Tag Archives: Cumberland River

Independence Day Celebration in Nashville – Fireworks on the River

The Fourth of July is upon us and it doesn’t seem like summer has hardly started yet! If you like fireworks, there is no better place to be in the country Thursday evening than right here in Nashville!

The celebrations at Nashville’s Riverfront Park start at noon and a variety of acts will be playing throughout the afternoon and the Family Fun Zone will be open. At 6:45 pm the main river stage events kick off with performances by Striking Matches, Barry Scott, Keb’ Mo’, The Band Perry and The Nashville Symphony, who will accompany the fireworks display at 9:50 pm.  It is all a part of LET FREEDOM RING 2013!

NashvilleJuly4

For a complete list of activities and more information, please CLICK HERE.   Nashville’s July 4th celebration is always rated among the top in the nation and 2013 will be no exception!

They will have fireworks left over, so another fantastic celebration evening is planned for Friday night, July 5th starting at 6:30 pm with the fireworks display at 9:30 pm.  Performing Friday evening is Chris Mulkey and Deluxe followed by Ten Out Of Tenn.

This year’s celebration will be somewhat different for area boaters who like to bring their boats from Old Hickory Lake to downtown Nashville.  Old Hickory Lock will close each evening at 10:00 pm.  Boats that are not at the lock by 9:15 pm will not be able to lock through until the next morning.  CLICK HERE for the full story.

It has been said that the Nashville Convention Visitors Bureau has offered to compensate the Federal Government to keep the lock open until midnight.  It is also rumored that the lock operators even volunteered their time for the effort also.  It is obvious the government wants boaters to feel the pain of the sequestration.

sequester

Boaters are very creative, resilient, and resourceful.   If they still want to view fireworks, they will be there.  The newly renovated Rock Harbor Marina and Blue Moon Restaurant downstream from Riverfront will also have accomodations for boats wanting to spend the night.  Call 615.356.1111 for information.

 

The public docking facilities on both sides of the river downtown are closed for the period July 1st through July 5th, reopening July 6th.  Former Mayor Bill Purcell started this practice of slapping area boaters in the face during his administration.  Maybe one of these days Nashville will further embrace its Riverfront and the boating public that uses it.

But until that happens, we’re going to have fun anyway!

 

Happy Independence Day!

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Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new home sales in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Gallatin, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

 

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Just what is a BLUE MOON?

Folks, tonight is the night of BLUE MOON!

But just what is a BLUE MOON anyway?

Is it a former famous floating restaurant at Rock Harbor Marina that is scheduled to reopen in March 2013?

 

Is it a brand of beer?

YES.  It is.  But it is really more  than that.  CLICK HERE to find out everything about tonight’s BLUE MOON.

What are your plans to celebrate?  Here is a neat idea to consider – PaddleBoarding on the river:

Check out the details of this cool event:  http://www.paddleuptn.com/blue-moon-paddle-boarding-on-the-river/

Yes..you can sip on a BLUE MOON while you are at the BLUE MOON looking at the BLUE MOON from the Cumberland River.  It just doesn’t get any better than that!

But if you can’t get there in person, just look up to the east!

 

 

A New Riverboat is Christened in Nashville!

Many people were downtown this weekend to welcome the brand new Queen of the Mississippi to the Nashville Riverfront.  This riverboat carrying 150 passengers made it’s Inaugural Call in Nashville, which was also the destination of it’s very first passenger voyage.

Read more about it here.  http://travel.usatoday.com/cruises/post/2012/08/queen-mississippi-paddle-wheeler-nashville-/831156/1

The Queen of the Mississippi is owned and operated by American Cruise Lines.

We caught our first glimpse of the Queen as it rounded Cockrill Bend, traveling much faster than I expected it could, my guess approximately 10 knots.  She is on her way to Clarksville, Paducah, and St. Louis.

There are only two overnight passenger paddle-wheelers plying the rivers today.   Nashville is proud to have hosted the Queen for her Christening and we look forward to seing her here again soon!

 

Things to do: Stand-up Paddleboard on the Cumberland River

One recent evening, we were grilling out while drifting along the Cumberland River in Cockrill Bend.

All of a sudden, appearing out of nowhere was a group coming around the bend that appeared to be walking on water.  No, it was not Jesus and his disciples.  It was Neil Newton and friends enjoying the newest outdoor water sport of “stand-up paddle boarding.”

Over the past weeks, it is apparent that this sport is catching on in Middle Tennessee!  Ever seen yoga on a paddle board?  Ever tried it?  NOW you can!

Here are avid paddle boarding enthusiasts getting ready to launch a YOLO brand (You Only Live once) paddle board into the Cumberland River at Rock Harbor.

