September 29 to October 21

Grand Rivers, Kentucky to Rogersville, Alabama

Saturday, September 30 th

At port in Grand Rivers, Kentucky

We decided to spend another day in Grand Rivers at Green Turtle Bay Marina. This is a great marina and there are now approximately 25 Looper boats here—it's amazing. The weather is very nice—a warm 75 degrees and clear.

There's a small boat show going on at the marina so Jean and I went to ‘look' at some boats. There are many house boats on these rivers. These boats are usually very long, low in the water and not particularly sea-worthy. They're perfect for lakes and very popular. We went on several of these—nothing we would like—almost too homey. Very condominium-like. We also looked at several small boats—for ideas on how boats utilize small spaces. Fortunately, Jean didn't see anything that she liked.

In the afternoon, we did some chores—which seem to never end. Laundry and boat-related things took priority—what else is new?????

We talked with many of the Loopers—each of us giving the other tips and advice on our travels. Jean and I were both surprised at how many ‘new' Loopers there are. These are Loopers who were not at the rendezvous during the summer in Penetang, Canada. Many Loopers that we're meeting now are Michiganders who have just started their journey.

Sunday, October 1 st

Grand Rivers, Kentucky to New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Today was a spectacular day. We planned to get back on the water today—after more than a week at the marina in Grand Rivers. There was a heavy fog in the morning with warm temperatures—low 70's. We waited a few hours and were finally off the dock at 10am. From the minute we left the marina, we knew that today would be gorgeous. We had about 100 miles to cover but…the skies were a brilliant blue, the Tennessee River was calm and the scenery was perfect.

Right now, we're on the Kentucky Lake which is also the Tennessee River. The River is wide and the water is pretty clear. There's an abundance of trees lining both sides of the water with small mountains in the distance. This is another area where there is a fair amount of shale along the riverfront.

As usual, we continue to go under many bridges along the River. These come in every size and shape but they all look majestic against a gorgeous sky.

Surprisingly, there were very few pleasure boats in the water—and it is Sunday. It's very warm now—in the low eighties—a little warmer than usual for Tennessee. We're both surprised that more people aren't out for a Sunday ride. We passed only two barges and one passing took place on a huge straightaway—we didn't even have to call the tow captain about which side to pass on. One of the barges was carrying a load of something that looked like fine red sand. Take a look.

We came across a former railroad bridge—which has since been dismantled—it looked weird.

Next to the bridge, and even more weird, were the remnants of a grain plant. Legend has it that there were many attempts to destroy the building but that it was built so well that each attempt failed. Eventually, public officials decided that it could stay in the water!!!!! When we went by, there was actually a man, sitting on the roof, fishing!!!!!

Throughout the entire day, I took many pictures of the landscape and scenery. This part of the Tennessee River is so beautiful, and we're told that it gets even more scenic as we continue to go upstream. There were many sections with sand and beach areas which was certainly inviting. Much of this water is included in one of Tennessee's national wildlife refuges. One of the refuges covers 52,000 acres of water, woodland and farmland. In the Fall, more than 200,000 ducks and 25,000 Canada geese arrive at the refuge for food and protection.

There were also several sections with rock formations—where the rocks are built in layers. I hope that you can see this in the pictures—it was quite lovely to see in person.

All along the Tennessee River there are small islands, many of which provide great anchorages. They also look very good for exploring. Jean and I will need to come back to this area again.

We made it into the marina, Pebble Island, by 4:30pm and took some pictures as we entered.

We quickly saw that several other Loopers were there also. We saw Scout , the boat owned by Huddie and Betty Baxter from Cape Cod. We knew that they had rented a car and were out for the day exploring this part of Tennessee. We then saw La Garza Verde , the boat of our friends John and Sue Hague from New Jersey. We had dinner at the marina restaurant with John and Sue and laughed all night. Jean had chicken parmesan while I had grilled catfish. The food was excellent. After dinner we went back to the Hague's boat for dessert. Sue had made a peach pie that was super, super great—complete with whipped cream!!!!! It was a fun night.

Monday, October 2 nd

At port in New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Today was another tour day. Betty and Huddie had a rental car for the week so the four of us decided to visit some of the Kentucky and Tennessee state parks. There's a section of these two states that's known as the Land Between the Lakes. This name refers to the land between Barkley Lake in Kentucky and Kentucky Lake in Tennessee. This part of the country is very serene and we decided to do some exploring.

We started out by driving through several of Tennessee's small towns—very quaint and charming.

We then went to The “Homeplace”—a living history farm recalling the work, play and customs of a rural family between the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers in the mid-19 th century. The setting was beautiful, complete with historic interpreters dressed in period clothing. There were many fields with horses, pigs and other farm animals.

We saw an authentic ‘double pen' house and accompanying buildings. The most notable feature of this single-family, double pen house is an open, central hallway that separates two equal–sized ‘pens' or rooms.

There was a tobacco shed complete with burning tobacco being cured. By 1850, tobacco cultivation was becoming significant in the region. Small fires, built in the floor trenches, slowly dried and cured the tobacco leaves and stalks.

There was a horse barn, hog barn and a corn-drying shed. On site there were several people in authentic period clothing working on the property. A man was busy making baskets and another man was demonstrating some old-fashioned tools. The visit was a lot of fun.

From here we drove along to the Land Between the Lakes Elk and Bison Prairie Field. On this 700-acre restoration of Kentucky's native barrens, you can see a habitat restoration project in progress.

There was a long drive through the prairie—and off we went. Within a few minutes of entering the prairie we came across several elk—and one was definitely ‘bugling'. This is their mating call, which happens in the Fall. The noise was very, very loud and not particularly musical. It was like a horrible shrieking.

As we rode along we continued to see more elk—some were close up, some were standing and some were lying down. Elk were hunted by Native people for more than just their meat. Bones and antlers were carved into tools; hides were made into canoes, tepee covers, ropes, moccasin soles, and many other household items.

We were beginning to lament that we were NOT going to see any bison when….we saw one, lying down, in the trees but very close to the road. It was surprising to see one bison by himself but here he was. These bison weigh about 2000 pounds—but look even larger. We took several pictures—it may be hard to make out the bison but….

As we continued along, we saw more elk and then came across a field of bison. There were many of them but they were far off in the distance. We could not get a good picture. But it was very interesting to watch them. We made our way to the end of the loop and headed to the main road.

