Take the Car to Clarksville

Northwest of Nashville stretches Clarksville which lies at the border between Tennessee and Kentucky. Sandra and I took a day trip to the fast-growing city of 132,000 along the Cumberland River in June.



The County Courthouse

Like some places, the city has managed to retain some character in its historic downtown section from buildings like the courthouse to the old customs house, which is now a museum site.


Looking at the Upper Floor Detail

The Customs House

On Franklin Street, a somewhat thriving retail area has sprung up. One of the finds of the trip was the Blackhorse Pub & Brewery. The brewpub was founded back in 1992 in a historic building. The beer is good, and the special for the day was a thin-sliced prime rib sandwich, which, quite honestly, is the best beef sandwich I've had in my life.


The Blackhorse

There are a variety of shops in the downtown area. We even caught some public artwork, which reminded me a little of Eric Grohe's work that we saw back in our 2009 Ohio trip. If you want to look back in the June 09 archives, you'll find several posts including this post about Bucyrus.



Clarksville Mural

The historic area sits atop a hill, which, in places, has a great view of the river.


Viewing the Cumberland

It was the Cumberland that primarily drew me to the city. After lunch, we headed down to McGregor Park and its mile long Riverwalk.

Being alongside the river, the park has a popular boat launch. It also has a nice playground for children. And, of course, we caught good views of the Cumberland.


Looking Upstream

Downstream

After spending time downtown, we headed to the outskirts to Beachaven Winery. Driving there was a bit of an adventure. While downtown has a much more classic look, the city has grown rapidly over the past several decades and has sprawled in the process. With freeways and overpasses, the place feels a lot bigger than the population would suggest.

On Saturdays in the summer, Beachaven hosts a jazz night, and by time we arrived in the late afternoon, lots of people were already parked and ready for the event. That didn't stop us from trying the wines.


Grapes at Beachaven

They do grow and buy several of the local varietals like Chardonel, Seyval Blanc, and Chambourcin. They also make wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay, which probably is sourced from West Coast grapes. Overall, compared to the Shawnee Hills wineries, Beachaven has some room for improvement, though we did buy a couple of selections which we liked. Besides, it is an interesting stop at the outskirts of town along Interstate 24.


Along the Highway