Neil is now offering Stand-up Paddle Board rentals and lessons from Rock Harbor Marina in Nashville.  For more information, call 615.496.8082 or visit the website http://www.paddleuptn.com/

Busier Times! (Part 2)

Picking up where we left off in Part 1, with the boat moving decision made, we enjoyed our remaining time at Blackjack Cove.

Years ago, we met a very special family in Honduras, one that has been instrumental in our involvement with the Rotary Club of Choluteca Honduras service projects.  We were very fortunate to have Sergio and Karla Salinas, and their two sons Sergio Jr. and Mario join us for several days

They arrived on the evening of July 2nd, after visiting other Rotary Clubs in Northern Alabama and Middle Tennessee.   AFter their time with us, they would visit more Rotary Clubs in Martin, TN and Lawrenceburg to show appreciation of our district’s involvement in Honduras. 

On the morning of July 3rd, we gathered at the Blackjack Cove Ship Store for a farewell breakfast with Harry.  For those of you that haven’t experienced Harry’s home cooking in the Ship Store, you have missed out.  Catch him Tuesday – Saturdays for breakfast and lunch!

Quite a few friends joined us for the ride down river too.  Everyone is fascinated by the locks, which is basically like a toilet tank we would pull into and be flushed to the river below!

Today’s drop would be over 60 feet due to the lower Cumberland River levels.

We made great time down river, passed the General Jackson, and decided we would stop downtown and fix lunch and wait on it to get there and turn around, a great site to see.

Mario did a great job as Captain and we arrived at Rock Harbor Marina around 3:00 pm.

Rock Harbor Marina lost its famed restaurant, The Blue Moon, in the May 2010 Flood.  We were pleased to see construction nearly complete on the new restaurant facility, to be opening soon…more on that later.

The evening of February 3rd, the Rock Harbor Yacht Club hosted The Rotary Club of Spring Hill, The Salinas Family, and others for a great evening meal – prepared by Sid Neuhoff and Keith Clodfelter.  Those two guys are always doing something good for others and we raised over $1400 for our future Honduras project that evening!

The evening of July 4th, we headed back upstream to downtown Nashville for “Let Freedom Sing” and its awesome fireworks display.

We were fortunate to have radio personalities Doogie Vance and Dagwood Buzz join us with tunes for the evening.  They made the evening rock!

And then……

Boom, Boom, Pow.

The next morning, we said goodbye to Karla, Sergio, Sergio Jr. and Mario.  Ruby, our Blue Doberman, was there this time and enjoyed meeting them!

July was a busy month, with Ole South ending the month with 42 sales and 35 closings!  Our great sales force, construction team, and administrative staff all pulled together in this period of extreme temperatures to make everything flow smoothly!  For every new home that sells, we’re starting more and we remain very optimistic about new home sales in Middle Tennessee!

As you can see from the many postings of this blog, Nashville is a great place to call home.  We at Ole South are ready to build that home when the time is right for you!

Until then, Good Evening!

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, Gallatin, and Spring Hill, Tennessee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nashville New Homes: How did you ring in 2012?

We can now say good-bye to 2011 and hello to 2012.  It’s going to be a great year!  Period!

I made some grand plans for New Year’s Eve 2011, which is also our Blue Doberman Ruby’s first birthday.  Docking reservations for our boat were made at Nashville’s Riverfront Park.  Lynrd Skynrd would be there, right where the music note would drop.    Fifty-thousand people were going to be there too.  People would line the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge to see what we would be right in the middle of below.  Ruby was going to be excited that all of this was just for her. 

Beth wasn’t quite as excited about the new plans.  After all, Ruby is scared of fireworks.  And what about all those people on the bridge looking down on us?  In a crowd that large, someone would probably pee off that bridge.  Besides that, in past years, we had not stayed up until midnight anyway.  Hard to argue with common sense.

So, on December 26th, we took our boat back to Blackjack Cove Marina on Old Hickory Lake after an enjoyable stay with our friends at Rock Harbor Marina on the Cumberland River.  We would celebrate Ruby’s Birthday and the New Year at Blackjack Cove Marina and the Black Pearl Restaurant.   Ruby liked the idea because she had missed her friend Storm while we had been gone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If increased activity along the Cumberland River is a sign of better times, the good times are on the way back to Middle Tennessee!

 

‘The Plan” for New Year’s Eve at the marina came together perfectly, and we actually managed to stay up past midnight too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you ever heard of Polar Bear Tubing?  That was the plan for noon the next day… so we set out to find them.

And we did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And yes, they really were “Polar Bear Tubing.”

And we ended New Year’s Day 2012 with a feast among friends.  Cabbage, Black-eyed Peas, Cornbread, Pork Roast, Deer Meet, Beer Can Chicken, etc etc.

Yes, it looks like 2012 is going to be just fine!  Join us!

