Great Loop Date: 10.17.2010 (Sunday) through 10.31.2010 (Sunday): Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow…

Great Loop Date: 10.17.2010 (Sunday)
Day #66: 1610.4 total miles (33.8 miles today)
Locks: 13 total (today: 0)
Port #31 – Little Bear Creek, near Tuscumbia, AL – anchorage

OB and crew had an important date on the calendar. The AGLCA Fall Rendezvous was scheduled at Joe Wheeler State Park October 24th through the 27th. Blue Angel had maintenance scheduled in Demopolis, AL around the same time. Demopolis and Joe Wheeler are in different directions. Joe Wheeler would take OB on up the Tennessee River. Demopolis would take Blue Angel into the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

Sea Estate and Blue Angel left Grand Harbor Saturday morning after a heavy fog lifted. NII Wishin decided to travel on up the Tennessee River past Joe Wheeler. Jerry and Joan hoped to make it to Chattanooga. We planned to go as far as possible up the Tennessee and return to Joe Wheeler.

Just as we were getting ready to leave Grand Harbor, Susan on Squivot dropped by and snapped this picture.  Thank you so much, Susan.

OB and NII Wishin left Grand Harbor on Sunday. Our first stop on the Tennessee after Yellow Creek was Little Bear Creek. The anchorage wasn’t very wide but presented the same fall beauty we had seen all along the river.

After we anchored and had NII Wishin secured to our starboard side, a nice fellow and his young Golden Retriever appeared on the bank. He passed the time of day with us and went on back up the hill to his home. A few minutes a younger man dressed in camo from head to toe appeared on the same bank with the young Golden. The dog didn’t stop at the bank and began swimming around in the creek. We couldn’t let Charlie just stand there and watch. Charlie had so much fun swimming with the other Golden and chasing his ball.

Happy Hour came immediately after the water dog show. A nice meal and a quiet night followed.



Beer-thirty in Little Bear Creek.  Look at the tow cruising by on the river.  We couldn't even hear them in the anchorage.



Looking up Little Bear Creek the next morning.

Little Bear was somewhat narrow for two boats 47 feet (OB) and 43 feet (NII Wishin) long.  We were rafted together in the creek.  You can see how little room we had between one shore and the other.

Great Loop Date: 10.18.2010 (Monday)
Day #67: 1636.4 total miles (26.0 miles today)
Locks: 15 total (today: 2)
Port #32 – Second Creek, near Rogersville, AL – anchorage

Both crews were up with the sun. We had two locks ahead of us today ending in another anchorage just outside of the second lock. These locks would be the biggest we’ve managed our boat in.

The rural scenery on the Tennessee continues to capture my camera eye.

More beautiful homes in peaceful settings along the river.  Can you imagine this in full fall colors?

The O'Neal Bridge into Florence, AL is near the end of the Memorial Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride. The Annual Trail of Tears Motorcycle Ride began in 1994 by Bill Carson to mark one of the trails used during the 1838 removal of Native Americans from their homelands in the Southeast to Oklahoma.

More beautiful limestone outcroppings appear across the river from Florence.

The entrance to the Florence Marina at the foot of the O'Neal Bridge.  We'll stop there Sunday, October 31, 2010.

First sightings of part of the old lock walls that came from the old Wilson Lock.

Florence Marina...looks like a nice stop.

After the O'Neal Bridge, we entered a channel leading to the Wilson Lock.  Barges were being staged for tows making it difficult to know where to pass.

More barges were tied to the old lock wall waiting to be staged.

Some of the old lock wall had been turned into a fishing pier.  By this point I wanted to join the fisherman instead of taking on the 93 foot Wilson Lock!

And right around the corner was the Wilson Lock.  The auxiliary lock is on the left and is a two-chamber lock used when the one chamber lock is being worked on.  I really hoped it was in use today but...

