NOVEMBER 7TH THROUGH NOVEMBER 28TH
GUNTERSVILLE, ALABAMA TO FAIRHOPE, ALABAMA
November 7 th through November 13 th
At port in Guntersville, Alabama
Well—I'm going to do something different for this next week of our trip. Jean and I decided that we needed a vacation from the boat and its responsibilities—including writing for this website. So…we decided to stay put for a week in Guntersville. This area is close to Huntsville, the home of the Space Center which Jean did not get to see while she was sick. So…we knew we would enjoy some free time in this area. We both decided to take a week ‘off' and to do no boating, to take no pictures and to do no website writing!!!!
We spent the entire week doing nothing special, going nowhere special and recording nothing—it was wonderful. We rented a car so that we could get to places—including the Space Center and other attractions. We took drives in the afternoon—exploring small towns which we'll probably never see again. It was fun and these towns are very quaint—everyone is very friendly and welcoming. We relaxed completely and were quite happy to let one day drift into the next. It was particularly enjoyable to be free of ‘musts'. As an added highlight, the weather fully cooperated—it was mild and sunny for most of the days.
We had dinner every night, of course, but decided not to record it in our log.
Tuesday, November 14 th
Guntersville, Alabama to Rogersville, Alabama
Today we were back underway after a week-long stay at the Alred Marina in Guntersville, Alabama. The morning was clear with blue skies and a bit chilly—only 38 degrees—luckily there were no winds. We would have a long run today—almost 80 miles—so we were off the dock at 6:30am. The morning sky and surroundings looked beautiful as we left the marina.
At this point, we're traveling on the Guntersville Lake which is often more than two miles wide. With an area of 67,900 acres and a length of 76 miles, it's the second largest lake in the Tennessee River system. Only the Kentucky Lake is larger. We had only one lock—the Guntersville lock and that was only eight miles away. Along the way, we saw some beautiful scenery—especially high bluffs. They have a majestic quality about them—they're very calming.
Shortly after leaving the marina, we called the lockmaster and were told that we would have a two hour wait while they finished locking through a large barge and tow. About one mile later, we came across a huge patch of very thick fog which we decided NOT to go through. We stayed on upstream side of the fog and waited for about 30 minutes until the fog cleared. We then made our way to the lock where the lockmaster said we could tie up on one of the lock walls and wait for the lock to be clear.
We were the only boat in the lock—which is always a good thing. We got secured pretty quickly and made our way through in no time.
I took a picture of Jean fixing one of the fenders while we were in the Guntersville Lock. She's usually too busy to be out on the deck—so I took advantage of the opportunity. I also took a nice picture of the view as the gates opened—we immediately saw the mountains as well as a small fishing boat—it was such a nice morning.
We were back underway by 9:30am in clear but cold conditions. I did take some pictures along the way. This is the section of the trip where I previously took no pictures because I was not feeling well. The colors of Fall are still amazing—not as brilliant as earlier but still very noticeable and pretty.
In this area of the Tennessee River, there are many bluffs—each quite beautiful.
I also went to the stern of the boat and took a picture from that perspective. It's equally interesting to see what you've passed from the water. The shoreline is also very picturesque. I thought you'd like these pictures.
In only a short amount of time, we saw the Painted Bluff ahead of us—it's really gorgeous. This famous bluff is at the abrupt end of Merrill Mountain which is at the southern end of the Cumberland Plateau. This plateau begins in eastern Kentucky and extends southwest through eastern Tennessee into northern Alabama. The Painted Bluff is more than 350 feet high and one of the highest bluffs on the river. It gets its name from the yellow and brown rock. Since I was fascinated by this bluff, I took several pictures.
Along today's cruise, we saw several bald eagles in flight—they were gorgeous. Then….as we traveled along, we saw two other eagles (Jean verified that they were NOT the same two) sitting in a tree. I took a picture but you can't really see the eagles.
