W Nashville Swim Week Fashion Show

The Shop at the W Nashville Hotel presented a fashion show for Swim Week on Thursday, May 4, 2023 from 6:30 p.m. to 12 a.m. 

The show celebrated swim suit designs featured in the hotel shop. Many of the attractive pieces used sustainable materials and some local sourcing. Here are some highlights from the program:

“Fair Harbor beachwear was born out of deep care for our waterways and a desire to preserve the magic of the shoreline for future generations. That’s why we made all of our signature beachwear from recycled plastic bottles, for versatile comfort that considers the ocean.” 

“Melissa Odabash – Each collection illustrates signature Odabash style and quality. From the finest quality Italian swimwear fabrics to reworked archived and vintage prints that are ethically sourced and manufactured.”

“Peixoto – Creating high-quality clothing that makes the wearer feel beautiful while doing our part to make the world a better place. At the core of our mission is a commitment to foster economic empowerment, health, safety and equality in all we do.” 

Designers included LSPACE, SOLID&STRIPED, VIX PAULAHERMANNY, BEACHRIOT, FAHERTY, MELISSA ODABASH, PEIXOTO and FAIR HARBOR. 

The event tickets were sold as general admission and VIP, with the key difference being VIP was about $20 more and came with a gift bag featuring some of the designers. Solid & Striped included towels and sunscreen in the VIP bag. L Space included some spa creams.

Models included Charika White, Christen McAllister, Shelby Hunstad, Morgan Watkins, Hannah Roberson, Lauren Kentfield, Alyssa Mocci, Tallulah Kokoski, Alyssa Schoener, Malik Perry, Bea Guti, Aidan Daniel, Mercedes Northup and Ronzell Williams. 

Hair and makeup was done by One10 Beauty House. 


Gallery Images provided by Sarah Hughes. Photos of Swim Week fashion show models walking and posing. All rights reserved.

Swim Week presented by The Shop was part of Nashville’s fashion events, with Nashville’s fashion week taking place officially in April. The show was held at the pool of the Gulch neighborhood W Nashville Hotel at 300 12th Ave S, Nashville, TN 37203. 

Details about Nashville Fashion Week can be found at https://www.nashvillefashionweek.com/. Fashion Week is one of several festivals and events listed at https://www.visitmusiccity.com/things-to-do-in-nashville/events/annual-events#.


Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Gallery Videos provided by Sarah Hughes. Videos of Swim Week fashion show models walking. All rights reserved.

Easy or Cheap Workout Habits To Try

Now that it’s January you may be returning to workout goals or resolving to work out for the first time. 

Here are some ideas you can try, with many being free and quick classics you may not have thought of. 