We made the long ride back home stopping in Murray to have dinner at a small Italian restaurant. I ordered chicken cacciatore and Jean had chicken piccata. After dinner, it was another hour and a half back to the marina and we were back around 9pm. It was a wonderful day—more exploring.

Tuesday, October 3 rd

At port in New Johnsonville, Tennessee

Today was another ‘chore' day. We had hoped it would be a free day—a day to do nothing but…that never happened. We decided to wash the boat and do other boat-related things. Jean sanded the steps of the boarding ladder at the stern of the boat while I washed the exterior. We made some phone calls, sent some e-mails, did some errands and it was soon time for dinner.

During the afternoon, two Looper boats, Triomphe and Miss Liberty , came into the marina. We know both of these boats well and have spent time with the owners of each. We made plans for an early dinner at the marina restaurant and all six of us were ready at 6pm. Jean and I both had grilled catfish with a small salad—it was wonderful. No dessert—thank goodness.

Wednesday, October 4 th

New Johnsonville, Tennessee to Clifton, Tennessee

We decided to leave Pebble Isle (New Johnsonville) early and to continue up the River—heading for our Looper Rendezvous in Alabama. The morning was great—blue, blue skies and very warm—72 degrees. We had about 62 miles to travel today—not very long. We did a few chores in the morning and were off the dock at 8:45am.

The scenery along this River is truly spectacular. The shoreline is beautiful—long and inviting.

There are several industrial sections of the river, including a TVA power plant. Throughout the day we saw many barges being loaded—it's nice to see this activity in operation.

There are trees everywhere you look and small mountains in the distance. The River is marked by many islands and small inlets for boating.

While cruising along, Jean noticed a large number of white pelicans—hundreds and hundreds flying overhead. They're very pretty as a group and I tried to capture them in a photo but…

This River has many limestone deposits lining its edges. These deposits come in many shapes and sizes. There are small bluffs along the waterway as well as low deposits—almost like limestone walls. These are very interesting.

In addition to these deposits, we continue to see areas that look like beaches—sand lining the shoreline. It's very picturesque.

Every now and then we see abandoned barges along the water. We've even passed over sunken barges at certain points in the trip—amazing. Here's one on the shore—look closely.

We entered an area where the river cuts into steep hills and exposes folds of yellow rock tinted with orange. This is the first evidence of what geologists call the Highland Rim, a large elevated and somewhat circular area that once covered most of central Tennessee. Most of the center, being of softer stone, has eroded—only the harder rock remains.

As usual, we're passing under many bridges today. All of these rivers are marked by frequent and high bridges—thank goodness. We've noticed that only some are marked for depth and that presently the water depths are three to five feet lower than usual. We have ample clearance to pass under without lowering our radar equipment.

We've seen several barges today, some coming at us and others going our way which we usually pass. One was even sideways in the river so we had to hold up for a while—we've gotten quite used to the barges. We're pretty comfortable in passing them and in knowing how they move and how to communicate with them. I took a few pictures, including one from the flybridge—giving you Jean's view when passing a barge.

I had many opportunities today to take very scenic pictures. The views ‘ahead' in many cases were so serene—especially due to the mountain ranges in the background. I did not know what to expect from this part of the U.S.—but my expectations have been totally exceeded. This part of the river and the countryside is just gorgeous!!!!

Today's journey had many twists and turns and at each one the view was spectacular—there are many high bluffs—quite magnificent. Shown here is Lady Finger Bluff, a limestone bluff capped with gnarled cedar and hardwoods. Legend has it that in pioneer days a lady chose to leap to her death from this bluff rather than be caught by attacking Indians.

In the early afternoon we were happy to see another Looper boat— Champagne LuLu —she looked beautiful in the water.

Along one section of the river we saw some houses perched high atop the cliffs. There aren't many of them, but they've been built right into the landscape—which is how it should be. Their views must be incredible.

We also saw some houses built right on the shale.

Jean and I both kept commenting today on the beauty of the river, the skies and the entire environment. This is just a perfect day. The clouds in the sky are gorgeous and they reflect against the blue sky majestically. Seeing this part of the United States by water is amazing. We're very lucky.

Before the day ends, we see one more barge—this time going with us. Jean moves alongside it so that we can position Ocean Flyer for an easy pass.

We made it into the Clifton marina by 1:30pm and got settled in quickly. We then drove into town with John and Sue from Miss Liberty . Clifton is a wonderful, small town situated right on the banks of the Tennessee River. Its population is only 800!!! While downtown, we took a picture of the river—this is a new perspective for us.

We went to the Stribling Museum and Library—housed in the former house of Thomas Stibling. Stribling won the1933 Pulitzer Prize for his novel The Store . He's one of Clifton's most famous residents. Stribling isn't well known despite the fact that more of his books were sold than those of his contemporaries, William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway. We got a great tour of the house and a nice tour of the library.

After this we went to the town cemetery—where else????? We took a short tour of the rest of Clifton and then were back on the boat by 6pm. Tonight's dinner was great—roast pork, squash, rice with mushrooms and garlic bread. Delicious!!!! No dessert.

Thursday, October 5 th

Clifton, Tennessee to Pickwick Landing, Mississippi

This morning was clear with an unusually high temperature of 72 degrees at 8am. We were off the dock early—and would be traveling with two other boats for the entire day. While leaving, I got this nice photo of the marina.

Today, we're only going 60 miles on the Tennessee River to Pickwick Landing, Mississippi which comes just after the Pickwick Lock. We're traveling as a group to enhance our chances of getting through the lock without a long delay. We're finding that sometimes it's better to arrive at the lock with more than one boat.

As we start out, we're the third boat in the line. This will change as the day progresses but for now we're last. Immediately after leaving the marina, we see these three cows along the shoreline. This is a first. We haven't seen many farms or ranches but there must be one nearby. Just as I start to take their picture, the cows start to leave the embankment.

We continue to be enthralled with the scenery. The Tennessee River has been truly beautiful in every way. The shoreline is picturesque and the waterway itself has been easy—it's wide, deep and calm.

We're in the mountains now and the scenery has gotten more spectacular every day. I feel as though I'm in a special place—very pristine, very quiet and very private. There aren't many roads nearby and along this part of the river we've seen very few houses. At certain points there's more of the shale deposits—rising high from the water—like cliffs unto themselves.

