Ditto Landing Marina (Huntsville, AL) to Joe Wheeler State Park (Rogersville, AL) to Lee Spry (Iuka, MS) incl the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous and on to Iuka, MS

Monday, October 21:  Hi to all once again!  Clay and I arrived at Lee Spry Marine Services late yesterday afternoon for some anticipated boat repair work plus a few additional repairs that he's itemized along the way.  The list keeps getting longer; after all, it's a boat!  And, we seem to have plenty of company, with a boat docking next to us after dark last eve and another one fairly early this morning.

Don't think you are alone in this cold snap that has descended on the lower half of the USofA!  We awakened this morning to a thick layer of fog and temperature about 36 degrees.  FYI, Lee Spry Marine is located near Iuka, MS and, of course, on the water (this time, the Yellow Creek which is the beginning of the Tenn-Tom (Tom Bigbee) Waterway). Fog lifted relatively early, and Mother Nature has produced an absolutely beautiful day, cool with a cloudless sky. The weather this past week has reinforced the need to be ready for any kind of temperature and precip.  Glad I packed my cold gear! 

I think the last time I emailed we were at Ditto Landing, Huntsville, AL about nine days ago on our way to the Great Loop Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park, Rogersville, AL.  We departed Ditto Landing last Saturday, Oct 12 after watching the MU-GA game on tv. Hooray for the Mizzou win!  We overnighted that night at Decatur behind the Pickwick Belle excursion boat and headed to Joe Wheeler on Sunday, both days being short cruising days.  Although the Rendezvous (convention for those who have completed the Loop, those currently doing the Loop and Looper wanna-be's) was to begin Monday afternoon, we were in good company with lots of others arriving prematurely. Our friends Randy Schmitt and Margaret Reid arrived for wine late afternoon and stayed for dinner at the Lodge and an overnight.  Fun having them, and fun having two more names and comments added to Clay's log book!

Last Swim of the Season!

Fun entertainment

Boats at the Joe Wheeler Rendezvous

Boats of all sizes

Carol, Sue, and Sally

Cocktails on the Deck

Monday evening through Thursday evening was spent attending cocktail and food functions as well as information sessions to enlighten us on our upcoming adventure.  The trip was subdivided into 'legs' from the head of the Tenn-Tom Waterway to Norfolk, VA (where another Rendezvous will be held Spring, 2014), and those who have done various legs and are familiar with marinas/harbors/anchorages offer suggestions on where to go and what to see and do...and suggestions on how to stay afloat and not run aground!!!  Important!  We'll soon be dealing with salt water and tides, and having done neither, Clay and I are willing to absorb all the info we can get in order to avoid trouble...which is probably unavoidable!

We met many nice folks during the Rendezvous and became adept at associating peoples' names with boat names. One night's banquet 'program' was the introduction of those who have done the Loop (got pretty redundant hearing how "wonderful the people are you meet along the way"); it was surpassed the next night when the Looper Wanna-Be's introduced themselves. The humor was infectious when each tried to out-do the previous introduction.  Felt good to laugh!

KGB Band

We were hit mid-week with a weather front which brought rain and cold weather. Inconveniently, it was also the day of the concert event at the local B&B, arranged as a private showing for us Loopers. But the 'show must go on,' so we boarded the shuttle bus which took us to an extremely-entertaining outdoor (under tent) concert by the Kerry Gilbert Band (KGB).  The warm-up act was a set of thirteen-year-old twins who sang and played mandolin and bass guitar; they were promoted as 'destined for stardom in Nashville.' Kerry Gilbert introduced his band and sang only one number with them after telling us of his recent diagnosis of cancer and continuing chemo treatments; the reaction of the crowd was kind of like a group hug. 

I saw a little bit of the downtown of Rogersville when I went with two other boater gals to the local grocery store on Thursday afternoon. Being female, we of course had to detour through the shopping district. We zeroed in on a darling store called Too Peas where I bought a couple of early Christmas gifts, and Diane bought some birthday presents for her college freshman daughter. Our third female boater friend Meg had biked into town each of the previous three days (a pretty good haul at that) and had scouted out this particular shop, claiming it to be 'the only store you need to visit.' Whether she was right or wrong, I'll never know because, it was the only store we got to visit besides the Foodland grocery store.

