Tennessee Day Trip: Benton-Houston Ferry

River ferries are rare these days, but the Benton-Houston ferry turns a 90-minute drive between these two counties into a beautiful, entertaining, seven-minute ferry ride across the Tennessee River, connecting Big Sandy in Benton County ( http://www.bentoncountycamden.com/ ) to McKinnon in Houston County ( http://www.houstoncochamber.com/ ).  You'll see a section of the Tennessee River you don't get to see from the I-40 bridge or the U.S. 79 bridge at Paris Landing.  Side trips to Erin in Houston County and the Big Sandy Wildlife Refuge in Benton County make for a great day trip.  The ferry operates seven days a week, 365 days a year.  It runs from 5:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F and 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.  The fee is $1 per car.