We've been seeing only a few barges each day and working with them has been easy. The River is so wide that the barge traffic is not a problem. Even on tight turns, there's plenty of room for us to pass. This part of the trip has been excellent. We're also enjoying some of the best weather that we've had in a long time. It's so warm—in the low nineties, that it reminds us of our early days on the trip—last April and May.

It's hard not to try to capture these ‘perfect days' in photos.

I'm busy taking scenic pictures—especially of the trees lining the small cliffs and mountains. This part of the trip is just so much more spectacular than I expected.

In this River there are many small islands—dotting the scene. These are not only picturesque but they also provide great anchorage opportunities. We're now seeing a larger number of fishermen—mostly fishing for bass. They sit in very small boats, low in the water—we've seen a lot of them.

Some of the shoreline is so similar to small beach areas. The color of the sand is more orange and the dunes are higher than usual but nonetheless….

These next pictures are of Chalk Bluff. This bluff is one of the Tennessee's most scenic and colorful. While it's called the Chalk Bluff, it's really a mixture of sand and clay deposited many millions of years ago.

These next pictures are of Cherry Mansion which is noteworthy for two reasons. First—it's built on a mound that was built thousands of years ago. There were 14 of these mounds built along the Tennessee River and some were as high as 30 feet. The Cherry Mansion was built on one of these mounds. The house was built in 1830 and features 18-inch-thick walls and heart pine woodwork, bookcases and cabinets. Its second feature involves General Ulysses S. Grant. General Grant was eating breakfast at this house on April 6, 1862 when he heard the distant thud of artillery fire as Confederate forces suddenly attacked his army at nearby Shiloh. The house continued as Grant's headquarters during the fierce two-day battle.

Throughout the entire trip we've noticed how low the water of the Tennessee River is—probably five feet below ‘normal pool'. You can see the shoreline in some of the pictures such that it looks like there's more ‘beach' than normal. There's also the appearance of dunes along the shore—the water is very low.

We've passed only a few barges today—and every passing went smoothly. Jean has really ‘mastered' speaking with the tow captains and they respond in kind. Some of the other boaters have had some problems with the tow captains—but not us. I took this picture when Miss Liberty was in front of us and passing a barge. I liked the perspective of this picture.

We've also come across several barge-loading operations today. These are interesting to see because you can better understand the large loads that these barges carry when you see the mounds of sand, clay and other materials along the shore.

Here we are—another lock picture. You MUST be sick of these but…. This lock worked out to be easy for us. I had called ahead to the lockmaster and indicated that there were three of us traveling together. He responded with ‘keep on coming'. When we got there, he opened the gates immediately and we all got set up on the walls. Another boat was also there and had been kept waiting for an hour!!!! We've been in that situation before.

This is another bollard lock—where we throw our line around a bollard which moves up as the water rises in a huge socket built into the lock wall. You can see from the picture that our line has been altered—to have a looped end covered in plastic tubing. This set-up enables me to throw the line over the bollard—like a lasso. When these bollards work they are very easy—the problem is that not all bollards work and in some cases the bollards are missing from the socket. You usually can't tell if the bollard is missing until you're right on top of it. This lock is a 55 foot lift—so up we went. We went through pretty quickly and were on our way to the marina.

The marina is less than ½ mile from the lock. But...as usual, the scenery, even in this short distance, was gorgeous. There were more limestone cliffs, and the shoreline definitely looked like beaches and sand dunes—maybe I'm just homesick for Cape Cod.

As we approached the inlet for the marina all four boats went in together—in a line with Ocean Flyer in the lead. We got into our slip pretty quickly and were all set by 2:45pm. We were immediately met by Bettie B—one of the Loopers from our rendezvous in Penetang, Canada earlier this summer. We're having a blast.

We had a small dock party at 5:30pm with quite a few of the marina boats—everyone was welcome—it was fun. Dinner was after that—leftovers from the other night—roast pork, squash and rice with mushrooms. Yum-yum.

Friday, October 6 th

At port in Pickwick Landing, Mississippi

Today was absolutely-positively gorgeous!!!!!! A perfect day!!!!! It started out as cold and gray—but by 10am the weather had changed and it was warm with clear blue skies and a beautiful breeze in the air. Jean and I decided to have a ‘do-nothing' day—what a treat.

This marina is lovely, nestled in a small cove surrounded by small cliffs. It's located at the corners of Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama. Depending on where Jean and I stand on the docks we can be in three different states. This is a beautiful part of the United States—very serene and peaceful. We began the morning speaking with the many Loopers who are here. There's a whole bunch of us and Jean and I are trying to meet as many Loopers as possible. After some socializing, I did some reading and so did Jean.

In the afternoon we continued our leisurely day. Jean did some charting and I did some laundry. A couple from St. Michael's, Maryland, on the Chesapeake, came by and chatted about their journey, St. Michael's and other topics. We also talked about the Shiloh National Military Park—where they had spent the day. Jean and I are going there tomorrow and we got a lot of info about the Park.

We had an easy dinner—chicken, squash and rice with mushrooms and, of course, garlic bread. Dessert was low fat frozen yogurt—deelish!!!!

Saturday, October 7 th

At port in Pickwick Landing, Mississippi

Today was another day of exploration. We got an early start—with wonderful weather. The skies were blue and the temperature was a warm 73 degrees. We had a rental car for the day and were headed to Shiloh National Military Park Interpretive Center in Corinth, Mississippi. On our way we wanted to make a few other stops.

We left the marina at 8:30am and made our way to Corinth, Mississippi. Corinth, originally known as Cross City, was established in 1854 where the Memphis and Charleston railroad and Mobile and Ohio railroad would cross in early 1858. Corinth was of critical importance to both the Confederate and Union armies as a major ‘route' for supplies and provisions. We were going to visit the interpretive center in Corinth which is dedicated to the 2-day Civil War battle which took place in Corinth and which laid the foundation for the battle in Shiloh. The Center is fairly new and was very well done. At its front door was this beautiful bronze relief of weary Civil War soldiers.

The Center had a series of exhibits and displays plus several excellent videos. We walked through everything and learned a lot about the value and significance of the railroads to both the Confederate and Union armies. The railroads and the Rivers (the Tennessee and the Mississippi) were very important to both sides from a strategic perspective. Corinth was the geographical point at which the rivers were fairly proximate to the railroads.