Nashville Homes Blog: It’s Christmas on the Cumberland

Christmas in Nashville.  There’s so much going on, and its hard to experience everything in one season.

The Nashville boating community is a great group of folks, consisting of boaters from the Cumberland River, Old Hickory Lake, and Percy Priest Lake.  While many decorate their homes, there are others that decorate their boats.

And then there are some groups that go all out for the season.  One such group is the Rock Harbor Yacht Club, who kicked off the Fifth Annual “Dock Crawl” this past weekend at Rock Harbor Marina.  If you are a boater, or enjoy boating, this is a must-do event.

This year’s celebration centered around various crock pots and platters, followed by specialty drinks at each boat.  Afterwards, the group crawled to the club house for karaoke, a true sight to behold!

While this event provided a good time to all, it also served the needs of many area children.  Every participant donated a toy, or a $10 donation, to Toys For Tots.

We were glad to be able to make the trip down from Blackjack Cove Marina on Old Hickory Lake to enjoy this year’s dock crawl.  It was great to see visiting boats on The Great Loop also in attendance.   Rock Harbor welcomes transient boaters all year round and is just minutes from downtown Nashville!

If you are considering “The Great Loop” trip on your boat, make it a point to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake during your voyage!  If you come to downtown Nashville’s Riverfront Park for New Year’s Eve 2011, we’ll see you there!  And so will Lynrd Sknyrd!

Now, enjoy the sights of Rock Harbor Yacht Club’s 2011 Dock Crawl:

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Nashville New Homes: And what a Fourth of July it was!

Well, the Fourth of July is now behind us, but there is still a LOT of summer left for all to enjoy.  And there’s no better place to enjoy summer than in the Greater Nashville area of Middle Tennessee!

At just six months old now, this 4th of July was Ruby’s first.  You can tell she is excited about going to the lake:

She wasn’t quite as thrilled about getting in the lake though:

Our weekend officially started with the fireworks show at Cedar Creek Yacht Club.  I found this upload on you-tube that is much better than any pictures I could have taken, which you will soon agree:

Sunday was a busy day on Old Hickory Lake.  I think this is the most boats I have ever seen in “Two-Foot Cove,” which is Old Hickory Lake’s “Party Cove.”

Sunday night, a huge crowd of boats gathered at anchor in Drakes Creek of Old Hickory Lake to view Hendersonville’s fireworks display at Drakes Creek Park:

Fortunately, I found a video on you-tube capturing the finale of this event.  My pictures just didn’t turn out well.  After all, I am a Realtor, not a photographer!

Monday was a day to hang out at the marina and enjoy a great meal at The Black Pearl restaurant.  The steel drums playing maje it the closest thing in Nashville to the Caribbean.  If you haven’t experienced their Sunday Brunch, you owe it to yourself.  www.blackjackcove.com

And then, Monday night topped off the entire weekend at Riverfront Park in downtown Nashville.  I simply did not have the energy to make the trip downtown, but here are some videos I found on You-tube once again!

Here is the finale of “Let Freedom Sing” with this year’s special guest, Darius Rucker:

And when you have time, here is another video showing more of the extravanganza at Riverfront Park in Nashville.

Nashville was not the only city on the Cumberland River celebrating Independence Day.  Clarksville was also a great place to be, especially since many troops are returning from their service for OUR freedom:

And half way in-between Nashville and Clarksville, Ashland City lit up the sky over their Riverfront as well:

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Special thanks to all that took the time to film these great displays of fireworks and for allowing me to borrow them from You-Tube!   It was a great weekend, but is now time to return to helping future homeowners find the perfect new home for their needs.  At Ole South, this IS still the “Yes Days of Summer.”  Come see why!

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Fireworks on the Cumberland River – Smoke on the Water & Fire in the Air!

We are lucky to live in Nashville, where we have an abundance of rivers, lakes, and streams to play in!   And this is the weekend that we’ve been waiting for and where anything that can be cooked will be cooked on a grill.

And after the meals, there are few scenes more beautiful than fireworks over the water.  There are some great opportunities coming up on the Cumberland River and Old Hickory Lake over the next few days that you will not want to miss.  

Saturday night, July 2nd, Cedar Creek Yacht Club, located on Benders Ferry Road in Mt. Juliet, will present a huge fireworks display at 9:00 pm.  Although Cedar Creek Yacht Club is not open to the public, there are many parks and other places nearby where you can enjoy the breathtaking views.  There are a lot of nearby coves to anchor in, which is where you will find many of us.

Sunday evening, July 3rd, the festivities move to the other side of the lake at Drakes Creek Park, where Hendersonville will host a terrific fireworks display at 9:00 pm.