  • Jogging or walking while listening to music – sometimes this leads to longer walks and running. Oddly, my FitBit reports I burn more fat and get into more intense heart rate  zones when I take a walk, instead of hitting the gym. Mostly, walking with music brightens my day and I get into a meditative zone, while remembering old tunes. 
  • Yoga or Pilates – Maybe this will sound trite, but for me it was life changing! The first time I tried yoga it was as a mandatory exercise class credit in community college. My back went from being in pain from lugging around too many textbooks, to totally relaxed like I had just gotten a massage. I hold all my tension and stress in my neck and upper back. Being too stressed and not feeling in my body is a struggle for me. Yoga is the first time I felt differently. Later in a psychology class, I also learned yoga can be used to help those recovering from eating disorders, in reducing stress, and for managing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Taking a class can be free at certain events or through youtube videos. Taking yoga or pilates classes can be a fairly inexpensive investment, and then can be done later at home on a mat. 
  • Bellydancing – I first learned to do this with videos rented from my local library. It is a natural feeling dance where you don’t have to point your toes like ballet. It often has a great community of other dancers. Something about that combination helped me while dating a controlling boy who was threatened by my going to an all-women practice once a week. Long story short – Bellydancing stayed in my life, and he did not. 
  • Hiking or scenic walking – There are great hiking groups online, where you can meet friends who walk at whatever your pace is. This is also a great activity to do with pre-existing friends while seeing nature! Something about being outdoors engages my creativity and lightens my mood. It’s a great workout and can take you to many national parks. 
  • Dance – You can dance to videos or find a place with a cheap cover fee. Classes are often offered at local gyms or colleges for small fees. They greatly improve coordination, as they are both mentally and physically stimulating. 
  • Pokemon Go – This was fun for a time, combining walking and retro gamification. I enjoy visiting my local park or other points of interest, walking and reading the poke stop descriptions. Gotta catch ‘em all!
  • Stretching – Cartoons like Snow White are motivated enough to do this as they stretch out of bed. This is something that many people do when they first wake up. It’s in the daily routines of some of my best friends, as well as famous gurus I follow. Stretching helps keep the body functioning for necessary everyday activities. By slowly increasing range of motion and holding stretches for 20 seconds or more at a time, a person can work on the five primary movement patterns, and in turn, affect their movements in activities of daily living.
  • Go to the gym everyday to form a habit – the first time I heard of this approach, I thought it sounded silly. Some people go every day while forming a habit, even if one day they end up just using the spa services or showers. The idea is if you go there, you’ll get used to doing it as part of a routine. Also, maybe you’ll work out since you’re already there anyways. I started doing this, mostly by making the agreement with myself that I’d work out for 20 minutes. It did actually help get me in a routine when I had been struggling to get back to working out.  

These exercise ideas might be a fun way to take better care of your body. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, physical activity may help you live longer and better, while giving mind and mood benefits. 

“Regular physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health. Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities.” says the CDC. 

The CDC lists many immediate benefits of physical activity. 

“Benefits include improved thinking or cognition for children 6 to 13 years of age and reduced short-term feelings of anxiety for adults. Regular physical activity can help keep your thinking, learning, and judgment skills sharp as you age. It can also reduce your risk of depression and anxiety and help you sleep better.”

Even though physical activity can be good for health, activity doesn’t have to always be rigorous or extreme. 

Don’t knock the little things until you try them! Sometimes simple and consistent action is better for achieving wanted results. Here’s some words on consistency for motivation. 

“Success isn’t always about ‘greatness’, it’s about consistency. Consistent, hard work gains success. Greatness will come.” – Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

“Long term consistency beats short term intensity” – Bruce Lee

“Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection” – Mark Twain

Hopefully you find a new favorite way to move your body in January and beyond. Good luck exploring new healthy habits for a better you!

Repetitive Accidents on Exit 1 and other busy roads in Clarksville, TN

A three car pile up occurred on Trenton Rd near exit 1 from the I-24 W on Dec. 1, 2022 observed around 6:22 PM. This is the second night in a row traffic appeared backed up from that exit to Tiny Town Rd due to a vehicular accident. This accident drew several Emergency Response vehicles.

Another accident backed traffic up to the I-24 along the same westbound exit 1 on Nov. 30, 2022.

It is a common place for wrecks as are nearby parts of Tiny Town Rd. and Trenton Rd. Most likely, as the winter season passes, there will be more similar accidents, with added weather related conditions. 

Members of the community who attended the Clarksville Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission’s (CMCRPC) first of three Comprehensive Plan Workshops on July 11, 2022 listed roads with the most traffic as the following locations: state Highway 374, Peachers Mill, Wilma Rudolph Blvd, Trenton/Needmore Rds, Clarksville High School, Riverside after the hill and major roads that shrink down to a single lane or turn. This closely matches Police data. 
“The most dangerous roads for wrecks in Clarksville are Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, Fort Campbell Boulevard, Tiny Town Road, state Highway 374, Madison Street, Trenton Road and Ashland City Road, according to Police Lt. Vincent Lewis, who is over both the Traffic Enforcement Unit and the Fatal Accident Crash Team,” reports https://clarksvillenow.com/local/7-most-dangerous-roads-in-clarksville-see-dramatic-rise-in-injury-wrecks/#:~:text=The%20most%20dangerous%20roads%20for,Road%2C%20according%20to%20Police%20Lt.