We also got to see an exquisite architectural water feature immediately outside the Center. It was designed by the Superintendent of the Park and contained many different symbolic aspects. From an elevated, curved pool arose a small fountainhead, representing the wellspring of American democracy. In the center of the pool stands an imposing black stone. Inscribed on its face are familiar phrases from the Declaration of Independence. Further along the water feature are a series of stone blocks representing 50 of the major battles of the Civil War. The sizes of the stones are proportional to the casualties incurred at each battle. However, the chaotic nature of the War has given the blocks an irregular, almost random placement. These stones were placed in the water in relation to which side was ‘winning' at the time. This section of the display covers the years 1860-1864 and was truly impressive. At the far end of the display, the two streams of water join once again. Here, three black horizontal stones, inscribed with three Constitutional amendments passed as a direct result of the conflict, form a bridge of unification. I tried to capture it in these photos but…..

While out in the gardens of the Interpretative Center, I noticed these gorgeous flowers…so…here's one more picture.

From here we went to downtown Corinth to see the actual spot where the railroad tracks of the two railroad lines intersect. There's a Railroad Depot Museum at that intersection which just opened last Sunday!!!!!! The first depot was burned by the Confederacy in May, 1862 and replaced several times. The current depot was built in the craftsman style in 1924. It is an unusual depot because it is built at a right angle and faces into the railroad intersection. During the 1930's and 1940's, thirty passenger trains stopped in Corinth each day!!!!

From here we headed to the Shiloh National Military Park—about 23 miles away. On 4,000 acres overlooking the Tennessee River, 151 monuments, 217 cannons and over 450 historic tablets mark America's best preserved battlefield, site of the Civil War's first major combat in the western theater. Fought April 6 th and 7 th , 1862, Shiloh gave General U.S. Grant his sternest test and witnessed the death of General Albert Sidney Johnston, the highest ranking American ever killed in combat. We got to the Park in no time and made our way through the museum. Many of the displays and exhibits focused on the artillery used in the different battles. The displays were excellent.

We also learned that there was going to be a ‘living history' presentation today. There were some Civil War re-enactors in full costume, ready to give us an artillery demonstration. They shot off some cannons and welcomed us into their tent camp. This was excellent.

Inside the Park, there is also a National Cemetery. We took a walk through this cemetery—there were so many soldiers who were just listed as ‘unknown. Almost 2/3rds of those soldiers buried here were unknown. The cemetery sits right on the Tennessee River and was very peaceful and serene—as it should be.

We moved on to the auto tour of the park, a 9 ½ mile route. On this route, we went by several points where key aspects of the two-day battle had taken place. There were also monuments to the dead—both on the Confederate and Union sides. During this battle, the Confederate army lost its highest ranking general—General Albert Sidney Johnston. He was shot behind the knee and did not receive medical attention in time. As a result, General Johnston bled to death.

Throughout the entire tour, we kept seeing cannons on display. These canons would signify important skirmishes in the course of the two days. These cannons were very impressive. We also saw a large number of memorials inscribed with the names of key states involved in these battles. This Tennessee state memorial was particularly inspiring.

By the way….no matter where we looked today, there were a lot of motorcycles—BMW motorcycles. Well…Jean just had to meet with everyone and she found out that the BMW Motorcycle Club of America was having a weekend rally in the area. Jean was so happy!!!!!!

We left the Park and headed to Savannah, Tennessee which was just about ten miles away. Savannah was also part of the Civil War history and has a Tennessee River Museum with a huge Civil War exhibit. We only had about a ½ hour here—it was already 4:30pm. But we enjoyed seeing what we could in that short period of time.

One last stop before dinner. We had seen the Cherry Mansion from the water as we traveled up the Tennessee River. This was the house where General Ulysses S. Grant had established his Headquarters for the Shiloh battle. We showed you a picture of this house from the river earlier in this update. Well…we knew it was in Savannah so we drove around and found it. It was even more beautiful from a close-up perspective. Of course, we took more pictures. The house is NOT open to the public but we were able to walk around the grounds. What a treat!!!!!

We went to Hagy's for dinner—a famous, four-generation family-run restaurant which sits right on the banks of the Tennessee River. Its specialty is catfish and that's what we had. We had small salads with the catfish and we both had baked potatoes. We wanted one of their famous desserts but…we passed—well almost. We ordered a piece of their famous lemon pie for take out!!!! We'll have the pie tomorrow.

It was another great day. We continue to love exploring these small towns. We're both amazed at what we're learning about the significance of these rivers and their towns to our history and culture.

We were back at the boat by 8:30pm and happy with the day. Tomorrow we'll be back on the water—on our way to Florence, Alabama.

Sunday, October 8 th

Pickwick Landing, Mississippi to Florence, Alabama

We're going to have another beautiful day on the water. The morning is clear, with blue skies and the early temperature is a little cool—65 degrees—but gorgeous. The water is mirror calm and so serene. This marina is in a lovely cove so the morning is wonderful.

We said our good byes to the other Loopers and were off the dock at 9:10am. We're going about 60 miles today to Florence, Alabama—leaving Tennessee behind for the moment. I took a couple of pictures of the marina as we left.

But…as you'll see, we will be returning to Tennessee later in the trip. Shortly after leaving Pickwick, we made a quick stop at a nearby marina for fuel. This marina's prices were much better than at Pickwick. We're back on the water in no time.

We're surprised, given the weather and the fact that today is Sunday, that we're not seeing more pleasure boats. This River is so spectacular and easy to navigate. The scenery is gorgeous so….

We're also seeing only a few barges and this one is filled with scrap meal. We haven't seen much of that. There's also a huge TVA plant on this river that processes coal into electricity and we can see the coal barges lined up at the shore.

About 20 miles into the trip, we saw the town of Waterloo, Alabama. Founded in 1832 by settlers from the Carolinas, it is one of the state's oldest incorporated areas and has almost met its ‘Waterloo' three times. Most of the town had to be rebuilt after a disastrous flood in 1844. A few years later, its fate hung in the balance when General Sherman's army headquartered there during its march through the South. Then, in the 1930's, the town, except for some of the more stately homes built on higher ground, had to be moved when the Pickwick Dam was built. Today, Waterloo is a quiet community with a population of 300. I was unable to get a good picture.

Within this section of the river, we're beginning to see more residential development. There are stretches where there are many houses, all perched high on the ledges. These houses have long, long staircases down to the water. We're also beginning to see more docks along the water's edge—this is new for the last 100 miles or so.