The Wilson Lock was daunting. Its’ lift was 93 feet! It is the 6th highest lift lock in the US only after 5 locks on the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Pacific Northwest. It was once was the highest lift lock in the world! I was really concerned how OB would behave during such a big lift with just Todd and me handling her.

When the doors opened, two PCs (pleasure craft) emerged...they made it.

We were first in the line of 6 boats....looking into the jaws of the unknown.

I looked up the bollard shaft...that's how far we were going up.

My trusty bollard.  You can see my line around it.  The line goes from the boat around the bollard and back to the boat.  I'm holding the line in my hand since we can't 'lock' the line to the boat's cleat.  Should the bollard stick for any reason, I have to be able to get the line off it.  What we would do after that is still unknown to me.  I think I'd probably cry first.

The doors leading to the next lake are ahead of us.  Actually, that's a cement wall dead ahead of us.  The doors are really those grated things at the top.

The doors behind us are closing.  Jerry and Joan are on NII Wishin behind us.

The lock filled as quickly and with as much turbulence as the locks in the Welland Canal. The only difference in this lock was the use of a bollard rather than the lines passed down to us in the Welland. Tying OB to a bollard from the middle cleat really stabilizes the boat. Todd did have to help fend OB off the wall at the bow but had little trouble doing so.

The lock is filling behind us.  The water was so turbulent, NII Wishin had damage to it's bow rail from being pushed into the lock wall.  I thought our finders were going to burst.

The lock is not quite full yet.

Remember looking up the bollard shaft to the top?  This is the top!  I was so glad to get here!

Now the lock is full and the gates are about to open.

Leaving Wilson Lock.

Now we were on Wilson Lake...which is still on the Tennessee River.  More nice houses along the shore line.

And the houses just kept getting bigger.

Next up was the Wheeler Lock, only 15 miles up Wilson Lake. I was less anxious about the next lock. Its lift was only 72 feet. After doing fairly well in the Wilson Lock, Todd and I were ready. And were we ever wrong! The turbulence in the Wheeler Lock was more than we experienced earlier. We were closer to the middle of the lock where the water rapidly floods into the lock. Todd could not keep the bow off the wall. He decided to start the engines and maneuver OB as he did in the Welland, keeping her more centered off the entire wall while I held her at the mid-cleat. OB came out of the lock unscathed.

The Wheeler Lock.  It was more turbulent for us.  We were in the middle where the water floods into the lock.  Todd couldn't keep the bow off the wall.  He started the engines and maneuvered the boat to help keep it off the wall.

We went immediately into Second Creek to anchor for the night. This anchorage was wider and had less current than Little Bear Creek the night before. Jerry, Joan, Todd and I decided we could stay here a week and not get tired of the surroundings. It’s centered in a protected area completely free of population. The only visitor we had was a cow the next morning.

Second Creek...heaven on the water.

It can't get much better than this!

We were surrounded by serene beauty.

NII Wishin and OB rafted together like we did the previous night.  Look at the room we had compared to Little Bear Creek.

Beer thirty after a tough day in two locks.

Great Loop Date: 10.19.2010 (Tuesday)
Day #68: 1658.8 total miles (22.4 miles today)
Locks: 15 total (today: 0)
Port #33 – Riverwalk Marina, Decatur, AL

OB and NII Wishin pulled anchor in the early morning sun. The destination was either Brickyard Marina or Riverwalk Marina in Decatur, AL. The objective was to revisit Simp McGee’s, a good restaurant Todd and I had eaten at in 1992 or there about.

Sunrise in Second Creek.  It was hard not to take pictures here.

Talk about a relaxed setting!  We slept so well here.

Our trip further up the Tennessee was still rural, along wooded banks broken periodically by small creeks and coves with a few fishermen here and there. We passed the Browns Ferry nuclear power plant just before we came to Decatur. It was the biggest nuclear power plant when it started operating in 1974.

The stack on the right stands 660 feet in the air!

Those funny things on top of the stack are lightening disseminaters.  They protect the electronic emissions equipment in the stack.

