Going South and it is still Cold

In the last post we were at Goose Pond heading back down the Tennessee River so we could then head south at Aqua Harbor. We got to Aqua Harbor Yacht Club on Sunday. This is where the Tombigbee Waterway will start. We took the courtesy car and to a great restaurant called Broken Spoke. They had a very wide selection - a little pricey, but very good.

On Monday we finally started heading South and traveled 56 miles to Midway Marina. We had cocktails, ate on the boat and went to bed. The next day we planned to go to Columbus, MS but we decided to stop in Aberdeen, MS for cheap fuel first. By the time we fueled up it was getting late so we stayed in Aberdeen for the night. The girls got a courtesy car (a '97 Lincoln Towncar) and went to - you guessed it another WalMart. Since Columbus Marina was close we left a little late in the morning and arrived in Columbus early in the afternoon. Columbus Marina is in Columbus, MS (I didn't see one buckeye and when I said O H they looked at me like I was crazy) and is a nice marina with good people running it. We stayed two nights and ate out both nights.

The first night was Ginny and Gene's 48th anniversary so we went to eat barbeque (not Ginny's first choice) at Hanks BBQ. There was nobody inside eating but the food was fantastic. We got to talking to Hank after dinner and he had just come back from a BBQ competition in Georgia. We said we liked his ribs and he gave us three full racks that he had left over from the competition for free. They made a great lunch the next day for the guys while the girls were shopping and having lunch in town. In the afternoon Sid, Gene and I traveled to Aliceville to a WWII German prisoner of war camp museum. It was hard to imagine that there would have been such a place in the middle of Alabama. That night we went to Hucks with four other couples and it was very good also. One of the couples was Billy and Pam on "Godspeed". They just completed the Loop which is a big deal. I had the biggest cheeseburger I ever had.

The next day we had to go 64 miles and two locks so we left at 7 in the cold and some slight fog. We made very good time and got to the anchorage Sumpter Recreation Area by 3:00. We rafted with "Free to B" and "Something Special" and had a very nice group dinner and peaceful night. Sid and Evelyn have a Jenn-Air grill on their boat so we cooked a pork loin, pork chops, chicken and bratwurst. Gene made a great risotto and Evelyn baked a cake. It really doesn't get much better then that.

The next day we all left early again (there was frost on the bow - very slippery) and we are now in Demopolis, AL at a brand new part of the Demopolis Yacht Basin with great docks and facilities. We are staying two nights and then making a long trip to another anchorage called Bashi Creek with is about 71 miles and one lock from here. While I have enjoyed the rivers it is time to get to Florida and we expect to be in Mobile by Thursday. We have traveled 2,400 miles but we are only 592 miles from our home in Columbus, OH. I wonder why some people think we are nuts?

Here are some other blogs of boats that we have met and or traveled with.

Free To B
Something Special
Once Around
Salt 'n Sand

Leaving Aqua Harbor heading South

We added two more flag poles for "The Ohio State University" and "Port Clinton Yacht Club".

We had to go behind this tow with his engines in gear and it was a little dicey.

Evelyn baked a carrot cake and shared some with us.

Columbus, MS Marina

'Godspeed" who just completed their Loop.

Hanks for BBQ

The Tennesse Williams House in Columbus

Dinner at Hucks with friends

Anchored out with other boats in Sumpter

Evelyn enjoying the day

Ginny and Gene taking Skipper for a ride.

Chattanooga and Heading Back South

We are now back in Florence, Alabama watching the Alabama vs. LSU football game. I thought the OSU fans were crazy but the SEC fans are another level. In our last post we were at Chattanooga. We spent 3 nights there and we had a great time in a great city. There are all kinds of places to eat and drink and also several tourist locations that are really nice. There is an aquarium close to the docks and several of the Loopers went and said it was very good. There is a free electric bus that runs through downtown and ends up at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Center which is really a bunch of shops on the grounds of the old railroad depot. They have a trolley that takes you around the grounds and the conductor gives a history lesson. We were the only ones on our trip so the conductor spent extra time with us.

Besides the scenery traveling to and from Chattanooga the highlight for me was Lookout Mountain. We took a city bus about 6 miles and then went up in a cable car about a mile to Lookout Mountain, TN which has a great view of the city and also has a Civil War park that was very interesting. You are supposed to be able to see seven states from up there - we did not intentify that many.

We left Chattanooga on Tuesday and headed back West so we could finally go South. The first night we spent at a really great anchorage. The weather was perfect and the location was fantastic. Sid on "Something Special" and I took a long dingy ride and met some other Loopers who were anchoring. The next two nights were spent at Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL. On the second night we were invited to have dinner at a local barbecue place called Barry's. There were 13 of us and we were driven by a local couple and also the harbor host for this area. The restaurant was 20 miles away but it was worth the drive. It was an all you can eat buffet with pork, chicken, catfish, greens, coleslaw, beans, bread, ect. and it was all homemade for only $8.95 each. We spent the next night in Ditto Landing marina near Huntsville, AL and today we traveled 78 miles and two locks to Florence, AL. We are leaving tomorrow to to to Aqua Harbor Marina which is where we will start heading South. It has been a great 9 days up and back from Chattanooga - but now it is time to get warmer.