We awakened Friday morning to find a very dense fog had descended on Joe Wheeler State Park and was going to interfere with the pre-arranged departure schedule. Since all of the Loopers were, for the most part, continuing the Loop from here to the Gulf and beyond, there were some 25 boats all departing this morning.  The first Lock (Joe Wheeler Lock) couldn't accommodate 25 boats all at once to lock through, so Jim and Belinda, aboard Second Wind, took charge of the departure, scheduling eight boats at intervals determined by the completion of the locking by the previous group.  Went smooth as silk but for the fact that the 7 a.m. group couldn't leave until just after 8 a.m.  What a beautiful sight seeing eight boats departing simultaneously in the lifting fog!

Clay and I had plans to spend both Friday and Saturday nights at the Florence City Park Marina as did many of the other Looper boats.  It was almost like a mini-reunion, and most we had just met the week before. Amazing how quickly the friendship bond occurs when you are all in the same boat!

We had made friends with three different couples from the St. Louis area, one of which was eager to experience the Joe Wheeler-to-Florence, AL leg with us on Friday.  What treasures these two people are! Finding a driver for their car to ferry it to Florence for them, Gary and Diane boarded the SaSea Sally and got a good dose of Looping (Locking) 101 from us. What a nice trip at a gentle cruising speed, and a good intro to locking at the 48' and 93' locks between Joe Wheeler and Florence. All of us remarked that we were glad the locking was down and not up (these two locks were where Clay and I had experienced so much turbulence on the way to Chattanooga!). Down is almost always more gentle that up!

Having noticed some weird oversized 'canoes' with about 20-22 rowers each on our way into Florence Harbor on Friday, we soon found out that Saturday was the Dragon Boat Festival. What we'd witnessed was practice round; Clay and Gary thought it looked, from a distance, like a bunch of Cub Scouts rowing a canoe. We bid Gary and Diane good-bye as they headed toward Tuscaloosa to celebrate their freshman daughter's nineteenth birthday. We then registered, started a load of laundry and settled in for the weekend.

Saturday dawned foggy and cool, but the weather certainly didn't dampen the spirits of the contestants.  We saw team spirit everywhere....dressed alike team members in red shirts and black pants, Dr. Seuss hats on some, face-painted teams, etc.  Tents were set up for various teams to congregate, housing box lunches, tee-shirt distribution, bottled water coolers, etc. Clay took plenty of pictures while I jogged the perimeter of the encampment. Having secured the courtesy van for a 2-hour time period, we saw less of the races and more of the town of Florence on our way to Wally World for restocking.  Our printer had stopped printing and troubleshooting brought no good results, so Clay headed to the office/electronics department while I stocked up on groceries and toiletries.

Saturday night we pulled the 'big hill' into town for dinner at Ricatoni's. Brick oven pizza for me and a veal entree for Clay, we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant and the cute, young waitresses.  A brisk 25-minute walk back down the hill helped our meal settle--and we had leftovers for another night.

Sunday found us one of the last Looper boats to depart Florence; we had only a short distance to travel, cruising leisurely for about 5 hours and arriving well ahead of dark at Lee Spry...which is where we are now for boat repair work as previously mentioned.

Chickamauga Marina to Goose Pond Marina (near Scottsboro, AL) & Ditto Landing Marina

We awakened this Friday morning to a thick layer of dense fog at Goose Pond Marina; not going anywhere until this lifts as we have a narrow harbor channel lined by hydrilla to navigate to reach the TN River. We were met upon our arrival yesterday by folks aboard the 2-3 other Looper boats here. They were quick to help secure the boat and assist in hooking up power and water. It's nice to be greeted by those in your same shoes, kinda like unofficial harbor hosts who have enough knowledge of the area to be of help!

Clay and I were thrilled to see the A2Z Canvas crew arrive at our boat Wednesday to install the remade fly bridge top. We had been docked at Chickamauga Marina, upriver from downtown Chattanooga since the previous Thursday afternoon for anticipated repairs plus the top alteration. With the 'waterproof' top leaking like a sieve during the first major storm, we knew we could go no further without some improvements made. Sure hope A2Z did their job!

Besides some nice yachts the rack storage was full of small boats

I was so ready to leave Chickamauga.  Though the people, both staff and dock renters, have been extremely friendly and accommodating, it's dark under a covered slip for days on end. Too, we were so near, yet so far away from any type of amusement, entertainment, or diversion by foot. Our Enterprise Chevy Cruse allowed us to field a call from friends Ed and Sue Sunday afternoon when we took them on a WMT run  for provisions, then dinner together at The Boathouse. The car was due back Monday eve, and although we logged barely100 miles on it, it gave us freedom at a minimum expense. Good decision to rent. 

