By Lucianne Shoffner

Pickwick Dam holds back over 43,000 surface acres of water, which gives us almost the same amount of water in which to play and fish.  Filled with large and smallmouth bass, bluegill, catfish, and blue catfish, it’s the perfect place to catch a fish worth telling a tale about! Stop in at the Pickwick Dam State Park, and check out the newly remodeled cabins, the Aviary, and the Butterfly Garden.  The Friends of the park helped to build the Butterfly Garden and support the Aviary. They have Wine Tastings in February, along with a Race to the Landing in October, an Easter Egg Hunt, and a New Year’s Eve at the Inn Gala to support both of those and their other accomplishments - Kayaks, paddle boards, white sand for the beaches, and canoes, all available for visitors, and much more.  All of these things are made possible by a group of volunteers that want to maintain it as a local treasure and make it a wonderful place for everyone to visit.

The boating is great, and with the available cabins, and vacation rentals, it’s the perfect place to spread your wings and fly, over the water that is.  A couple of places that have rentals are the Aqua Yacht Harbor, Pickwick Boat Rentals, and Eastport Marina. We rented a boat last summer and had a great time. While we don’t always get the time away that we wanted, this gives you the option without having to worry about a boat in the winter, and what to do with it while you are traveling!  It’s always gassed up and waiting on you. However, you might want to reserve it early, just in case everyone else has the same idea.

Pickwick has a ton of shops and fun places to explore, nightlife galore, restaurants, and on the other end of the spectrum, peaceful places to just shed all of the day to day worries.

Not too far away, just up the Tennessee River, is Savannah.  If you love history and a perfect Southern Downtown, you need to drive up the road or ride up the river, to Savannah.  Nestled just off the Tennessee River, Savannah boasts some really great shops, antique malls, restaurants and great places to spend time, and money!  If you didn’t read about the Christmas On Main, you need to go back and read your last year’s, December Issue of Cypress. They even have ice skating available!  It truly is a perfect place to while away some hours, to find someplace cool, especially on a rainy day in the summer when you can’t be out on the boat, and you feel the need for something unique!

Life on the water, or very near it, is a wonderful way to spend the lazy days of summer, or at least your week or so of it.  Pickwick, Savannah, and the Tennessee River spread a lot of joy through the area. Enjoy the view, the water, the music, and the shopping!