And on July 4th, Nashville will host one of the largest fireworks extravaganzas in the country at approximately 9:15 pm at Riverfront Park, titled as “Let Freedom Ring” with special guest star Darius Rucker.

If you plan to watch the fireworks by boat, you will not be allowed to dock at Riverfront Park.  You used to be able to, but former Mayor Bill Purcell put an end to that years ago.   Don’t let that stop you from going by boat though!

Now, you must anchor (good luck) upstream of the Korean Veterans Bridge, or downstream from Woodland Street.  No boat traffic, other than law enforcement or the General Jackson is allowed between those two bridges.

Nashville on the Fourth of July is simply spectacular!  Check out the schedule of “Let Freedom Sing,” which lasts the entire weekend!

http://nashville.about.com/gi/o.htm?zi=1/XJ&zTi=1&sdn=nashville&cdn=citiestowns&tm=118&gps=295_436_1276_786&f=11&su=p284.9.336.ip_p554.18.336.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//www.musiccityjuly4th.com/

If you don’t plan to venture out on the Cumberland River for fireworks,  there are numerous celebrations taking place all over Middle Tennessee.  Here is a list:  http://www.fox17.com/newsroom/top_stories/videos/mywx_vid_8106.shtml

And from now, through the end of the holiday weekend, if you are looking for more to do, here is a list of many area happenings:   http://www.nashvilleparent.com/dont-miss-events/june-27-july-4-2011

One thing in particular we all need to do over the next few days…. we all need to take a moment to reflect on the freedom that we enjoy in this great country and remember all the brave men and women that are serving, and have served, our country defending that freedom.

Happy Independence Day! 

P.S.  After the Independence Day Weekend Celebrations are over, Ole South’s YES DAYS OF SUMMER celebrations will continue!  Visit www.OleSouth.com or join our Facebook Fan Page www.facebook.com/olesouthproperties  for the location nearest you!

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee

Spend the night on a real steamboat? You still can in Tennessee!

Although I didn’t take this picture, I remember visiting the Delta Queen one evening when it was moored at Nashville’s Riverfront Park in 2007.   The lights were dim, and all was quiet.  Puzzled by this at 9:00 pm, I approached a crew member and enjoyed a great conversation about life on the Delta Queen.  It was dark and quiet because everyone had gone to bed!

Here is a log of a 2007 voyage of the Delta Queen, including its stop in Nashville.     http://maritimematters.com/2010/09/log-of-the-steamboat-delta-queen-along-southern-rivers-part-one/

We have also passed this historic liner many times during recent years on the Cumberland, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers.   That is a sight we won’t see any more, thanks to the US Congress, who refused to renew the Queen’s exemption from the 1966 SOLAS (Safety of Life At Sea) Act, an exemption that every President has signed since Richard Nixon in 1970.  Read the history of this vessel here:  http://www.deltaqueenhotel.net/#!abouth-the-dq

In February of 2009, the Delta Queen arrived in Chattanooga to become a floating hotel at this city’s vibrant riverfront.   From $89 per night, you can step back in time and experience the closest thing to the “glory days” of river travel.  If you don’t have time for overnight, why not visit for a meal?  Here is a link to the hotel website.  http://www.deltaqueenhotel.net/

It is interesting that the Queen’s “Brother Ship” the “Delta King” serves in a near identical capacity in San Francisco, where the two began service together in 1927.   http://www.deltaking.com/  Of the steamboats, the Delta Queen and King are among the luckiest.

The Delta Queen Steamboat Company owned three “Queens,” all of which ceased operating in 2008.   The “Mississippi Queen” was launched in July 1976 during our nation’s bicentennial and traveled the inland rivers until being sold for scrap in 2010.  Here’s the story:

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2010/06/mississippi_queen_paddlewheel.html

I can remember passing the Mississippi Queen on the Cumberland River several times as well.  What a sight.

The third “Queen” is the “American Queen,” launched in 1995 as the largest steamboat ever built.  For Sale with fate unknown, she sits mothballed in Beaumont, Texas with the US Maritime Reserve Fleet hoping for better days.

 When it comes to embracing a city’s riverfront, Chattanooga is light years ahead of Nashville and should be commended for saving the Delta Queen. 

With our emerging status as a “world-class” city, would Nashville possibly consider a project using the American Queen at Riverfront Park, or even Opry Mills?  It’s an idea certainly worth consideration…especially since Bill Purcell is no longer in office to deem it a Homeland Security risk to Riverfront Park.  :0)

Even more reasons why Tennessee is the greatest place in the world to live.  Come join us!

Trey Lewis is a licensed Real Estate Broker in the State of Tennessee with Ole South Realty, 615.896.0019  direct 615.593.6340.  Specializing in new homes in the Greater Nashville area to include Nashville, Murfreesboro, Smyrna, Clarksville, and Spring Hill, Tennessee