Joe Wheeler State Park

Friday, October 21^st

After all the early morning  commotion of the bass boats leaving for their tournament we moved over to the gas dock for a pump out along with our friends  Salt n Sand.  Rich had talked to the Marina  operator the day before and someone was supposed to be there at 8am.  He had also called the Wilson lock, that was just a short distance away  and was told we should  leave Florence Harbor  at 8:45 am.  When no one had  show up to do our  pump outs we found the breaker and did it ourselves and left as scheduled.  

There were 8 boats in total that left.   As we reached the lock there were two other boats ahead of us and the gates were open.  We were in luck.  Upon leaving the lock the lock master informed us that he had called the next lock,  named Joe Wheeler Lock and that we should all stay together and we would be able to lock through without waiting.  This lock has the highest lift we will encounter on the Loop.  It
was once the  highest single lift lock in the US , now it is the 6^th.  Every thing went smoothly with 11 boats locking through at one time without any waiting.

Our first lock of the day.

The very tall Wheeler Lock.

As we approached Joe Wheeler State Park for the AGLCA Rendezvous there were many Loppers already there to help get all the boats into their slips and tied up.  They had a good system and everything went smoothly. We really appreciated that, as it can be somewhat stressful when getting to some where new.

Passport in her slip at Joe Wheeler.

The view from our aft deck at Joe Wheeler.

Saturday, October 22^nd – Thursday, October 27^th

The AGLCA is a cursing association started by a couple who completed their Loop at the end of the last   century.  It is devoted to enhancing the “Loop” experience for everyone either planning or doing the Loop.  In addition  to a web site with daily updates, the association holds two Rendezvous a year, one here in Alabama in the fall and one in Virginia in the spring.  At this rendezvous there were presentations by former Loopers who gave detailed information on what to expect between here and the Chesapeake.  They also had many vendors who were offering all kinds of free items as well as good deals on merchandise and services.  This rendezvous was attended by over 250 members and 59 boats.  Each night there were door prizes and Mary one the first one, which was a gift certificate that we have used to buy another guide book and the flags needed for our trip to the Bahamas.

It was really fun to see some of the people we had already met along the way and to meet up with others we had not met before. During the introductions at dinner the first evening we had planned it so that when John and Mary from Mackinaw City introduced them selves we were next to them and also used the same introduction. Needless to say there were no others with the same names and same home ports. We had not the seen the other John and Mary along the way and it was fun finally catching up with them. They are the FAST ones, with a 38  ft. Sea Ray Express.

Their were a lot of activities such as the Looper Crawl (kinda like an open boat for others to see your boat),  a dingy race, buffet breakfasts, lunches and dinners.  We now have about 10 more pounds on board Passport.  There were also impromptu get togethers on the docks with fellow Loopers.

Evening docktales with fellow Loopers.

Both sets of John & Mary's from Mackinaw City.

Rich & Carol from Salt n Sand.

Kate & Greg from Grianan.

Our Canadian friends, John & Marsha and  Bob & Brenda from Kadadi.

Wednesday night after the Rendezvous was officially over there was an informal sing along get together around one of the large fire places at the lodge.  There were times when John never  imagined that we would ever actually make this trip, much less to be in the same room with the authors of the book that got him hooked on doing the Loop and had started the AGLCA.

Eva & Ron Stob founders of AGLCA,  John Belford from Kadadi & Bob DeGroot from Spirit Dancer.

On Thursday at the end of the Rendezvous many boats left to head down the Ten Tom Waterway to Mobile but John and I had decided to head to Chattanooga for a side trip. The colors and scenery were suppose to be really good. This trip will take about 3 or 4 days to get their and then a day or two to see the sites, after that we will back track back to Grand Harbor to start our trip down to Mobile Bay and further south. 

Some of the boats still at their slips as we were leaving Joe Wheeler.

That’s all for now but we will catch up with you again soon. 

Mary & John 

Florence Harbor Marina

Tuesday 

Southern Belle left at 8 and said if the waterfall anchorage was empty they would stop otherwise they were going to Aqua Harbor to pick up a part for their toilet.  We left at nine and were planning to stop at another anchorage and then head to Florence on Wednesday.  There were thunderstorms predicted so we decided to push on to Florence a day early.  Shortly after we got settled in and the boat clean up the storms hit us. The winds were quite intense and the temperature dropped 30˚ in about 30 minutes.  Another plus to being at the marina was the cable TV, allowing us to watch Dancing With The Stars after dinner.

