Lick Creek, TN

We haven't posted for a while due to poor cell and marina WiFi service.  Well where we are tonight we have good coverage and were able to Skype with the Schwalbs.  We got see the kids Halloween costumes, the new basement floor and we were even treated to a dance party by the kids.  The following should bring us up to date.

October 1st - 10th:

Saturday, Paducah, 

We were in need of propane and found out that we needed to go close to Paducah in order to find a place to fill our tank. The marina had a courtesy car available at 4 pm and since  it was so late in the day we were able to have it overnight. We took advantage of this and after filling the propane tank we went to see the murals that are painted along the flood wall that protects Paducah from the Ohio river. The murals were very well done, showing the history of the area. We learned a lot about Paducah’s history and importance in the 1800’s.  We had dinner at a restaurant named CC Cohen, wonder if it is any relation to Dr. Cohen?

We passed this old filling station on our way to get propane.

The Paducha waterfront where the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers meet.

Some of the  Paducha murals. 

Here is a shot of an engine for Jack.

And another view with Grandpa for Owen.

And a Caboose for Will.

On our last day at Green Turtle we enjoyed a Variety Show at the local Badgett Playhouse with several other Loppers. It was nice to see a local playhouse that is still in business.

Seen on our way to the Variety Show.

Sunday, Dryden’s Creek

We traveled about 22 miles to our anchorage today.  Our thought was to go a little ways on Lake Barkley / Cumberland River to see what this area was like. The lake was created in the 60’s with the building of the Barkley Dam.  We learned that only the tops of the trees were cute down when the Army Corps of Engineers flooded this area, to create a habitat for fish. Saw  many bass boats out and  about.  The lake is quite large but you need to follow the channel which is the valley created by the old river bed so as not to get caught up in any of  the old tree stumps. We passed a quite impressive Kentucky State Penitentiary, called the “Castle on the Cumberland”. One of our books said it was even more impressive at night when it was lit up with, orange security lights.  We also passed many beautiful homes along this stretch.   The anchorage area had a small boat launch so we were able to be entertained with all the ins and outs of the fishing/pontoon boats. We were anchored next to Southern Belle and had a very peace full night maybe Mary is getting the hang of  anchoring. The price is certainly right and John is always a big fan of saving money.

Large house boats at Green Turtle Bay

Cliffs along Lake Barkley

Castle on the Cumberland

Sunset from our anchorage

Monday, Barkley Lake State Park Marina

Our next day we stayed at Barkley State Marina. It was our first time in a covered slip along with tons of spiders. We decided we are not a fan of the covered slips.  Enjoyed dinner at the Barkley State Lodge with Kerm and Chris from Southern Belle and discovered a Kentucky specialty called Hot Brown. OMG what could be bad about a dish composed of toast points, cheese, turkey, BACON and more cheese. It was served buffet style, along with dessert, we were most full after this.

One of the house's along the Cumberland

Octogan shaped house with large boat below

Here is a pink golf cart for Kate, that we saw the lady drive down the dock to her car in the parking lot.

And a pink flamingo for Miss Izzy.

In the spider infested covered slip.

Tuesday, Kenlake State Park

This morning we backtracked back up Lake Barkley and passed through the Barkley channel and into Kentucky Lake.  This lake was created by the TVA in the 30’s and they did clear the trees down to to the ground  before flooding the area so it feels a little more open.  We have left Kentucky and are now in Tennessee.  We spent the night along with our buddies from Southern Belle. We were able to watch Dancing with the Stars, so it was just like being at home. After breakfast the following morning at Cindy’s Barge we continued up on Kentucky Lake / Tennessee River.  That’s right we are heading south but the river runs North until it meets the Ohio at Paducah..  It is a little confusing compared to the Illinois and Mississippi rivers that flow south.  John was able to find a little buoy indicator at Green Turtle that helps remind us which side to keep the buoy’s on.  It will be come very useful along the intercostals as the buoy’s change at almost every inlet.

Cindy's Barge at Kenlake Marina

Southern Belle Leaving Kenlake marina.

Wednesday, Cypress Creek

Pulled into our anchorage today and are along side Southern Belle who had already set their anchor. There were two other boats already tucked in to this nice spot and they were both from Michigan. It was nice to chat with Jim from Blue Angel, he has been to the Bahamas four other times, so we were able to learn a lot from him.  “We are trying to talk Southern Belle into going to the Bahamas and being our “buddy boat”, we will see.  It was a pretty area with a lot of small jumping fish and during the night I think we heard coyotes howling.