“Those roads comprise more than 60 percent of our crashes per month,” Lewis said.

“And those roads had a significant increase in traffic wrecks in 2021, according to numbers from Police Sgt. Charles Gill.”


Urban Decay Eyeshadow Palettes like Honey for a Sweet Holiday Sale

Christmas is coming and maybe you’re still looking for a good present for yourself or someone else. Urban Decay has been featuring eyeshadow palettes for lower sale prices recently. 

Some of the ones we’ve tried are Naked3, Naked Wild West and of course, Naked Honey. Different colors have been going on sale all month with Naked3, Naked Wild West and Naked Honey being discounted 50 percent right now. On Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022 Naked3 was $27 marked down from $54. Naked Wild West was $24.50 marked down $49. Naked Honey was $24.50 marked down from $49.

Images provided by Melinda Wilson and Sarah Hughes. Pictures of Urban Decay makeup and application inspiration. All rights reserved.   


The Naked3 palette is good for work or subtle looks with neutral brown and nude colors. The Naked Honey or Naked Cherry are good for sparkly dramatic holiday looks. The Naked Wild West would look awesome in the summer or at a festival. All are fun for dabbling with and staging a photoshoot with your besties! Pictured are some ways to apply it. The palettes can be purchased at https://www.urbandecay.com/naked-palettes/?start=0&sz=18

Yellowstone National Park Opens for the season, followed by more harsh weather

Yellowstone opened for the season and then promptly flooded June 13 in catastrophic floods. The floods caused a brief closure and caused roadways and infrastructure to be damaged. 

Here are a few of the sights before the weather wreaked havoc. 

May 27 is typically when Yellowstone is fully open, with most restaurants/inns/etc opening before memorial day. Visitors begin to flock to the national park as the roads open, and the weather warms. 

The national park is important because… has these features (list those poi in pictures) and has been open since year. Is the first??? Park created in year??? 

Famous park drawing xxx of people per year. 

Visitors mostly flock to the park in these months (summer months?) . Locals and savvy travelers beat the bulk of the crowds going before peak season. 

Visiting May 29-June 3, roads were still being cleared of snow, but all were open by the end of our trip. Our trip followed north entrance to… route. 

There was some sign of labor shortages in Yellowstone. May be due to pandemic or earliness in the season. 

End: Roads are still being repaired and half the loop is currently closed. Road conditions can be checked here. Travel plans can be made here. 

Tickets can be purchased here. Make reservations ahead of time.

Make a beeline for Krispy Kreme’s honey flavored donuts

If you’re a fan of honey flavors, Krispy Kreme is offering an “Oh Honey!” collection of donuts.

Get these seasonal specialties before they’re gone on May 22, 2022!

Donuts decorated with cartoon bee with cookie wings
Image by Sarah Hughes. Honey Bee Doughnuts. All rights reserved.

The flavors of the moment include a cute cartoon bee decoration and honey themed palettes. These tasty treats can be purchased at participating Krispy Kreme locations until they sell out. 

Flavors are listed at https://www.krispykreme.com/menu/doughnuts 

Krispykreme.com describes the honey bee donuts as “an Original Glazed® doughnut dipped in yellow icing and decorated like a honey bee with buttercreme and mini cookies.”

The honey pull apart is “glazed, light and airy honey doughnut clusters drizzled with salted honey icing.”

Pans of honey themed donuts in glass display case. Mixture of cake and fluffy type doughnuts
Image by Sarah Hughes. Krispy Kreme doughnuts with honey themed collection. All rights reserved.

The third donut of the trio is the honey cake, expressed as, “a glazed Sour Cream Cake doughnut topped with salted honey icing drizzles and an oat crisp crumble.”

The website notes that “daily selection varies by shop.”

Pans of donuts in glass display case
Image by Sarah Hughes. Krispy Kreme doughnuts. All rights reserved.