Southern Belle pulling away.

Wednesday 

We awoke early to a gray and cold day.  We had the courtesy car signed out from 8am - 10am, but took it at 7 to get an early start on our errands.  It was a lot of running around but we found almost everything we needed except liquor and were back just before 10 am.  After putting everything away, Mary did a load of wash while John defrosted the fridge and cleaned the side of the boat. After lunch we decided to take a cold walk into town up a very big hill, bigger than Park City hills.  We stopped at Pope Tavern Museum which dated back to the 1830's and was both a Confederate and Union hospital during the Civil War.  We found a different way back to the boat which didn't have as big of hill and went right by the liquor store.

Thursday

Went for a long walk in the morning to the state park campground to look at some tee pee's we saw from the river. After lunch went to Helen Keller's birthplace and the old railroad station in Tuscumba, AL with Brian and Jean from Spirit of Whitby who we docked with for a few nights back on the Illinois River.  Helen Keller's house dates back to 1830 and was in very good shape.  The old depot  and surrounding area is in the process of being turned into a railroad museum.  The station was an all brick building built in 1898 and in also in very good condition.  After running an errand Brian and Jean dropped us off (so we didn't have to climb the big hill) at the Rosenbaum house.  It is the only Frank Loyd Wright design in Alabama and one of the earliest Usonian style houses designed by Wright.  The house is owned by the city and it has done a great job in restoring the house to it's 1940's appearance.  We had a nice downhill walk back to the marina. We took a different way and were going to stop at the Indian Mound museum but it was closed.

The fountain at Helen Keller's home.

Originally this was a plantation with 640 acres.

It was 38˚ this morning, thank goodness for being tied to a dock with power.  Before daybreak there was 97 bass boats being launched for a fishing tournament.  Today we are off to Joe Wheeler with about 8 other boats.  We will be attending a rendezvous sponsored by the AGLCA which is the Loop cruising association we belong to.  We will meet up with many other Loopers and hope to get lots of useful information from all the seminars offered.  After the rendezvous we will be taking a side trip to Chattanooga, we have been told it is a "must see" and the fall colors should be at their peak along the way.

John & Mary

Dry Creek to Panther Creek

Dry Creek  Wednesday 10/12

Went past the  Shiloh battlefield today. Locked through Pickwick lock with Southern Belle & Resolute.  When we came through into Pickwick Lake we noticed that the landscape had changed from the low banks and flat foot hills to higher bluffs with large beautiful homes.

This afternoon we  anchored in a cove that is called Dry Creek along with Southern Belle who was about  200 yds away.  It started raining after dinner and continued until 10:30 am on Thursday morning.  In the middle of the night we heard a scraping sound coming from the front of the boat.  We were both up trying to figure out what this noise could be.  After checking every thing we could think of , John thought it was the chain from the anchor dragging along the bottom of the lake.  Mary was not quiet convinced and settled into the couch so as not to hear the sound  from the front cabin any more. We left our anchorage after a leisurely breakfast.  Our next destination was only about five miles away. An easy day.

Sunset at anchor, Mary says we are posting too many sunsets,  oh well.

Shiloh from the Tennessee River.

Pickwick Lock, where we dropped 55 feet.

This is the floating bollard we have to tie up to in the locks.

One of the many LARGE houses on Pickwick Lake.

Grand Harbor Thursday 10/13 – Sunday 10/16

We stayed at Grand Harbor from Thursday through Monday. Our slip was quiet a way’s from the laundry, showers and marina office.  We used the dingy to get over since it was a lot closer that way and a fun ride.

We needed to use the dinghy to get to the marina office.

Its for sale.

Friday was spent going to Savannah Tn. to  our new favorite  store…. Wal Mart, plus we did find a Kroger’s which was a nice change of pace. Savannah has an historic district and one of the homes is Cherry Mansion. One of the reasons it is well known is because General Ulysses Grant was eating breakfast their on April 6, 1862 when he heard distant dull thuds of artillery fire as the Confederate forces were beginning their attack at Shiloh.  The house continued to serve as Grants headquarters during this two day battle.

Slightly overgrown Cherry Mansion.