Today's trip is both easy and lovely. We got into the Florence Marina by 3pm and were quickly settled.

There are four Looper boats here, all ready for tomorrow's ordeal of trying to get through the Wilson Lock—the highest lock that we'll go through on this trip—it's a 97 foot lift. Unfortunately, about a month ago, a barge ran into one of the gates on the main lock and that section of the lock is now closed completely for repairs. That means that all boats and barges must go through the ‘auxiliary' lock which is the small one usually reserved for pleasure boats. We've been told to expect a wait of 3-5 hours to ‘get through'—so tomorrow will be a long day.

Our dinner tonight was a great meal of leftovers. We had catfish with a Caesar salad. For dessert, we each had a piece of the lemon pie from yesterday's restaurant—it was great and very, very lemony.

Monday, October 9 th

Florence, Alabama to Rogersville, Alabama (Joe Wheeler State Park Marina)

Today would be a long day—but productive. Everyone was up early and on the docks in anticipation of going through the Wilson Lock. Construction of the Wilson Dam started in April 1918, a year after the United States entered World War I. The U.S. needed nitrates for ammunition and explosives prompting President Wilson to approve the building of two nitrate plants at Muscle Shoals (near Florence) and a dam to supply needed electricity.

I called the lockmaster at 7am for an update as to when we might go through the lock. He told me that we'd have a 3-4 hour wait and that they were not ready for us. The next few hours were filled with conflicting instructions from two different lockmasters—which was very confusing for all of us.

We were finally told to ‘come up' to the lock at 9:30am and up we went—all five boats together. We then circled below the lock for another two hours while waiting for the call to enter the lock. The call came at about 11:30am and in we went.

This lock is the Loop's largest and, because of the need for repairs, it's been the most difficult. The lock is also missing some bollards, so there are only three working bollards in the entire lock. This meant that we would have to ‘raft'—two boats to each bollard. We decided to raft to Sea Fox, a 49 foot Krogen Express owned by Milton and Fran. Milton and Fran are very experienced boaters and Jean and I knew that we'd have no problem rafting to them.

On another bollard immediately opposite us there were two more boats, SeaQuel and Tara, also rafted together. The problem was this—we were four boats across, in a 60 foot wide lock and our combined widths were just about 60 feet!!!! It was pretty tight in that lock!!!!! The fourth boat in our group was Tara, a sailboat being run by Barb and her husband, Roy. Barb was at the helm and she did a great job of bringing the boat in between all of us just perfectly. Even the lockmaster complimented us on our boating skills.

While waiting at this lock, Jean took a great picture of the water as it started to come in and fill up the lock. She also took a picture of the gate wall when we first entered the lock.

This lock works in two flight sequences. The first lift is approximately 47 feet. When you exit from that lift, you are immediately in the next lock—another 50 feet. The locks are called the upper and lower chamber. So…after the first lift, we untied ourselves from Sea Fox, after Tara had backed up and given us some room. Once we moved forward, Sea Fox came forward, took its position against the lock and then we re-rafted to it. SeaQuel and Tara then repeated the procedure on the opposite side. It was quite smooth. Voila!!!!

Just as we were getting to the top of the lock, we began to see a tow immediately outside the lock gate. We all started to laugh—saying—‘how on earth are we going to get by that tow'. We all watched as he slowly moved away from the gate. The view from our bow was pretty funny.

We were all through the lock by 1:15 and on our way to the next lock—Joe Wheeler Lock---just 15 miles ahead.

We all drove together and made it to the lock in no time. As we approached the lock we were told that we would need to wait for about 15 minutes to let a small tow, without any barges attached, to come through. This was no problem. While waiting, Jean and I both noticed this small pool of roiling water over to the side. It must have been had some connection to the release of water from the lock chamber.

After our short wait, we each went in, secured our own bollard and went up the 55 foot lift.

After leaving the lock, I wanted to get a picture of Sea Fox . This boat looks just beautiful in the water and while underway. This is also the boat that we were rafted to while in the Wilson lock.

We were out of the lock and at Joe Wheeler State Park and Marina by 3pm. There are only about 10 other Looper boats here—I thought that there'd be more here by now. But…the other boats are on their way!!!!!

At 5pm there was an informal cocktail party on the dock. It was great to meet some other Loopers and to hear of everyone's experiences.

We were back on the boat by 6:15 and had a quick dinner. We weren't really hungry so we had chicken sandwiches with no dessert!!!!!

Tuesday, October 10 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was an easy day—especially after yesterday. It was very warm—probably mid-seventies with beautiful blue skies. In the morning we did a big fat nothing!!!! This felt great!!!!!

This marina and resort is named for Joe Wheeler, a West Point graduate. He was a general in the Confederate army and a leader of the U.S. volunteers in the Spanish-American War. During his military career, General Wheeler fought in more than 500 skirmishes, commanded in 127 battles had 36 staff officers wounded at his side and had 16 horses shot from underneath him. Elected to Congress in 1880, Wheeler died in 1906 and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

In the afternoon, we decided to go out in the dinghy to do some exploring of the nearby coves. We went with some Looper friends, Sheryl and Barry from SeaQuel. We traveled around the marina cove and then went out onto Lake Wheeler—it was very nice, calm and warm. From the Lake, we took a turn into a local beach area where we actually went swimming. The water was very warm—76 degrees which was very nice. We then returned to the marina cove in time to meet John and Sue Hague who were out kayaking for the afternoon. We also met some new Loopers when all of our dinghies met up in the middle of the cove. It was fun but we forgot to take our camera!!!!!

Dinner tonight was excellent. We had grilled filet mignon with baked potato and a Caesar salad. Dessert was low fat frozen yogurt—delish!!!!!!

Wednesday, October 11 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was a busy day of exploring. Once again, it was sunny with a nice temperature—around 70. Today we were picking up our rental car and going exploring for the whole day. By 9am we had our rental and stopped to do a few errands—we always need something.

By 11am we had found our way to Tuscumbia, Alabama, the birthplace of Helen Keller. The home is very lovely and perfectly maintained. The Keller home was built on a 640-acre tract of land in 1820 by the grandparents of Helen Keller. The main house is of Virginia cottage style construction, with four large rooms on the first floor bisected by a wide hall. Many of the original furniture pieces in the house are still there which makes it more fascinating. The grounds of the house are beautiful—with a large number of incredible trees.

