Thursday, July 24, 2014

Little Vacations Near Memphis: Ghost River & Millington

Ghost River, TN
    June weekend trip/ fun at a swamp

By now, everyone in Memphis has probably heard of the Ghost River Brewing company...I personally haven't tried any of their products, but their advertisements are prolific. So, when my family found out that there really is a section of the Wolf River that looks just like the mysterious picture on  the brewery's labels, we decided, why not check it out?! 

Now, I don't want anyone to think this isn't a fascinating place to visit, but I've added some some travel advice to this little vacation post that other websites didn't let me know before I visited.

1. Canoeing and kayaking are decidedly the best options for experiencing this natural area.
You can follow the driving directions on the few websites that offer them: here's one  and here's one
However, really this one view is all you can see from the road.
Wolf River

from Bateman Rd, again:
ghost river

2. Even with directions, the park isn't exactly user friendly.
After stopping at a few muddy, river landings, we followed locals' advice & drove down a random road, through what I'm sure was someone's back yard, across a temporary bridge, and into the woods to find the only visitors' info board we saw all day.
ghost river

Here's the info, just in case you don't want to traipse through other people's property.
ghost river

ghost river
3. Ghost River is, in fact, a swamp. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
Notice the intense mud at the foot of the trees... yet another reason to boat through here.
ghost river

4. Despite some drawbacks, Ghost River really does have a unique beauty.
ghost river

ghost river

Millington, TN
      July weekend trip/ Winery Visit Round 2

Ok, I get that Millington isn't even outside of Shelby county, and some people even consider it part of Memphis (ahem Justin Timberlake), but still isn't a vacation any break from ordinary life?

While, they may not merit their own post, here are some of the things my sister & I recommend after our first trip to Millington:

1. Shelby Forest- It's nice that Memphians have such a large, natural setting so close to home.  Point of interest: apparently Shelby Forest is home to one of America's best disc golf courses (haha, strange).

2. Shelby Forest General Store- The atmosphere is very Bass Pro meets Appalachia. My sister's boyfriend recommends the ice cream bars.

3. Old Millington Winery- This winery may not be as showy as Arrington, but these wines are also delicious, and many weekends, there there is live music. I recommend the blackberry wine, although everyone else loved the Strawberry. We brought home a bottle of very refreshing Delta White...here's its cheery label!
millington vineyard

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