A day at the Bat Cave

Growing up a “River-rat” on the Tennessee River and Lake Chickamauga in south east Tennessee. being out on the water enjoying nature runs deep in my blood. My wife Lauren grew up, and our sons Brett and Bradley where growing up “City-Slickers” they’ve never really been into going out and doing things in nature or playing in dirty lake water. They will occasionally play in a pool or go for a bike ride. But they have never really had the opportunities or know how to get much more into nature than that. Now living in North Carolina less than a 10 minute drive from Lake Hickory, 45 minutes from Lake Norman, and 20 minutes from Lake Rhodhiss not to mention dozens of mountain rivers and streams within an hours drive. It breaks my heart that my family has never really got to enjoy the great outdoors like I did when I was a child. I decided about two years ago that it was my responsibility as a father to introduce my family to mother nature weather they liked it or not.

I started slow planning small waterside family vacations were things such as tubing, hiking, kayaking, swimming,fishing and even panning for gold where all readily available for the trying. At first there was some resistance especially with my son Brad who was 6 at the time all of this started and is now 8, and my step son Brett who is now 17. Both boys had a very common component that gave me hope my plans of turn my two gamers into nature lovers would work. Probably shouldn’t let an 8 year old play it but Brad has literally said “dad why do we have to go outside Skyrim has nature in it.” The one thing that they had in common was once you got them to break out of there comfort zone and try something they had fun.

I remember like yesterday when I saw it “click” in them the true beauty of nature and spending time in it, and neither one of them even knew it happened. It all started in May 2019 we had a weekend to go to Georgia to spend the weekend at my parents house. My wife and I where having coffee with my parents under the pergola trying to decide what we were going to do for this beautiful day. My dad scanned the yard and his eyes caught the collection of kayaks (6) and canoe that him and my mom had acquired over the years. And he said the magic words I was waiting for “We could load up the kayaks and head to the Bat Cave.” Excitement overwhelmed my wifes face then quickly faded off into sadness as she said “ we will never get the boys to go.” To which my dad quickly said “yea you will. Do it like we used to do with our boys. You say were going so y’all have to go.” My wife eagerly wanting to give kayaking a try and completely on board with my plan agreed. So within the hour we where loaded up and headed to the River. Both boys complaining the entire way, Both refusing to have any part of our little adventure. And I just laughed at them and teased them the entire way which excited my wife even more (though she will never admit it) about making the boys go. We pulled up to our destination The Nickajack Grey Bat wildlife reserve. A river side Grey Bat cave on the side of the Tennessee River. The boys eyes said it all as they looked around the park in amazement watching the other families swim, fish and kayak.

Within ten minutes they were already knee deep in the water splashing around still watching the other people and children on tubes and kayaks floating around the river. They didn’t know about the bat cave yet as it set hid back in a little cove on the other end of the park, and was out of site. After about the 45 minutes it took my dad, brother, and myself to set up our hangout area for the day we drug the kayaks in the water and asked who was ready to go see the bat cave. To which both boys both quickly said “I do” already have heard other kids talking about it. Lauren was amazed by the boys excitement and while we were helping them get there life jackets on she whispered to me “ this might actually work”. “it will work I assured her, it worked for me and billy” I replied. So we pilled onto the kayaks and the canoe and started off towards the cave. After about a 10 minute paddle we came to the cave entrance its fenced off so thats as far as you can go, and both boys realizing it was just a big dark hole where completely over it and ready to go. Until Brad saw something fly “Daddy whats flying in the cave” he said pointing up towards the ceiling of the cave. I grinned ear to ear as my dad answered “thats the bats if you stay out here until right before dark theres thousands of them flying out of it.” Both boys overcomed with excitement started looking up at the ceiling pointing out groups of bats to each other “look at those” one would say “check out that one” said the other. And right there in that moment my wife and I saw it our boys had fell in love with mother nature. We alternated the rest of the day from playing in the swimming area and riding out to the cave. We left just before sun down, and arrived back at my parents in just enough time to get all of our showers before a storm rolled through. By 10:00pm both boys exhausted from the day had fell asleep to the sound of rain on the tin roof.

Two years later both boys will now go hiking, swimming ( in a lake or river not just the pool) kayaking and are both starting to get into fishing as well. Get my family out into nature and enjoying the beauty of our amazing planet is the best thing I have ever done for my family. They absolutely love the beautiful scenery and seeing all the amazing types of wildlife. My wife and my plan to get the boys outside has led to them having the opportunities to catch fish, see Waterfalls, white water rivers, lakes full of cypress trees, deer, ducks, turtles, alligators, bears and so much more. I would highly recommend any family that doesn’t enjoy nature finds some type of wildlife reserve near you. Take the time to plan a day to take the family out and try it and get your family out into this amazing planet we call home. I would almost guarantee that if you are not already in love with this astonishing world we live in. once you start seeing your local wildlife and mother nature in all her glory you and your family will be hooked like my family is now.