessee River known as the “Catfish Capital Of The World”.

Continuing downstream on the river on my upcoming American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler ship cruise – it’s Grand Rivers Kentucky down in the southwestern corner of the state. It’s about 167 miles downstream from Savannah, and the journey is scheduled to take about 17½ hours, for an average speed of about 9½ MPH. There is no elevation drop between Savannah and Grand Rivers, as the entire journey is actually on Kentucky Lake – created by Kentucky Dam at Grand Rivers. At 160,309 acres it is the largest artificial lake by surface area in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.

I’ll be part of a 3-hour-plus shore excursion that afternoon in Land Between The Lakes – the federally-protected national recreation area between Kentucky Lake (Tennessee River) and Lake Barkley (Cumberland River). Our first stop will be the Woodlands Nature Station. Our next stop will be the Elk & Bison Prairie.

Paducah Kentucky (“Quilt City U.S.A.”) is another option on this day while docked in Grand Rivers. It’s about a 30-minute luxury coach ride into downtown, and then you’re on your own to do your own thing there for up to 3 hours before the coach returns back to the ship.

That night back on the cruise ship we will officially transfer over from the Tennessee River downstream to the Cumberland River upstream. (Both rivers flow into the Ohio River.) The 1.75-mile Barkley Canal essentially acts as a short-cut between the two rivers near their closest approach to allow vessels to bypass the Ohio River some 22½ (Tennessee) to 30½ (Cumberland) miles downstream. The Barkley Canal was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) from the late-1950s through the mid-1960s. It was completed and filled in 1966. The water depth runs from 11 to 15 feet depending on rainfall.

Once on Lake Barkley our 22-hour journey upstream on the Cumberland River begins. The river narrows into a traditional river and winds its way southeastward towards downtown Nashville, and that’s where I’ll be – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Barkley Canal, Catfish, Cruise, Cumberland River, Grand Rivers, Kentucky, Kentucky Dam, Kentucky Lake, Lake Barkley, Nashville, Ohio River, Paducah, Savannah, Tennessee, Tennessee River

Blogging Food Geography History Military Nature Photography Travel

Catfish Capital Of The World

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date September 24, 2026
4 Comments on Catfish Capital Of The World

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about Florence, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia Alabama – collectively known as “The Shoals” locally.

Downstream the Tennessee River from The Shoals by about 66 miles is Savannah Tennessee – “Catfish Capital Of The World”. It’s the next port-of-call on my upcoming American Cruise Lines paddlewheeler ship cruise. It’s about 55 to 60 feet lower in elevation than Florence Harbor, so less than a foot every mile on average. But nearly the entire drop actually occurs at the lock at Pickwick Dam – 17 miles before (upstream from) Savannah. That will be an early-morning 45-minute drop in the “elevator”, as we are scheduled to arrive in Savannah by 7:30 AM – about 40 minutes after sunrise.

I’m booked on a couple of shore excursions that day in Savannah. In the morning I’ll be touring the historic Shiloh National Military Park about 10 miles southwest of Savannah. It was the site of the American Civil War Battle Of Shiloh (AKA Battle Of Pittsburg Landing) on April 06TH and 07TH of 1862. It was established as a National Military Park 32½ years later on December 27TH 1894. President Grover Cleveland signed it into law. It was transferred from the Department Of War to the National Park Service effective August 10TH 1933 by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

So you’re wondering about the catfish. The stretch of Tennessee River adjacent to Savannah is known for its abundance of various types of catfish of all sizes – including some really big ones in the 60 to 80 pound or more range. Catfishing anglers come to Savannah each Fall (September and October) to participate in various tournaments. The locals welcome the visitors, as the city celebrates with pageants, parades, and fish fry gatherings along the river.

As for Savannah itself – it was settled 200 years ago during the 1820s. It was originally named Rudd’s Ferry – named after – well – James Rudd (an early settler) – and his ferry across the Tennessee. His wife was Elizabeth, and she was originally from Savannah Georgia. In 1830 – Rudd’s Ferry was renamed to Savannah Tennessee so that Elizabeth could still live in a town named Savannah. Nowadays over 7,000 residents call Savannah home, and over 28,000 residents live in surrounding Hardin County (including Savannah).

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about Grand Rivers Kentucky – where two rivers almost but not quite converge. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Alabama, Catfish, Cruise, Florence, Muscle Shoals, Savannah, Sheffield, Shiloh, Shoals, Tennessee, Tennessee River, Tuscumbia

Blogging Geography Travel

My Replacement Cruise

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date August 6, 2026

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. So let’s recap. After 24 cruises at sea via Norwegian, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and Disney – I declared that my 24TH cruise (and 16TH on Carnival) would be my final cruise ever. It was one of my greatest cruises ever on the newest and biggest ship I’d ever been on. (That was 3½ years ago in January 2023.)

Fast forward to 2025, and I was getting that cruise feeling again. Ads in print and on television for American Cruise Lines were increasingly intriguing to me. Research ensued, and during the final week of February 2026 I booked my cruise online on the Ohio River for nearly 5 months later during the latter portion of July 2026.

As I revealed in last week’s #TravelThursday (and to some museum friends a few weeks earlier) – that cruise was cancelled due to emergency drydock repairs that had to be made to the ship that I was booked on. (The ship was repaired within a week down in the Louisiana Bayou, and it resumed its regularly-scheduled voyages on the Ohio River starting with the immediate cruise after the one that I was booked on.)

I was given 3 options to proceed. One of the options was a definite no-go for me – a full refund of my cruise. Nope. I didn’t want my money back. I want to cruise a river. I want to see America. And I want to do so as soon as possible.

The other 2 options were enticing to me for different reasons. One of the options was to rebook on a 16-day / 15-night Grand Ohio Cruise for no additional charge. In other words – nearly double the cruise that I was originally booked on. It was a repositioning cruise at the end of the ship’s Ohio River season in late-August into early-September from Pittsburgh all the way to St. Louis. It would travel the entire length of the Ohio River downstream (981 miles), and then up the Mississippi River a bit (195 miles). YES PLEASE !

The caveat for that is that there must be a single balcony stateroom available on that cruise (which is what I booked for my original cruise). For a couple of days – there was one available. And then there wasn’t.

Oh well – it’s on to the last remaining option, and it’s a good one too. Choose any upcoming 9-day / 8-night cruise anywhere (among 28 ships and 50+ itineraries), and rebook for no additional charge – AND – get 30% off my next cruise after that. YES PLEASE !

I already knew which cruise I wanted to book. It would’ve been my Spring or Summer 2027 cruise that I would’ve booked during the original Ohio River cruise. It’s on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers through Tennessee, Alabama, and Kentucky. It runs between Chattanooga and Nashville (both directions). I’ll be flying in to Chattanooga the day before the cruise. Ports-of-call are Decatur / Huntsville Alabama, Florence Alabama, Savannah Tennessee, Paducah / Grand Rivers Kentucky, and finally Nashville. I’ll be flying out of Nashville. Airfare is included, and American Cruise Lines books the flights based upon my requests.

Incidentally – I plan to use the 30% off my next cruise after that – on the Ohio River cruise in Summer 2027. Starting with next season – it becomes a 10-day / 9-night cruise with an additional port-of-call added. (I believe it’ll be Wheeling West Virginia.)

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll look back at past visits to “The Volunteer State” – Tennessee. Let’s keep traveling together.