Cypress Creek.

Rafted with Southern Belle.

Entrance to Cypress Creek.

Cypress Creek sunset.

Thursday, Pebble Isle Marina

We left our anchorage this morning and traveled very SLOW, rarely above 1200 RPM, so slow that the flow scan didn’t register any usage.  It was a  nice ride and great scenery and a bit of Civil War History.  We traveled over a spot on the Tennessee where the Confederate army attacked and sunk a lot of Union ships.   When we arrived at the marina we had to wait while a couple of other boats fueled up.  Going slow has it’s advantages, since our last fill up at Alton, IL we got 3.53 MPG.  Some of the boats we anchored with in the Ohio and Cumberland are here at the marina as well.

When we signed in and asked about finding a Wal Mart in the area, the lady at the harbor said “honey you are in the south and there is a Wal Mart every 15 miles”.  So our plan are to use the marina’s van to head to town and Wal Mart and stock up on supplies.  But first we had the free fresh baked cinnamon rolls in the morning, provided by the marina.  There was a Looper get together on the dock this evening and we stayed and had dinner after at the marina,  which was quite good.

An old abandoned railroad bridge.

With a house built on the old road bed.

When Kentucky Lake was created the TVA tired to destroy this old grain elevator from steamboat days but could not and decided to leave it in place.

Tried them and YUCK!

Is it a sailboat or a submarine? we couldn't tell.

Friday, Pebble Isle Marina

We were awakened in the middle of the night with the CO detector beeping, we had neglected to turn on the battery charger and voltage in battery #1 had dropped to less than 10 volts.  Turning on the charger stopped the beeping.  We left the charger off on the Wal Mart run and when we returned the voltage had dropped again to less than 10 volts.  Battery # 2 was at least  4 1/2 years old, there was no record and the labels on the battery were hard to decipher, so we decided to just replace them both.  We found two at a NAPA store real close to the Marina.  The hard part was getting them  out of the boat and up the steep ramp from the floating dock.  Mary is still complaining of a sore back.

View of the Tennessee River on our way back form picking up the batteries.

Friday night dock party.

Saturday, Lick Creek

The weather continues to be great, sunny and cool  in the morning but warms up to mid 80's mid day and cool again after the sun goes down.  It's been this way since we left Green Turtle.  Bummer, there were no cinnamon rolls on the weekends at Pebble Creek.  On our travels today we passed a couple of tows and  Kentucky Lake ended, we are now just on the Tennessee River.  Being a weekend there is more boat traffic and the bigger boats do not slow down for Trawlers.  We attempted to anchor behind an island in 30 feet of water with Southern Belle but had a hard time setting both anchors and decided to find another place,  We were able to find  a real nice little place.  Had to go up a mile, along  a narrow channel  that opened up to little bay,but was a bit shallow with a number of houses around it.   The way in was buoyed but we noticed lots  of sticks all over.  This time we were able to anchor together with each of us setting an anchor.

There was a small sailboat that we had passed earlier in the day and had caught up with us as we were attempting to anchor behind the island.  He followed us up the creek and into the bay and anchored a few hundred yards away from us.  As we were relaxing Mary called over to the sailboat and asked him to join us.  Bob rowed over and joined us for snacks on our upper deck with Kerm & Chris.   He is from St. Charles, MO and is heading "south", possibly all the way to Florida.  His boat is 17 feet long and has a one cylinder diesel. He is married but was doing this trip by himself.

After dinner a pontoon boat came by and one of the guys kiddingly warned "us Yank's" to be careful because his wife didn't think the war was over yet.  They must not get many Loopers back in this bay because they could not believe we had come all the way from Michigan.  They did tell us that all the 

stick we were seeing were crappie holes and not marking stumps as we thought.

The timing was perfect just as we were going under the bridge a train was going over.

Captain Mary.

A house on a bluff just outside of the channel to our little bay.

What we had to get past to get to our little bay

Our little bay with some of the sticks.

Both Mary and Chris have hair appointments at Grand Harbor Marina in Pickwick Lake next Friday and we have reservations there for a week starting next Thursday.  Our plan is to anchor again Sunday and then spend Monday at a marina then two more nights at anchor before going to Grand Harbor.

That all for now, we will catch up with ya'll soon. 

Mary and John