Available for a limited time. Check out a store near you! 🍯

Tenn. Honey Festival Celebrates Pollinators and ‘Cultural beverages’

You love honey and so do we. The Tennessee Honey Festival brings awareness to pollinators’ roles and the variety of ways their honey can be used.

Taking place last Oct. 3, 2021 10 AM to 5 PM (CDT) at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, 600 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, Tenn. 37243, the festival has been celebrated annually since 2018.

“The Tennessee Honey Festival is a family-friendly event that is put on for the sole purpose of raising awareness and bringing attention to the current honey-bee, pollinator crisis.” says https://tennesseehoneyfestival.com/

If that sounds like the bee’s knees, check out the festival next year. Tickets can be purchased at https://tennesseehoneyfestival.com/

Author Spotlight: Sarah Hughes discusses her writing process in Confetti Spring

Sarah Hughes discusses her writing process for recently released poetry book, Confetti Spring, giving a glimpse into her process and the meanings behind her poems.


Image by Tyler Pippen. Sarah Hughes at Cheekwood Estate and Gardens. All rights reserved.

Why I wrote about these topics

I wrote this collection of poetry because the subjects are worthwhile. I can explain them, but it’s personal and lengthy, so if that’s not your thing read the poems themselves. I believe firmly that the work is not always the artist, so maybe you’ll see something different than these heart-on-my-sleeve topics. Or maybe read this last and see if you believe the poems are about the following subjects. 

There is a theme that has come up twice in my life. I explore it in writing this book, and will probably write more about it later. It is getting off a rollercoaster that is created by a toxic person or organization in your life. Obviously we all have our moments of toxic behavior, and it is very important to own our own actions. If anyone is out there that needs encouragement to get off an unwelcome rollercoaster, please form a solid plan that involves help and do it. You will never regret it. You can set deadlines for getting off if it makes you feel better. You can even stay longer than you should, but get out of that situation and immerse yourself in people and hobbies that make you feel good, who see your worth. You are worthy. Anyone who tells you that you are not worthy enough and uses dangling false carrots to keep you is not the sort of leader you should be following. 

That’s the hardest theme I dwelled on in this collection. Mostly due to mourning unrealized potential and walking away from personal investment that hit a dead end. It is hopeful as there is a discovery of freedom involved. There is a discovery of authenticity as well. I feel I will always be intrigued with authenticity in my writing as honesty is very important to me. I believe it makes people good leaders, and also creates a culture of transparency, which in turn creates a culture of equals.

Part of discovering new layers of authenticity is learning to not always go out of my way to serve everyone else. Not doing that, and getting off rollercoasters feels like I am saying fuck you to certain corners of the world. But that isn’t really what’s happening. I’m just learning I don’t have to play by bad rules and that it’s ok to prioritize better directions. 

In being my authentic self, I have been taking on a role of the observer. I label my emotions and don’t ruminate, realizing I am not my reactions. It helps with the goodie-two-shoed serving succubus because it gets me to serve myself first. I’ve been doing ok with asserting boundaries for a bit. However, I am working on explaining to others when I need something or need to express concern about a bad rule. 

There is a quote that has inspired me a lot this year. I thought I heard it on Queer Eye but an internet search suggests it’s from Christine Caine, whom I am unfamiliar with. It reads, “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place you fear that you’ve been buried. You’ve been planted. Bloom!” 

Motivations and Inspirations 

Most of my motivation for writing this collection was a desire to get back into writing shape. I like that I had to just do it. I have been not prioritizing my own creativity for about five years, or atleast being creative in ways that weren’t the right post to hitch myself to. There have been some very cool sewing and crafting projects but I don’t know if I have a record of the timeline of those. 

I wrote down a goal in early April to write a book this year, and then my crazy friend, Melinda Wilson sent me the May Musings writing challenge, by BookLeaf Publishing. As I write this list of inspirations, it’s now early June 2021, and I’ve completed that goal way earlier than intended, as well as 29 of 50 I wrote down. It’s surprising how and how fast visions move when you write them down and stay mostly consistent. 