We're back in tow and barge territory and we passed several of them in the course of the day. As we passed Hobbs Island, we passed this tow. I took some pictures—one from the flybridge and several from out on the deck. This captain was very friendly and wished us well on our journey.
This is the I-65 bridge. This highway begins in Chicago and links Indianapolis, Louisville and Nashville to the north with Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile to the south. An average number of 72,000 vehicles cross this bridge daily.
We passed the Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge that extends along the Tennessee River for almost 15 miles. This refuge of 34,500 acres is valuable to both wildlife and recreational interests but is under increasing pressure due to the area's population and industrial growth. Throughout this area, the scenery was beautiful, including many sections of shale.
As we rounded one of the many curves in this river, I took a picture of the view—look for yourself—I hope you can get a feel for the beauty of this area. I also took a picture of the view in a straight section of the river—it felt so serene and the water was so calm.
I continue to love this area and took a lot of pictures which show the beauty of the river. The shoreline is very interesting and changes constantly. It goes from shale, to bluffs, to red clay to trees. The difference in the views actually keeps you mesmerized—it was beautiful.
As we entered the Decatur, Alabama area, we were struck by the industrialization sitting right on the banks of the river. We haven't seen big plants like this on this river for awhile—it seemed strange. Decatur dates from 1820 when land taken from the Cherokee Indians was sold at auction. The town became important during the Civil War because of the Memphis & Charleston Railroad bridge built across the Tennessee River in 1856. This bridge was burned by the Union army on April 27, 1862, to stop a Confederate advance.
We went under two highway bridges which come just before the Memphis & Charleston railroad bridge. We needed to wait for the railroad bridge to be lifted for us. This bridge is in constant use but only has a nine foot clearance at normal height. We called the bridgemaster and he indicated that he had two trains to get through and then he would lift the bridge for us. We waited for about 30 minutes but had some fun watching the trains.
Since I try to be balanced in my ‘writing', I thought I'd throw in this picture of one of the TVA's nuclear power plants. This is the Browns Ferry nuclear plant, and when it began operating in 1974, it was the world's largest nuclear generating plant. The stack, part of the plant's cooling system, is 660 feet high. The tassel-shaped device on the top of the stack serves to offer lightning protection for instruments that monitor stack emissions.
We made it to Joe Wheeler State Park Marina by 3:30pm and were thrilled to see Kelly on the dock waiting to help us!!!! We were settled quickly and glad to be off the river.
Dinner tonight was a special treat---Jean made meatloaf complete with onions, carrots and potatoes. We had no dessert—we were full!!!!
November 15th
At port in Rogersville, Alabama
We were scheduled to leave Joe Wheeler State Park Marina today and continue heading south but—the forecast called for severe thunderstorms and possible tornadoes. So—we stayed put and were happy to stay on the boat. This marina is in a much protected area and we felt very safe. During the early afternoon it POURED and POURED!!!! It was crazy. There were also strong winds which were gusting about the area.
We did some catch-up things around the boat and read.
For dinner, we had leftover meatloaf, vegetables, onions and potatoes. Even re-heated, this meal was excellent. For dessert we had some strawberry low-fat frozen yogurt with fresh strawberries!!!!! Delish.
Thursday, November 16 th
Rogersville, Alabama to Iuka, Mississippi
Today would be a long and cold day—no ifs and buts about it!!!! We were up early with plans to leave the marina at the first sign of daylight. At 6:15am Jean called the Wheeler Lock and we were told to ‘come right down'. So—we were off the dock at 6:25am and underway. The temperature was only 40 degrees and it was windy and raining. We had almost 80 miles to cover including both the Wheeler Lock and the dreaded two-level Wilson Lock.
