Tennessee Summer

Dale Hollow Lake at sunset--perfect skiing conditions!

For the past five summers, our family has gone deep into the backwoods of Tennessee for some summertime R&R. It is a trip we look forward to every year!! Before we moved to the Midwest, I didn’t know this--but Kentucky and Tennessee are home to some of the best lakes in the country. The lakes are big, and deep, and warm. We pack our bags, grab our skis and wakeboards, and head off to Byrdstown, Tennessee home of Dale Hollow Lake for
a full week of fun.

Jake in beach drag--a CarlyCreation

Byrdstown (pop. 903) is very remote and paints a great picture of southern life. The Southerners have their own distinct culture and if you don't listen 'real careful' you might miss what they are saying. I think the people are among the kindest I have ever met. Business is done on a handshake. People are laid-back, so trusting and helpful, and life just moves a little slower down here. One of the best features of Dale Hollow is no cell phone coverage—which is such a great perk for the family of Scott Hunter! We dock at Star Point Marina--managed by "Bob" and "Frog"--two locals who have a combined 54 working years on the Lake! Unbelievable--it's a little like getting stuck in a time warp and we welcome it! It is a vacation that requires much planning. We have to pack all of our food and drinks in because Byrdstown’s version of a supermarket looks like a fruit stand with sodas. Temperatures are around 85 and it is humid, so we generally bring in 160 bottles/cans of water and Gatorade!

This past week was another banner week. Josh and Zach perfected their wakeboarding skills—trying some 360°’s and timing their switches—it is actually very fun to watch, but something that I would only try with five layers of bubblewrap! Carly and I worked on our wakeboarding switches—Carly a little more successfully than me! (Why is it that age makes us more fearful of falling?!! It seems to me that we have more to pad our falls!!) Jake caught a few more inches of air this year and made his first deep water slalom start. Kudos to Jake! Scott survived another year without a tubing concussion and I saw him truly Reeelaxxx—something that only comes when he is “out of touch” and “out of the service area”. This is so nice to see…

Zach getting some pretty good air!

The classic wipeout...or as we say in Tennessee: "a good ol' bum spankin' "

Zach board grab--look at this water!!

Our own Byrdstown Diva in tubes and goggles...

Jake jumping the wake...wooo whoo!
Tube wars are our family’s version of an extreme sport. The goal in life is to wipe Dad out. He loves it…we love it and wouldn’t trade a minute of our time at Dale Hollow. Our bodies are tired, but tired in a very good way. We are more bronzed and look a little Bohemian back home in our little village of Hartville, Ohio.

I have loved our Dale Hollow days. We have watched our kids learn to ski and swim, and wakeboard these past five years. If we are lucky, we might get to squeeze in one more year next June with all four kids before Zach leaves for his mission. Every year, on our way out of Byrdstown, we read the sign that says "Have a Dale Hollow Day".
Thank you Byrdstown....We have and we will for as long as we can.