While writing this month, I was reading Eckhart Toile’s The Power of Now and Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library. I listened to Yung Gravy, bbno$ and K.Flay whenever I got in a rut. I was obsessing over money guru videos like Suze Orman and Dave Ramsey, as I am considering a career in financial coaching. Really, I still want to have as many careers as Barbie has, which is why I have never known what I wanted to do officially, as long as I was writing and dancing.      

The Research Process

There wasn’t a long research process for this book as the poems are from details I observed or personal experiences I fictionalized. I do have a creative writing grounded education, so that and being a reader probably informed some of my work. I did Google poetry form types, especially when I had less time to write and needed to approach writing something shorter. I felt that it was how I was able to restrain my writing to a certain number of syllables so I didn’t overwrite or overedit. Avoiding overwriting is often a challenge for me.

My writing process and challenges

This book was written a poem a day for the challenge, with more writing occurring on days off from my day job. It took a month to write the poetry, with about a week after being devoted to compiling and writing details such as preface, title, description, etc. Some of the poetry was inspired by details of the day, some by issues I’ve encountered, and some by trying to work words into a particular poetry format. The ones that became series were probably my favorites for what they revealed. I greatly enjoyed bending words and sayings out of shape. 

I was very inspired by nature and its processes. I was celebrating a new environment filled with more lush green – Tennessee. There are more varieties of growth and wildflowers.than I am used to. It turned my brownish green thumb very green. I was also meditating on financial goals and advice. Part of me is exploring the trauma of bad leadership, and how to have the internal fortitude to do what’s right and be a hero, when bad leadership incentivises doing the wrong thing. It’s hard to exist where a lack of integrity is commonplace.

There were some minor challenges like house remodel noises occurring during some of the writing, as well as adjusting to a new job, and impending visitors for me to worry my good hostess complex at. Those are blessings but they felt like minor challenges at the time. I still did it, as I have lately become very concerned with completing vision-board level goals for myself, and working more on personal pursuits. However, I am tired, and plan to take the next month to myself to putz around, hit the gym more religiously than last month, and lay around watching tv or reading. Also, Tyler, my fiance, deserves a lot of credit for what we have accomplished together this month. I’m sure he’ll be happy to have me back after the deadlines for this silly preface passes in a mere six hours. (Be kind to me for rambling and being overly personal. No one reads this type of commentary anyways! I have had work, and procrastinating sometimes works better). 

My biggest challenges were that many of the poems were approximately 80 percent done at the end of a day, and then I wanted to edit them before submitting. A lot of them I did edit and turn in later. Some of the editing process was pretty emotionally raw. I am still recovering from the emotions of poems like Dead of Winter/ Planted/ New Normal. I found I had a hard time going there and staying in that emotional place all in one sitting. I don’t think I’ll be reading that one at any poetry readings.

I wrote this book to explore learning to enjoy and being an observer. It deals with moving to the south and discovering a regular path was not the right one. It’s about admitting when a path is not the correct one, and when people are lying. 

This collection of poems explores finding freedom and yourself. 

It is about learning to walk away from something that does not serve you or treat you as an equal participant. It is about realizing that a myth of untapped potential has become a parasite, and deals with the emotions of moving on when you have put too much of your hope and trust into a dead horse. 

It is about envisioning what’s better, and also demanding nothing less. This collection has hope that work should be inspiring and fulfilling. It’s written in light of enduring work overshadowing life, both during a pandemic and before. It’s about expectations clashing with internal values such as protection of the innocent and honesty. 

Book Release: Confetti Spring by Sarah Hughes


Image by Sarah Hughes. Confetti Spring book on Kindle. All rights reserved.

If you’ve enjoyed reading the Honey it’s Thursday blog, check out Confetti Spring by Sarah Hughes. It’s a poetry book written a poem a day as a part of the May Musings writing challenge by BookLeaf Publishing.  