"Water fall" on the Chattanooga riverfront

The rain from the Gulf hurricane, predicted Sunday and Monday, hit with minimal effect overnight Sunday night, and we awakened to a beautiful but cooler Monday. Clay spent much of Monday and Tuesday polishing the chrome pipes which support the canvas top. With A2Z's arrival Wednesday, we were off after gassing up and pumping out.  A beautiful 1 1/2 hour late-afternoon cruise,  now downriver and through Chickamauga Lock, had us docking once again at the Chattanooga downtown riverfront for the overnight. Taking the opportunity to dine out, Clay led me in search of a sports bar/grill to watch the Cards. Taco Mac was his choice with an offering of salads, sandwiches/wraps, and southwestern/Mexican selections. And a big screen where we watched the Cards win!

River walk restroom with inlaid tile motif

Tile motif on all river walk structures

We walked the Chattanooga riverwalk Thursday morning before our departure, missing friend Caroline who had accompanied us on all of our other downtown walks. What a magnificient investment the town has made in this attraction! This morn we found yet another unexplored sculpture garden and walkway. Fabulous! I'm sure the upkeep is costly on the miles of walking paths and trails, but what a drawing card Chattanooga has.  Clay and I did not visit the aquarium before leaving, something he hopes he doesn't later regret. 

One of 15-20 bike rental stations

Fishing pier with picnic area--one of 50+

Thursday's agenda included 85+ miles of boating to arrive at Goose Pond Marina. The skies alternated between partly cloudy and sunny which had me in and out of a fleece pullover all day. Long day on the river! Although I had grilled a large supply of meats the last night at Chickamauga, Clay had been told that there was a 5-star restaurant adjacent to the marina, and he insisted we dine there. Well...the logo was 5 star. Need I say more?

Friday, Oct. 11, 2013.   As I finish typing this email, the fog has lifted, and we have traveled a fairly short day (44 miles) to our next port, Ditto Landing, Huntsville, AL. Before departure from Goose Creek, I discovered their paperback book exchange...the next best thing to paradise for an avid reader who fears being without a book! A lesson beyond taking advantage of a book exchange when you have the opportunity follows...as we prepped to lock through at Nickajack Lock en route to Ditto, Captain Clay chose to take issue with the lock master. And, even though the captain is, or might be, right, it's not smart to take issue with a lock master! We were delayed getting into the chamber, delayed in closing the gates behind us, delayed in dropping the water level, and delayed in opening the departure gates. Certainly frustrating for this first mate!

I hope all is well and that you continue to enjoy reading about our trip. My finger splint is now off, and I'm adjusting to having 10 fingers for typing, washing dishes, etc. Finger is a bit stiff and a bit numb at the cut area, but I'm lucky to have a whole finger! 

Chattanooga to Chickmauga Marina

Sunday, October 6:  Docked now at Chickamauga Marina, Chattanooga for repairs, we find that we'll be here a few days. We arrived here early afternoon Thursday after seeing Ty and Caroline off at the Chattanooga downtown dock where we'd been a couple nights mid-week. We had a nice time with our two friends during their 6-night, 5-day stay aboard. Continuing from last post (some overlap), we were overnight Monday night at Hales Bar Marina which we found to be in declining condition. Showers had no toilet paper; advertised laundry had washer but no dryer. But we lucked ino a picnic grill which allowed us a delicious grilled salmon with grilled romaine dinner, home-cooked! Bonus of BIG mosquitoes! Thank goodness for Cutters in ample supply.

Watts Barr floating cabins

Fountains at the Chattanooga Riverfront

Loopers at Chattanooga

Chattanooga riverfront with Loopers docked

We awakened the morn of Tuesday, Oct. 1 with floating log cabins in our view of the harbor. Three women were fishing off the porch, and we supplied the cheering section when one snagged a large bass. Fun! Made their day...and ours. A day cruise found us approaching the Chattanooga downtown riverfront where we were greeted by Harbor Host Hal (harbor hosts are Great Loop folks who enjoy meeting other Loopers, welcoming them to their home port). Supplied with only power and water for our stay...no restroom, shower or laundry privileges...we were nonetheless spoiled by the site! Walking paths were well-maintained and stretched for miles. The area was so user friendly, accommodating kids, families, the disabled, and boaters/kayakers/paddleboarders/etc. Restaurants galore, Chattanooga's downtown aquarium, a cinemax theatre, and foot and car bridges to cross to the other side of the river where the Delta Queen was docked.