This power plant was HUGE.

Further up the Tennessee we passed this little island covered with Cormorants.  At one time they were endangered.  Now there are so many of them, they take over islands like this one as their roost.  The excreta is so acidic, it kills all the vegetation where they reside.  That's why these trees have no leaves and the parasitic vines have taken over.

Todd and I checked out Brickyard Marina as we passed by. It was in a somewhat remote area and the docks looked much too small.

Brickyard Marina is the tin roofed dock behind the condos.

Next up was a railroad bridge that had some history in the Civil War. It is on the same spot today as its predecessor which was burned April 27th, 1862 to stop a Confederate advance. Just past it was our next stop, the Riverwalk Marina. It was located in the middle of the river next to the Highway 31 Bridge.

The transient docks were pretty short. We had to stern OB into the dock and could only tie her from mid-cleat and the stern. She sat well even with the rain and wind that came in shortly after we were docked.

The Hard Dock Cafe that is part of the Riverwalk Marina.

The gas dock and channel into Riverwalk are just past the cafe.

One of the many Decatur industrial plants along the river.  All seemed to have barges for transportation of their good.

We called a cab to take us to Simp McGee’s for dinner. It hasn’t changed much in the last 18 or so years and the food is still wonderful. I was disappointed since they no longer have t-shirts displaying Simp McGee and his famous beer drinking pig. My last t-shirt fell apart years ago and I had hoped to replace it. Some things do change with time.

Simp McGee's...Paula Sue, Joan, Jerry and Todd.

Pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries and steamed cabbage and apples...mmm, mmm, good!

Great Loop Date: 10.20.2010 (Wednesday)
Day #69: 1694.6 total miles (28.3 miles today)
Locks: 15 total (today: 0)
Port #34 – Ditto Landing Marina, Huntsville, AL

Up again and going into our fourth day of travel, we all looked forward to our next destination, Ditto Landing Marina in Huntsville, AL. We planned a two day stop that would give us time to shop and explore the NASA Space Center.

We started seeing mountains ahead as we came to Ditto Landing.

The beauty along the Tennessee continued as the limestone bluffs reappeared with their uniquely carved faces worn only by the river itself. The trees are only showing a hint of color along these last stretches. It helps us realize how far south we’ve come on our journey. The leaves have fallen in our home town. Here they are still mostly green and seem pretty well attached to the trees!

Entering Ditto Landing.

It was a pleasure to pull OB into Ditto Landing. This marina has gone through complete renovation in the last year. It is absolutely beautiful and very comfortable. We would have stayed longer but needed to get back to Joe Wheeler for the rendezvous. Many of the Loopers coming back from ventures further up the Tennessee as far as Chattanooga came into Ditto during our two days there.

Teaching Charlie First Mate duties...putting water into the fresh water tanks.

Charlie was more interested in the welcome committee of ducks in the water.

Jerry and Todd rented a truck from Enterprise for our shopping adventure as well as our trip to the NASA Space Center. Todd drove the truck, which was an adventure in and of it. I think he’s been piloting a boat too long! The good news was he didn’t bump into anything…came close, but no contact.

The Space Center and the exhibits have changed so much since our first visit in the early 1980s. We had stopped here with our children during a trip home from my parents in Louisiana. Today the exhibits stretch through three buildings and a huge outdoor ‘Rocket Garden’. It is a must see for anyone traveling near or down I-65 or up the Tennessee River.

The Saturn 5 Rocket welcomes you to the Davidson Center for Space Exploration.  It is 363 tall and impossible to fit in the camera frame.

Todd and I standing under the Saturn 5 rocket.

Inside the Davidson Center is another Saturn 5 broken into stages.  Each stage is explained.  The entire history of rocket development and space exploration is displayed around the entire circumference of this huge bay.

I thought this shot of the two Saturn 5s was amazing.

Casper, the Apollo 16 capsule that traveled to the moon and back.