You could walk through the entire house and into every bedroom. I was surprised to see so many of the original furnishings and there were photos of Helen Keller everywhere. One of the rooms was dedicated to some of her personal items but also included many of her awards and other honors. There was a beautiful oil painting hanging in that room—it was gorgeous. In that room I also saw a quote from Helen Keller…” Life is either a daring adventure or nothing”. Something to think about.

There are several different buildings to see including the small cottage where Annie Sullivan first took Helen for her private and uninterrupted teaching.

There's also a carriage house on the property and a stage for the town's annual production of The Miracle Worker . And…of course, the property features the water pump—where Helen had her breakthrough in understanding language. I remember watching The Miracle Worker on television one time, with my sisters, and we were crying uncontrollably at the end.

Just being at Helen Keller's house reminded me of how incredible she was—she was amazing. She graduated from Radcliffe College in 1904 with her teacher by her side at all times. Helen was actively identified with the American Foundation for the Blind from 1924 until her death June 1 st , 1968. It's no wonder that she was called America's first lady of courage. It was wonderful for us to be at the Keller homestead.

From here we went to the Tennessee Valley Arts Center to see an exhibition of blown glass. It was small but excellent. The works of several local artists were on display and their creations were gorgeous. One artist in particular used the colors red and pink in many of his pieces which is very unusual. They were vibrant. At this Center, we also saw a petroglyph—the Martin Petroglyph—which is believed to have originated in the period A.D. 500 to A.D. 1000. These petroglyphs are elegant images skillfully carved into the surface of sandstone boulders resting beneath a bluff shelter. It was identified in the local area a while ago and recently donated to the museum. Unfortunately, we could not take a picture.

From the arts center we went to Florence, Alabama for a tour of one of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian homes. We're lucky in this case because we could tour the interior of the house. The house was built in 1939 and was occupied by the original owners until 1999 when the house was given to the city of Florence. The house is constructed of cypress, glass and brick and has been meticulously restored. The flat roofs and overhanging eaves, the expanse of glass and the flowing space are the hallmarks of the Usonian style home. There's also a heating system that includes circulating hot water through pipes imbedded in the concrete floors!!!!

Not only did we see the interior but also all of the furniture that Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) designed. FLW had designed the dining room table and chairs and the living room chairs all of which were still in great condition and still in the house. It was pretty amazing.

I hope that you can see the attention to detail that FLW paid to every part of the house and furniture. He also believed in a complete and low maintenance house which explains all of the built-ins, wall paneling and brick walls. He did not want his clients to have to buy a lot of extra furniture for the house. In 1939, this house cost the owners $18,000!!!!!

From the FLW house, we headed into downtown Florence for some dinner. Florence is actually a very charming town with a lot of history. It was founded in 1818 and is located on the Tennessee River in the scenic northwest corner of Alabama. Its history began when Native Americans inhabited the area, and evidence of their existence can still be found at the ancient Florence Indian Mound. In 1818, the Cypress Land Company was formed to develop a thriving river town. An Italian surveyor laid out the town and named it for his favorite city in Italy—Florence.

For dinner, we had been told to try Ricatoni's, a small Italian restaurant in town—owned by Ric!!!!! It was great. Jean and I both had chicken parmesan—a favorite—with small salads. The meal was excellent. We were back at the marina by 8pm and ready for a good night's sleep.

Thursday, October 12 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was a fun and easy day. We made sure that we didn't set the alarm—and we slept late. The day was sunny but somewhat cool—mid 60's. Today we planned an easy morning of a few errands and a stop at the Rogersville Library to check on our e-mail. Rogersville is a lovely small town about five miles from the marina. We still have our car rental so off we go. By the way, we've decided to keep the car for the weekend—Enterprise offers an excellent weekend rate—so we took it.

By the way….while driving around this area, we've seen many cotton fields. Each time we've driven by, we've forgotten to take some pictures. Cotton is still a big industry in Alabama and the fields are quite beautiful when the cotton is full and before it's been picked. Today we saw such a field and stood at it just looking at its beauty—take a look at this.

After many, many errands and the library we're back at the marina by 3pm. At 4:30pm we're out the door and on our way to an early dinner in Florence with John and Sue from La Garza Verde and Sheryl and Barry from Seaquel. After dinner, we're all going to the Ritz Theatre to see a live performance of Lion in Winter .

The dinner was excellent. We ate at George's—a great steak and seafood restaurant. John ‘learned' of this restaurant from Helen Keller's great grand-nephew (Mr. Johnson). John and Sue met Mr. Johnson just after visiting the Helen Keller Homestead. They were having lunch at a small restaurant and Mr. Johnson introduced himself—what a small world. Well…anyway, he recommended that we try George's for dinner. I had grilled salmon with wild rice and a small salad. Jean had a small filet mignon, a baked potato and a small salad. Everyone's meal was wonderful. Now on to the theatre.

The Ritz Theatre was built in the 1920's and has recently been restored, on the interior, to its vintage form. The outside still needs work but the theatre was lovely. The play was good but not great. They mixed the authentic ‘story' with some current attitudes so both King Henry and Queen Eleanor seemed a bit too modern for me.

We were back on the boat by 11pm—lights out. Only a few boats had come into the marina while we were away…but the place is filling up.

Friday, October 13 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was another easy day. The temperature stayed cool but the skies were very sunny. I'm now wearing a sweater every day but Jean's still in her shorts and summer shirts. We're doing boat things in the morning and speaking with other Loopers. There are quite a few boats in now and everyone's busy meeting everyone else. It's amazing how different everyone's experiences are and how much you can learn at these rendezvous'.

Jean's been busy varnishing the steps to the swim platform and I'm busy working on the website update. This afternoon, we're going to a salon to get our hair cut—something we both need badly. Then we're off to a marine store for some supplies and then on to a supermarket for some food items.

In the early evening when we returned we met Tom and Marbeth, our friends from Change of Pace . We had a quick, casual chicken dinner with them and heard about their success, that morning, in buying a lot in Tellico Village, Tennessee for future development. This is great news for them!!!!

Saturday, October 14 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was another easy day. Since we still had the rental car, we decided to just ‘go for a ride'. We headed into the back roads of Alabama and continued driving for hours. We stopped for a picnic lunch and kept on driving. We ended up driving through the William Bankhead National Forest. This forest is comprised of 180,000 acres of lakes, limestone canyons and a natural bridge. While in the Forest, we drove on roads with many twists and turns—it was wonderful.