Copies became available on Kindle through Amazon as of Sept. 14, 2021. Kindle copies can be purchased at https://tinyurl.com/34sc4vea. Copies became available on Nook through Barnes and Noble as of Aug. 13, 2021. Nook copies can be obtained at https://tinyurl.com/6wbkbm9d
Paper copies are still to come. Check back next month for an article on the writing process for Confetti Spring.


Image provided by BookLeaf Publishing and Sarah Hughes. Confetti Spring cover art. All rights reserved.

Camping season well underway in Clarksville, TN

By Sarah Hughes


Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Camping season is upon us. Here are some local campsites to consider near Clarksville, TN.

Details focus on sites with tent camping. They are in order of distance from City Hall in downtown Clarksville. 


Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees in a lake at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Site comparison 1

Harpeth River Bridge Campground (TN)

Address: 2914 Hwy 49W

Ashland City, TN 37015*

*Use coordinates to get directions 

Latitude 36° 19′ 6.3480″ N

Longitude 87° 13′ 30.0792″ W

Phone: 615-792-4195

Website: https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/251574 

Cost: $22

Type: Tent or RV

Activities: “The temperate climate here allows for a lengthy recreation season, including boating, canoeing, and fishing. There is a large playground for the children and horseshoe pits for the adults. A large pavilion will be great for big family get-togethers.”

Amenities: Water Hookup, Accessibility, Picnic Table, BBQ, Fire Pit, Lantern Pole, Full Hookup, Electricity Hookup, Grills/Fire Ring, etc.  

Reservation only

Distance from Clarksville: 38 min

Notes: 30 min drive to Nashville, if arriving late it’s highly recommended to call the campground to notify the Park Attendant.

Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and table at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Site comparison 2

Dixieland Campground

Address: 1620 Pembroke-Fairview Road

Pembroke, KY 42266

Phone: 270-498-3833, 270-305-3953

Website: http://dixielandcampground.com/ 

Cost: $20 tent, $50 RV hookup

Type: Tent or RV

Activities: “enjoy the outdoors”

“Nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky, we are a family owned and operated farm, campsite and RV Park. Come and enjoy the outdoors and get away from your fast paced life.”

Amenities: Laundry

Reservation only with application process

Distance from Clarksville: 39 min

Notes: “We are a family owned and operated campsite and farm nestled in the woods of Pembroke Kentucky.” “Dogs must be pre-approved”

Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and lake at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Site comparison 3

LBL Whispering Pines Campground & Cabins

Address: 2168 Donelson Pkwy, Dover, TN 37058

Phone: (931) 232-4570

Website: https://www.facebook.com/WhisperingPinesDoverTN 

Cost: $50/ night for a small cabin

Type: Cabin and RV

Activities: Tanning, squirrel watching, “family fun”, “slowing down”, wildlife, nature

Reservations accepted 

Distance from Clarksville: 42 min

Notes: Cabins have bedding provided, excellent concierge recommendations, funny facebook page, not lakefront


Image by Sarah Hughes. Geese at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Site comparison 4

Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, Piney Campground (Virginia Loop pictured)

Address: 621 Fort Henry Rd, Dover, TN 37058

Phone: 931-232-5331

Website: https://www.landbetweenthelakes.us/seendo/camping/piney-campground/ 

Cost: $16/ night plus a $6 reservation fee

Type: Tent, RV or Cabin

Activities: “swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier”

Amenities: “The newly renovated Piney Outpost provides campers a place to purchase food and drinks, ice, firewood, tick repellent, limited camping supplies, and other perishable goods. Soft drink machines are located behind the gatehouse and some shower buildings. Washers and dryers are available at Areas B, C, and D shower buildings.”