The sign above the shopping center

Our conductor on the trolley

Chattanooga is the home of the Moon Pie

This is for Craig and Deb

There are many of these around town

Another view of the shopping center

Ginny and I couldn't resist having a beer or two at a local place

The cable car to Lookout Mountain

Wonderful views from the top

Ginny in Point Place, the Civil War park

You can see how the Tennessee River winds around and around

I hated to have long pants on but it was a little chilly

Sid and Evelyn on the cable car

Fog is an everyday occurrence and you need to be careful

Sid and me on our dinghy ride at the anchorage

Great scenery

Nice Sunset

Eating dinner with other Loopers at Barry's

Not a huge selection but the food was fantastic

Chattanooga Choo Choo

Yesterday we went from Ditto Landing to Goose Pond Marina in Alabama. Goose Pond was fairly easy to get into with a well marked channel and there was plenty of room. The wind was up and we had some issues getting into the dock, but we made it with the help of others.

Several other Loopers were there and we had happy hour on our boat and then went to dinner with 4 other couples at a restaurant within walking distance. The food was OK but the company was great. The weather was cold and rainy when we went to bed but this morning it was just cold. We knew we had a long way to go today so we left at 7:00. There were 4 boats and we were led by "Passport" who did a great job. We had to go through one lock which was pretty easy but the current was against us and we did not make great speed.

We arrived in Chattanooga around 5:30 Central Time which was 6:30 Eastern. The dock was full but everybody pitched in to make room for us which was much appreciated.

The scenery was spectacular even though it was a very long day so it was worth it. I am not really sure what is on the schedule for tomorrow but I know that it won't start early.

Sid and Evelyn on "Something Special" who we are travelling with

"Muddy Waters" was in the lock with us and they were at Goose Pond.

It's a bridge, but it looks like a rainbow doesn't it?

A house on the top of the mountain.

Eagles - I think

Another nice house way up there.

Tour boat in Chattanooga

This is where we are docked for the next two nights.

Still Going East

We are finally traveling again after 14 days at Joe Wheeler State Park. The time went by pretty quickly but we were getting pretty anxious to get going. We had a visit from our boat neighbors at the Port Clinton Yacht Club in Port Clinton, Ohio. Diana, Earl, Janet and Doug stopped by on their way to the NASCAR race at Taledaga. They pulled an Airstream camper that they all slept in. They lost a few parts on the way, but they got there and home successfully so all was well.

We shared a rental car with another couple so we had multiple trips to Walmart and other places. Most of the boats did not arrive until Thursday or Friday before the rendezvous started but the marina was quite full in the end. There was fog most mornings but it burned off quickly.

The rendezvous consisted of seminars all day about different subjects such as going down the Tenn-Tom or making the Gulf crossing and also engine maintenance. The rendevous included breakfast, lunch and dinner each day and there was a cocktail party each night which was a great way to meet new people. I think the best thing about the whole deal is the people you meet and sharing the common goal of doing the Loop. There were over 200 people so we did not get to meet them all but the ones we did were all fantastic. I took some pictures the last night of some couples that we got to spend time with and that we hope we will see down the line. The pictures below are just a sample of the great people doing the same thing and they are from all over the country. It was a fantastic experience.

In my last post I said we were going to start heading South but we decided to head East to Chattanooga because we heard it was a great trip. We will have to come back West before we head South but we will still be in the Gulf by Thanksgiving and hopefully in Florida by December.

Great time with "home" friends.

Ginny and Mike supervising the cable repair guys.

This is a sample of how well attended the rendezvous was

Ginny and Ginny catching up

Very foggy each morning.

By the way the boat is a 1964 Chris Craft Roamer owned by a great couple from Lexington.

This was the group picture but my camera was not wide enough to get everyone

Jim and Dale on SweetPea.

We met them in Charlevoix.

Dean and Beth on Kismet from Racine, Wisconsin.

They were docked across from us and we had a great time together.

Bill and Cindy from Ol'Smuggler.

We met them in Grand Harbor when we stayed there a few weeks ago.

Mike and Gail from Happy Hours - from Australia.

Sid and Evelyn on Something Special.

We are traveling with them to Chattanooga.

Frank and Carrie on Once Around from California.

Pam and Billiy on Godspeed.

They are from Louisiana and big LSU/Saints fans.

Their dog is SugarBaby.

Joe and Pat on Glory Days - we are not sure who is behnd them.

Joe is one of the orneriest and funniest guys I have every met -

I really don't know why Pat puts up with him

Some of the boats leaving Joe Wheeler this morning.