Delta Queen floating hotel/restaurant

Early morning with mountain fog

We ate dinner at a local brewery called the Big River Grille. Elijah Craig has been joining the fellas the past few evenings post dinner as they reminisce. Tonight was no exception; so good to have memories...and to have time to reminisce! I retire early most nights as I'm, by nature, a morning person, and I'm now nursing a sore throat; Caroline came aboard with one. Guess we two females are a couple of sickies right now, but it doesn't seem to affect our ability to enjoy ourselves.

AM walkers on the old wooden pedestrain bridge

Many levels to the riverfront-switchbacks

Caroline and Sally

Wednesday morning Clay, Caroline and I had a terrific time on our morning walk, exploring the riverwalk and the various pathways leading to and from the main walk. We crossed the old wooden bridge after climbing the zig-zag path to the Art District.

Switch back walking trail up the steep hill and an early AM picture of the Delta Queen

We admired sculptures along the way, the beautiful landscaping, and the fountain shooting streams of water out over the TN River and adjacent kiddie wading pools. What it must take to maintain this area!

The AM walkers!

Gals lunch at the downtown Panera; guys hit the riverfront Blue Water Cafe for a fried/greasy meal they don't get from Sally's Galley. The afternoon got away from us, though I don't know where it went. Ah, remembering now...Caroline and I trekked across the car bridge (using the pedestrian path) to Walgreen's while the guys swabbed the deck. Nothing like a shopping trip for gals and a clean boat to boot! Dinner was manufactured from leftovers we'd accumulated; yummy! And it helped to pare down the frig contents. Driver/friend Randy was due at 9 a.m. Thursday to take Ty and Caroline home, but we had ongoing confusion as to which time zone we were honoring, Central or Eastern.

Blue grass festival and concert

Randy arrived 9 a.m. Eastern time, and we bid our friends farewell. Caroline remarked she didn't remember being so relaxed; a huge compliment. We enjoyed their time aboard. Clay and I then prepped to depart upstream to Chickamauga Marina for some scheduled repairs where we find ourselves now. Another pretty marina, but few offerings in the way of restaurants or entertainment. We do have electric, water, shower and laundry privileges. Yay! So I spent Thursday doing accumulated laundry, a good form of entertainment, eh? I figured I logged an hour walking time, back and forth to the laundry room; good exercise but boy was I pooped by eve.

Met some nice folks on our C Dock location, one of whom (Clyde) offered to drive us to the riverwalk entry point for a walk downstream toward Chattanooga downtown Friday morn. He said his wife would kill him if she knew. I'm with the wife on this one. Oh my! Clay and I took our life in our hands as we trekked along the interstate, separated from speeding cars by only a 2' retaining wall. Won't do that again.
Later in the day, Clyde took me to pick up the Enterprise weekend special so we'd have wheels. Good price; good decision! We put the Chevy Cruse to good use Saturday when we drove downtown to the 3 Sisters bluegrass festival on the riverfront. Clay and I assisted a docking boat only to realize it was Ed and Sue, Shady Acres. We went aboard and chatted a bit, catching up, then parted company for us to make a Wal Mart run and them, a late lunch. Post WMT run and stowing purchases away, we navigated our way to the Bonefish Grill for dinner then back to the boat at Chickamauga Marina.

Sue called Sunday and asked for a ride to WMT to do some provisioning.  We took them to Wal-Mart, stopped for cocktails on their boat and went to the Boathouse restaurant over looking the TN River.  Great location but so-so food.

Up today, Sunday, I am finding my sore throat malady has rendered me speechless. Actually, not speechless, but unable to make much noise when I do speak. Maybe voiceless is a better word choice. Ah, a glorious day upcoming for Clay. Funny though, when I whisper my sentence fragments to Clay, he whispers back. I told him he can talk in regular voice. We are just back from our morning walk, a section of the riverwalk chosen by Clay that we both found to be less appealing (too many buildings, parking lots, industrial areas, etc) but these didn't stop the city fathers from continuing the paths here. Nice surface nonetheless for walking. As I told Clay, if it's not broke, don't fix it...our yesterday stretch of riverwalk was delightful so why change? He's more of an explorer than I; I prefer more the known and predictable. As I finish this post, Clay is outside dismantling the new canvas fly bridge top for A2Z Canvas who is to work tomorrow and Tuesday in an attempt to waterproof it. I do hope they are successful!