We didn't get back to the boat until early evening. We had a light dinner—a chicken Caesar salad and some garlic bread—one of our favorites.

Sunday, October 15 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was a chore day. Jean continued to varnish the ladder steps and I did work around the boat. There was a lot of ‘socializing' with other Loopers. I also did some grocery shopping for several other Loopers—those who didn't have cars available to them.

At 5pm there was a pot luck dinner with all of the Loopers. Jean and I had already invited Tom and Marbeth over for dinner so we all went to the pot luck party but only stayed for awhile. For dinner with our guests, Jean made a great meatloaf with sides of carrots, potatoes, onions and mushrooms. It was marvelous. We had a great evening with Tom and Marbeth—it was fun!!!!

Monday, October 16 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today began on a bad note. Jean is feeling miserable—very miserable. She definitely has a bad cold—complete with fever, congestion and cough!!!!! It's clear that she will be unable to go to today's rendezvous session. She's down and out!!!!!

I took our rental car back to Enterprise and came back with seven other Loopers who had all returned their cars also. This took a while and I was back on the boat by 10am. It's rainy and cool—pretty blah!!!!!

This afternoon, I'm playing nurse—not a good role for me. But…I'm making soup, buying ginger ale and attending to all the other nurse-like duties.

In the evening I went to the opening reception which was quite nice. I'm surprised at how many Loopers are here at the rendezvous—almost 250!!!! I need to gather as much info as possible. This group has extensive experience and knowledge about boating and the difficulties of the Loop. There is incredible expertise here. I also want to meet as many other Loopers as possible—these folks are very interesting.

Dinner was at the Lodge and was lasagna, salad, rolls and a dessert of peach cobbler pie. I skipped the dessert.

Tuesday, October 17 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today is foggy and cool. Jean is still quite ill with her cold. She's running a slight fever and is pretty congested. Last night Marbeth and I left the dinner early and went to a nearby pharmacy for some ‘medication'. There's a nurse here, on one of the sailboats, and she gave me some excellent tips on how to treat Jean's cold. So Jean is staying in bed for today—she definitely needs the rest. It's just horrible that she's missing the rendezvous.

Today's session began with all of us introducing ourselves—which took quite a while. I was pretty amazed at the uniqueness of everyone's story. Everyone on this trip has a different perspective and reason for being here. There are also quite a few people here who have yet to begin the Loop—they're Looper wannabees!!!!!

Wednesday, October 18 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

This morning is very foggy and a little cool—high sixties. Jean is still feeling miserable and unable to go to the Rendezvous sessions. This is horrible. Once again, I'll be on my own. The sessions are very interesting today. There is a presentation regarding the best way to cross the Gulf of Mexico. This is a difficult crossing—172 miles across without any ‘safe harbors' along the way. Once you out there—there's no turning back!!!!!

The presenter gave us quite a bit of information about the route to Mobile, Alabama and the Gulf including the best anchorages and marinas. This is another route where it will be difficult to find marinas for the size of Ocean Flyer , and there is also a lack of good anchorage spots. This part of the trip will be a challenge.

There was also a presentation about the entire coast of Florida by a very prominent guidebook author. The leaders of this Rendezvous have really put together a series of first class presentations with very prominent speakers.

After lunch, it's off to see some other boats. This feature of the Rendezvous is great. It gives all of us a chance to get on many of the boats here and to see how other people have set up their boats. It's amazing to see how people have decorated their boats and view what electronics they have installed. You can really get some good ideas. Today I went on two of the ‘Jelly Bean' boats. These are 37 foot Grand Harbors—unique boats with an unusual design—very wide and very high!!!! The two boats were very different inside—each one had been customized by their owners. Both couples are ‘live aboards' with no homes on land, and both couples have been traveling together for quite some time.

I also went on a gorgeous 48 foot Kady-Krogen on which the owners had two parrots and two dogs—pretty wild. The parrots had their own cabin!!!!!! The boat was gorgeous. One of my last stops was to go on a 53 foot, 2002 Selene—a boat that Jean covets!!! This boat was in spectacular condition and looked brand new. The owners had just completed the Loop—after two years of boating. What a life!!!!!

I went to the dinner alone—Jean is still feeling weak—what a bummer. Tonight is talent night but I've already decided to spare the crowd any performance by me. My tap dancing is a bit rusty…my voice is still scary…and I can't play the piano. There's a story telling ‘section' of the talent night but….I'll save myself for later!!!!

For dinner I had just two pieces of barbecue chicken and a roll. The food here is mediocre—at best. There's a lot of it but….When I got back to the boat I had some low-fat frozen yogurt with low calorie cookies!!!!!

Thursday, October 19 th

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today's Rendezvous agenda had an excellent line-up. Jean is still feeling very weak and, after showering and getting dressed to go, was too weak and went back to bed. This is a good thing. The weather is miserable—very, very, very rainy although pretty warm—mid-seventies. At this point, she'll miss the entire rendezvous—what a shame.

The morning sessions are very informative. Skipper Bob, the famous author of waterway guides, is the first speaker and his topic is about boating in the Bahamas. Jean and I have used many of his guidebooks during this trip and they are very helpful. His presentation is very well done with a clear outline of topics from preparation to weather. He had an incredible amount of information to share and the 90 minutes went by very quickly.

We then had the group photo taken—a major task unto itself—especially in the rain.

The next session consisted of an open forum to answer the questions yet to be asked. This session was also very helpful with a wide range of topics under discussion.

After lunch we heard from a couple who had just recently chartered a canal boat in France. This presentation was also excellent and they gave us quite a bit of information about the canal possibilities in other European countries. I'm somewhat surprised at how easy it is to charter one of these boats. You don't need any prior boating experience and there is no special license needed. Pat and Tom had great pictures, and all of the little French towns along the canals looked gorgeous. This is relatively easy boating which explains the lack of experience required. The canals are very narrow and calm. There's not a lot of navigating involved and the weather is rarely an issue. There are locks—but they're small and you control the opening of the lock gates—pretty amazing. Perhaps, someday…we'll try this.

Dinner tonight was a full buffet including many different salads, rolls, sliced roast beef, chicken and fish. Jean managed to make it to the dinner which was a major accomplishment. She was definitely not 100% but everyone was glad to see her. She had a small plate of chicken and fish and I did the same. No dessert.

