I just saw this thread and am happy to help with the area if I can...realtors, areas, schools, etc. We live south of Nashville and have a cabin about an hour and 15 min away on Center Hill. From what you are describing, it sounds like you may prefer Old Hickory or even a marina on the river like Rock Harbor or the Commodore Yacht Club. That way you could navigate the Cumberland River. Center Hill, Tim's Ford, Percy Priest, & Dale Hollow are not navigable outside the lake.

Many folks from south of Nashville go to Center Hill and Tim's Ford. Both are nice lakes. Center Hill is a deep clean water lake, although it will be lower than normal the next few years as repairs are made to the dam. Dale Hollow is 2+ hrs from Franklin.

Andy, while you are right about my Vols (I am headed to Knoxville tomorrow--hope it is respectable Saturday.....and Vandy is undefeated and number 1 in the SEC east for at least 2 more days, can you believe it), you will need a trailer to get from Tim's Ford to the Tennessee River. Tim's Ford is on the Elk River. While I have not been to the lake, I have put in at the dam on a 4 day canoe trip on the Elk with my son's scout troop.

I meant to post a couple of links, but work interfered and I hit the submit button early.

Corp Lake info link

Commodore Yacht Club

Thanks for all the information.

The wife and I will be headed down the week of Nov 16 to check out both the Nashville Area as well as the Chattanooga area.

In Nashville we intend to look at housing in the Franklin/Brentwood area. In Chattanooga we intend to look at housing in Signal Mountain and also around East Brainerd. Any other areas we should consider looking at (schools are priority no.1)?

Any recommendations on relocation Realtors, Restaurants, etc???

PM sent with info

Thanks, great info...PM reply sent.

The elk river runs to the the Tn via richland creek. I don't think it is navigable by much more than a canoe in spots though.

I am sure you have figured this out by now but the Cumberland River is a TVA managed navigable waterway east from Nashville all the way up to Celina, TN which is right below Dale Hollow dam. This includes Old Hickory and Cordell Hull Reservoirs. It is navigable west from Nashville to Lake Barkley, Kentucky Lake to the Ohio River, the Ten-Tom water way on to the world.