Saturday was color and cut day at the resort for both Mary and Chris. It was certainly different to go to some one other than my hair stylist of the past 25 years.  I miss you Tracy!!   That evening we went to a local restaurant named Freddy T’s with fellow Loppers from Resolute and Southern Belle. Good food and even better company.

Halloween decorations at Grand Harbor.

Sunday was spent touring Shiloh National Park.  The battle at Shiloh was ;named after a church on the battlefield. Shiloh in Hebrew witch means place of peace.  Ironic !!   More than 103,000 Union and Confederate soldiers along with two gunboats were involved in the two day battle.  By the time the battle had ended 23,000 men were dead or wounded. The park covered over 4,000 acres with 156 monuments and some 217 cannons. It was very impressive and moving.

The Shiloh Cemetery Gate.

We are in front of one of the Illinois monuments.

Shiloh Church.

Shiloh looking at the Tennessee River.

Panther Creek  Monday 10/17

Short run today, five miles.  After a free pump out we headed to out to find an anchorage on Pickwick Lake with Southern Belle.  We had hoped to stop at one with a waterfall, but it was small and there was another boat there already.  Too bad as it was quite nice.  We ended up at Panther Creek, which was  also very nice.  We each set our own anchors.  Chris & Kerm launched their dinghy and came over for cocktails.  They told us they had decided not to go to Chattanooga and instead start headding down the Tenn Tom. We have truly  enjoyed traveling with them for the past few weeks and are hoping that we will meet up with them again  some where along the way in the next few weeks. 

The boat that got to the water fall spot first.

The waterfall.

Swings at the waterfall cove.

Panther Cove.

After  cocktails Kerm was not comfortable with how the boats had twisted around and wanted to reset his anchor.  As they tried to reset the anchor it got snagged on a large stump and it took them a while to free it.  By the time they were free it was dark, so they rafted up with us for the evening.  Everything was fine overnight.

Our Buddies, Kerm  and Chris

We are going to miss our new friends and our "buddy boat" we sure hope to meet up with them somewhere don the river.

Mary & John

Wolf Island

Sunday, Doubles Island

Anchored and rafted with Southern Belle, Sweet Pea & Nauti Nell. The area is quiet and very pretty, colors on some of the trees are changing with the cool mornings we have been having. We passed by many lime stone formations along this stretch.  A homemade double decker riverboat with a calliope came into the anchorage in the late afternoon playing music.  He spent the night and serenaded us in the morning on his way out.  Had Kerm and Chris over for dinner and then there was a bonfire on shore to celebrate because it had been one year since Jim and Dale on Sweet Pea had left on their trip. Congratulations!

Riverboat Anne.

Monday, Clifton

Short run today not quite 2 hours and just over 10 miles.  Very small marina and the harbor master didn't answer our radio call as we were coming in, so it was quit unnerving.   It gave John a chance to back up a couple of hundred yards since we were not sure where to go.  Clifton is the first town we have seen right along the river since passing Paducha.  Went to town and had  a nice long walk.  Being Columbus Day, the few shops in town were closed.  We are seeing more and more areas with Civil War history.  There was a Looper party on the dock with some Loopers we had seen but not had a chance to chat with yet, always fun to meet new people.   Had a nice  dinner aboard Southern Belle.  No dishes tonight !!

Tight squeeze at Clifton Harbor. 

Huge cactus plant in a nicely done front yard.

Not quite the same as Paducha.

The area in that the  Confederates used to cross the river at Clifton.

Tuesday, Wolf Island

Longer trip today, nearly 5 hours and 37 miles. Came around a tight bend and there was a tow, we contacted him and he said to hug the red buoy, he said we would be fine as he was sliding over to the other side.  Well at first he was just inches away from the buoy but he did slide over and we were able to stay within the channel. Sure didn't look like it at first.   Passed an area called Chalk Bluff which was quite pretty.  We are near our second town along the river since Paducah, Savannah, TN  the guide book says it may be  worth a trip from our next marina,  we are planning on renting a car to see Shiloh so we just might include it on our mini road trip.  We traveled with Southern Belle today but tonight we all decided to to give anchoring on our own a try . The current in this anchorage is pretty swift so Mary sure hopes that the anchor hold over night. We will keep you posted. 

Some beautiful homes along the bluffs.

Captain John.

Where some of the  Chalk Bluff has been sliding into the river.

At Anchor.