After dinner there were many awards given out for a variety of categories. There were also many door prizes given away. Jean and I won NOTHING!!!!! It was a fun evening and it was sad to say goodbye to all the people we've met. Tomorrow, many of the Loopers are heading south…and we're not. After a day trip to Huntsville on Friday, we'll be taking a detour from the Loop and traveling about 200 miles further up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga. We've been told that the scenery is spectacular, the leaves will be in full color and that we'll love Chattanooga. There are about ten Loopers also going to Chattanooga so we won't be alone.

All in all, it was a great rendezvous and a wonderful visit to Joe Wheeler—I just wish that Jean had felt better.

I also realized, too late, that due to the bad weather (it rained for several days) and Jean's being sick and the busy agenda of the rendezvous—that I had taken only ONE picture during the entire rendezvous!!!! What a shame—I wish I had been more thoughtful and taken photos of the other Loopers. What a mistake!!!!!

Friday, October 20, 2006

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today therall-day bus tour of Huntsville, Alabama. A group of 50 Loopers are ready for a full tour of Huntsville from the Space ande is an Rocket Center, to the Art Museum, to the Botanical Gardens, to the Historic District and finally to a nearby marina for dinner!!!!

Huntsville was the site of the first English-speaking settlement in Alabama. In 1819, the first state constitutional convention and state legislature met in Huntsville and Alabama became the 22 nd state of the Union. Today, Huntsville has become a busy and thriving city with a population of more than 180,000. It's Alabama's third largest city—only Birmingham and Mobile are larger.

Given the full schedule, Jean has decided to stay on the boat and continue her recovery.

Unfortunately, today is very dreary and very cold—only in the fifties!!!!! The tour is being led by one of the Looper couples who live in Huntsville. They've put together an incredible agenda…so off we went at 8am sharp.

Our first stop is the Space and Rocket Center. This Center features more than 1,500 artifacts representing the U.S.'s achievements in space exploration. Its outside exhibits include the 354-foot Saturn V moon rocket, a 98-ton full-size model of the Space Shuttle, the only full scale model of the Hubble Space Telescope and a U.S. Air Force SR-71 Blackbird spy plane!!!!!

Dr. Wernher von Braun was the lead scientist who provided the U.S. with all of his knowledge and experience regarding rocket launches. In late 1945, he and more than 100 members of his team agreed to come to the U.S. to work under U.S. Army supervision. Von Braun and his team originally came to the U.S. for 6 months as ‘prisoners of peace' but… never returned to Germany. On one of the walls in the Center was a large mural depicting the crowds in downtown Huntsville immediately after Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon. It was a great mural. Von Braun is the man being carried on everyone's shoulders. I thought it caught the excitement that everyone must have felt at that time—July 20, 1969.

We had a private tour of the facility which is one of the largest space centers in the world. Originally created to design NASA's rocket propulsion system, the Marshall Center later became involved in all aspects of the space program including research in microgravity as well as spacecraft and experimental research and development.

We saw many of the original space capsules including those from the Gemini, Mercury and Saturn space programs. These capsules look so small and cramped—sitting inside these capsules cannot be comfortable.

We saw an exact replica of a land rover which was very interesting. There were also many different displays of the various flight suits worn by the astronauts. This was an excellent stop.

From here we went to the Botanical Gardens which were just beautiful—112 acres of year-round gardens. We arrived there at lunchtime and were informed that we would have some lunchtime entertainment. One of the docents at the Gardens is also a guitarist and her husband is a classical violinist. Well…they played for about 45 minutes and were truly sensational. They received multiple standing ovations and we kept pleading with them to play some more. It was a highlight of the day.

The Gardens themselves were lovely and were decorated for Fall with a number of whimsical scarecrows. We had a lot of fun here.

I was surprised at how many different gardens there were and the scope of flowers. There fall flowers were in abundance and the colors were brilliant.

I also came across some blooming trumpet flowers that reminded me of the Chihuly glass exhibit at the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis.

There was a Japanese garden section complete with pagoda and koi fish. This was also interesting and, again, a very large display. This part of the gardens also contained some sculpture which was perfect for the setting.

From here we went to the Huntsville Museum of Art which was also a great stop. There were several special exhibits including a collection of glass work from one of Chihuly's students, William Morris. His works were extraordinary. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos.

There was also a collection of animals made from silver. These exquisite works were designed and fabricated in Italy by the luxury jewelry firm of Buccellati. The Buccellati family of goldsmiths has been active in Milan since the mid-18 th century. In 1919, Mario Buccellati was the originator of what is known as the ‘Buccellati style' which is comprised of Renaissance period techniques, the combination of luxury materials and extensive use of texture engraving. This collection was amazing and I was able to take some photos.

The bus tour of Huntsville's Historic District was wonderful and I was very surprised at the size of the Historic District—it was huge. The houses were spectacular and the grounds were beautifully landscaped.

The evening ended when we were hosted to dinner by a local marina. It was wonderful. The mayor came by to say hello to us and there were about 200 folks from the marina who joined us. We got a lot of questions about the ‘Loop' and certainly met a lot of Looper wannabees. It was fun. I had chicken with a small salad. It was good, but I'll be glad to get back to meals on Ocean Flyer .

The entire day was fun and I got to meet some new Loopers that I had not met at the Rendezvous. I sat with a great couple from Chicago on a boat named Through the Years …I think that's a great boat name. I also sat with a couple from Fort Lauderdale who drove to the rendezvous and who are planning on starting the Loop in 2008!!!!!

Saturday, October 21, 2006

At port at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, Alabama

Today was a recovery day for Jean and a sick day for me. It looks like I caught the cold that Jean's had for the last week!!!! Today is another cold day although the sun is out. It's only in the low fifties and not expected to get much higher. We're using today to get ready to leave for Chattanooga in the morning. Many of the Looper boats left yesterday and more are expected to leave today. Everyone has really cleared out quickly.

Today is a day of chores including food shopping, laundry and other errands. I'm feeling lousy and Jean's only at about 80%!!! What a team. But…we're definitely planning on leaving in the morning.

We have lost our appetite so we had NOTHING for dinner—we're just not hungry at all. Now you know we're sick.

STAY TUNED!!!!! Our next update will come shortly—we're trying to get caught up!!!!