Paula Sue and Joan...the next astronettes training to go to Mars!

Part of the huge Rocket Garden behind the Davidson Center.

Unfortunately the tours out to Redstone and the Martin-Marietta Plant stopped after 911. We were amazed with that area when we saw it in the late 1990s. Currently tests for the Mars mission are being carried out. Each late afternoon while we were at Ditto, we heard a boom and thought it might be part of the testing, since Redstone was nearby.


Great Loop Date: 10.22.2010 (Friday) through 10.30.2010 (Saturday)
Day #71- 79: 1750.9 total miles (56.3 miles today)
Locks: 15 total (today: 0)
Port #35 – Joe Wheeler State Park Marina, near Rogersville, AL

Again, another fair well…for only a short time. Todd and I had OB underway early morning. It would be a long day going back over the 50 plus miles to Joe Wheeler.

Just in the two days since we’d passed this area along the Tennessee, the colors are continuing to deepen. We even had a little visitor fly alongside us for a quarter mile. At first I thought he was a moth. Since then, I’ve seen a butterfly book and think he was a Gray Hairstreak migrating to Florida.

OB came into Joe Wheeler and was sent to one of the best docks we could have imagined. Todd and I were at Joe Wheeler last year for Fall Rendezvous to help us plan for the trip we are now on. We had decided on two docks where we would prefer to be located. The dockmaster had sent us to the best.

The transient docks in front of Joe Wheeler Lodge...

...and OB got the very first dock!

Loopers doing what Loopers do...visiting on the dock.  Todd, Greg (Amalia), Jerry (NII Wishin) and Paula Sue.

Historic Rogersville, the little town closest to Joe Wheeler.  Todd and I were able to get our hair cut and run some errands here.  A cute little town.

Joe Wheeler Lodge.

This is the biggest Looper Happy Hour we've participated in!  It wasn't part of the Fall Rendezvous...just Loopers doing what Loopers do.

Sunset over another great evening.

We came into Joe Wheeler two days early.  It gave us time to hike the trails around Joe Wheeler State Park.

Wheeler Lake is just beyond those trees and was hard to capture.  Wheeler Lake, like Wilson Lake, is part of the Tennessee River.

Charlie and Paula Sue trying to keep from slipping down the hill.  The trails went over a lot of BIG hills.

Our three days were filled with more information gathering, food, receptions and visiting than anyone could imagine. We saw many of the Loopers we’ve met along the way. Other Loopers remember us from last year and were excited to hear about our adventures to this point. Still yet, there were many Loopers in the same planning stage we were in last year at this time. We so enjoyed talking to them and telling them how we planned, what plans changed and what remained in place.

At the culmination of our rendezvous, the master of ceremonies asked Loopers who would be staying behind to call a reporter from the ABC affiliate in Huntsville. She had heard about Loopers and wanted to know more. So I did.

Thursday morning, Erica Odell from WAAY TV came to OB. Her boyfriend from Muscle Shoals had mentioned the Loopers were in the area and might be a good story for her to report. Thinking back, we wondered if her boyfriend was the young fellow dressed in camo when we anchored in Little Bear Creek. At any rate, it was fun telling her what we had told so many in the planning stage the day before. She took many pictures and Charlie absolutely stole the show. The clip can be viewed at http://clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/19054/1791421?wpid=9715.

Jerry and Joan (NII Wishin) joined us at Joe Wheeler Marina Thursday afternoon, October 28th.  Of course we had to celebrate with:

Dinner at Joe Wheeler Lodge and...

...a night cap of Little Beers.  Even Dr. McSteamy (Mark Sloan) dropped in for one!

We will leave tomorrow morning (Sunday, October 31st).  A few Looper boats left each day from Thursday until Sunday.  It's a ritual each year and keeps the right number of boats going through the Wheeler and Wilson locks.  Yes, we have to go back through those big locks.  Until then

Go Bucks !!!