Romantic sunset cruise on Reelfoot Lake

A romantic sunset cruise on Reelfoot Lake? Are you kidding me? My jaw dropped when Hubby offered to take me on a boat tour of the lake. We scored last minute tickets on the pontoon boat tour of Reelfoot and it was an amazing experience.

First, Reelfoot Lake isn’t just another body of water in Tennessee. No. No. No. This one was made as a result of 2000 earthquakes in 1811-1812. These were so powerful that they actually caused the Mississippi River to flow backwards. The results was the formation of one of the most unique places on earth.

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Reelfoot Lake State Park manages and preserves the habitat in conjunction with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Resources and other agencies. It is a 15,000 acre lake, 200 species of waterfowl and the largest lily pad garden that I have ever seen.

That evening we checked our gear for memory cards, batteries and anything else. Hubby took a bit to find a memory card and I was getting antsy. It was less than 30 minutes before the 6:00 pm evening tour and I didnt want to miss the boat! Hubby grinned and told me not to worry (like that ever works!)

We pulled into the parking lot of the state park office at 5:40. The place looked deserted. We sprayed each other off with some bug spray (always a necessity around a lake or pond in the summer). Then we held hands and walked to the boat dock behind the building. That’s when I stopped short.

I gave Hubby a side glance but he was studiously looking somewhere else.

We walked over to the boat dock and took our place at the end of the line. Reelfoot Lake State Park is a beautiful place. The cool evening was perfect for a sunset cruise. The air smelled like a combination of an ocean breeze and summer rain. It was a light airy scent that promised a tantalizing evening.

The park ranger pulled the pontoon boat up to the dock and called all aboard. He gave instructions to fill the back of the boat first and to pay attention to social distancing. The first to arrive were the first on the boat – the back of the boat! That put us in the front seats!

We had a marvelous time gliding on the lake. Ospreys scanned the top of the water searching for a bedtime snack. Egrets flew away from us with wings outstretched. We saw cypress trees growing up out of the water and acres of lily pad. Then we heard, rather than saw, the slap of a tail of an annoyed beaver as he slid into the water.

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All of this was narrated by the park ranger who identified the wildlife. He regaled us with stories of the lake and explained what laid before us. He was very knowledgeable. When the sun began dipping low, he steered us to where we could get some amazing shots of a brilliant Tennessee sunset over Reelfoot Lake State Park.

I made a YouTube video of the experience and hope you enjoy it. Click the link below to watch it. I think you’ll like what you see.

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