Walk in and Reservations accepted

Distance from Clarksville: 54 min

Notes: “Piney Campground is now open year-round and offers 384 well-defined lakefront and wooded sites with 283 electrical hookups, 44 sites with electric, water, and sewer, and 57 primitive sites. Most sites are capable of handling large motorhomes and campers. Campers have access to modern facilities, including a swimming beach area, archery range, ball field, bike trails, a campfire theater, hiking trails, two boat ramps, and a fishing pier. Piney also has 19 primitive cabins available for nightly rental. In addition, the summer season offers weekend recreation programs for all ages. Since 1973, in mid-September Piney holds its popular Camper’s Fair with a variety of activities including a campers’ flea market and dealer showcase of new RVs, fifth wheels, and motorhomes. It is open to the public during the weekend.”

Image by Sarah Hughes. Bug friend at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Site comparison 5

Paris Landing/ Kentucky Lane KOA Holiday

Address: 6290 East Antioch Road

Buchanan, TN 38222

Phone: 731-642-6895

Website: https://koa.com/campgrounds/paris-landing/ 

Cost: Tent $30.99/night for Sat. Aug 28, 2021

Type:Tent, RV, cabins

Activities: Pool and pool lift, Cable tv, mini golf, bike rentals, WiFi, playground gym, climate-controlled bathhouse, giant connect four game, Lego wall,Disc golf, kids arts and crafts table, ping pong

Amenities: Snack bar, firewood, laundry, wheelchair accessible, store

Reservations accepted

Distance from Clarksville: 56 min

Notes: KOA, Open March 1 to November 30


Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees and lake at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

The pastime of camping is a good way to get to know the landscape and reconnect to nature. Camping is something to do and provides its own entertainment such as hiking, swimming and barbecuing. It’s a great activity for friends and family. Philosophically, it can be used to reconnect to the simple life and find inner peace. It can help revive circadian rhythms by putting you out under the stars and sunrises, according to intuition and a study done in Feb. 2017 and published in Current Biology. 

“These studies suggest that our internal clock responds strongly and quite rapidly to the natural light-dark cycle,” said lead author and CU Boulder integrative physiology professor Kenneth Wright. “Living in our modern environments can significantly delay our circadian timing, and late circadian timing is associated with many health consequences. But as little as a weekend camping trip can reset it.”

“Weekend exposure to natural light was sufficient to achieve 69 percent of the shift in circadian timing we previously reported after a week’s exposure to natural light,” Wright said.


Image by Sarah Hughes. Trees at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Most people go camping when the weather is nice. It’s important to pack gear to shelter and protect from weather, as bad weather can be fatal. Many campgrounds are only open seasonally, with open months listed online or by phone. In general, camping season tends to be Apr. or May to Sept. or Oct. Many campers wait for weather patterns to solidify.

“If you’re planning a camping trip, a good rule is to wait until May for the weather to work itself out” says Bottles and Banter’s section on Family RVing and Travel (see more at https://www.bottlesandbanter.com/2021/02/13/when-does-camping-season-start-best-month-camping/).  


Image by Sarah Hughes. Rained out tent at Piney Campground. All rights reserved.

Since quarantine has limited travel and entertainment options this year, understandably camping in the USA has increased as an activity. A study by Kampgrounds of America predicts camping interest will remain high in 2021. 

According to PR Newswire’s article on the study, Fresh Data Indicates Camping Interest To Remain High In 2021, “More than 60% of these first-time campers plan to camp the same or more in the coming year; across all campers, families are the group most likely to spend more nights camping in 2021.”

“Camping had been steadily growing in popularity prior to the pandemic, but experienced aggressive growth across the U.S. last year,” said PR Newswire, “The 2021 North American Camping Report, which surveyed U.S. and Canadian campers’ sentiments and behaviors on the outdoor recreation in January 2021, shows that more than 86 million U.S. households consider themselves campers and 48 million of those households took at least one camping trip in 2020 – up more than 6 million over 2019.” (see more at https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fresh-data-indicates-camping-interest-to-remain-high-in-2021-301273611.html).

Be aware of fees and facilities offered at your campsite of choice. Some locations are illegal to camp in or have specific regulations. Most require reservations, and some permits for specific activities. Some have websites or a phone number for reservations. Be sure to get the proper equipment. Leave no trace.