Radnor Lake

I spent a couple nights in Nashville on may way back from Jacksonville, last week. I always enjoy visiting my good friends Scott & Natalie, and their son, Ford. Although I haven't lived there in 9 years, Nashville has always been a second home to me, and they have always extended me an open invitation (which could be questionable on their part).

I did take the time on Thursday to visit one of my favorite places in Middle Tennessee, Radnor Lake State Natural Area. These aren't the best pics, but I really didn't have the opportunity to catch the best light.

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Have I ever mentioned my fear of deer ? (rhyme not intentional)

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They're big, dumb, and spook easily. Throw in this guy's antlers and it could make for a gorey situation. However, the deer at Radnor have always been fairly friendly. There was one time I walked by one on a trail, and I could have slapped him on the rump as I past.

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This next photo is the last time I saw the sun until the end of my hike.

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I hadn't made it half way across this dam when it started raining. It soon turned into a torrential downpour that I couldn't see more than 10 feet ahead of me. I had to walk over a mile back to my car, and needless to say I was soaked ALL the way through. Chafing was a potential concern by the time I got to the parking lot. Of course, the rain totally stopped once I got to the lot. Thankfully, I had a complete change of clothes in the car, and the visitor's center provided the paper towels to dry off. It did take 3 days for my shoes to dry.

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Radnor has a lot of great nature programs. I once took a moonlight canoe float around the lake, and apparently they have some cave programs, too. It's also a popular place for bird-watchers. They charged a user fee a few years ago, but they've gone back to being completely free. The park has various levels of difficulty for the trails, with the two most rigorous completing a 4.5 mile loop around the lake. Otter Creek Road and the Lake Trail are the easiest on the immediate edges of the lake.