We were surprised when we got out on the lake at how windy it was and how choppy the lake was—very choppy—whitecaps everywhere. The conditions reminded me of a bad day on the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean Flyer handled this very well—we were just cold. Wheeler Lock was only two miles away and we got there pretty quickly which was a good thing because there was a huge tow and barge just one mile behind us. We would have been waiting for awhile had we not gotten ahead of it. We got called in right away—the lockmaster saw us from his station and opened the gate just for us. We were the only boat in the lock and everything went smoothly. We were through the lock by 7:15am!!!!
The weather conditions continued to be poor and Wilson Lake was no better than Wheeler Lake. There were frequent waves, some of which came right up and over the flybridge. It was very grey as we cruised the next twenty miles to the Wilson Lock. This is the two-level lock that's been under construction for months. Earlier in the summer, a tow hit the lock gate and the lock has been under repairs ever since. We were hoping for an easy locking and it was just that.
The lockmaster told us to come right in and then indicated that we'd need to wait for about ten minutes. In that time, a small TVA tow and barge came along and was put in the lock in front of us. We went in behind them and tied up securely. It was now raining which made being outside even more dreary. I was dressed in many layers, including a sweater, a hooded sweatshirt, my rain jacket and gloves. I wore boots out on the deck and had a hat on and the hood of my sweatshirt over the hat!!! I was still cold—this can't be fun!!!!
We made it through both sections of the lock and were back on the Tennessee River by 9:30am. For the next five hours, we cruised along. The scenery was gorgeous, as usual, but I did NOT go outside to take any pictures. The river continued to be choppy and the waves kept coming over the flybridge—at least the boat was getting a good cleaning.
Near the end of today's journey, we actually passed from the Tennessee River to the Tenn-Tom Waterway which is short for the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. This waterway was officially opened on January 14, 1985 when the towboat Eddie Waxler pushed a string of barges over the new route. When construction began on the Tenn-Tom project in 1972, it would go on to become the largest civil works project ever undertaken by the Army Corps of Engineers, which spent $2 billion to make it happen. The 253-mile-long waterway leaves the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake, at the state lines of Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee and proceeds south on Yellow Creek. There it crosses the Tennessee River divide with a deep cut to Mackey's Creek and follows the east fork of the Tombigbee which flows to Demopolis, Alabama. At this point, it joins the Black Warrior River forming the Warrior-Tombigbee system. The distance from the Tennessee River to Mobile is 470 miles. The project provides a nine-foot navigation channel with widths of 280 feet in the divide cut and 300 feet on the remainder of the route. To overcome a 341-foot difference in the water levels, 10 locks and dams were constructed.
We made it to Aqua Harbor Marina in Iuka, Mississippi by 1:25 after waiting 15 minutes for the marina owner to ‘find' a spot for us. This marina is popular and we got the last available spot on their dock. We got settled quickly and had some lunch with the heat on—and finally got warm.
Dinner was wonderful. Bob and Nan, from Bonas IV are here and we went out to dinner with them at a great local restaurant, Jon's at the Pier. The restaurant owner picked us up and then his son, who manages the restaurant, drove us back. Jean and I had filet mignons with steamed vegetables and we each had a great house salad. It was a wonderful evening.
Friday, November 17 th
At port in Iuka, Mississippi
Today's weather is very cold, dreary and very foggy. It's only in the 40's and the forecast for the next few days is no better. There are several boats trying to leave the marina but it's impossible to see even two feet away. It will surely clear up at some later point in the morning but for now it's very dreary.
Iuka was first settled by Indians who discovered the healing qualities of the spring waters. Later, the area's six medicinal springs were centers for a flourishing resort. After the army of General Ulysses S. Grant camped there, only one spring flowed again.
We've decided to use today to catch up on some errands and some boat things. Jean's going to change the oil and I'm off to the supermarket and some other errands. We also identified a small problem on the flybridge which needs to be repaired. The hydraulic gear shifter for the starboard engine is leaking some fluid and it looks like the seal on the shifter needs to be replaced. This marina has an excellent repair service and is coming by later to look at the problem.
This marina is very popular and there are many boats here—only a few Loopers—but many boats making their way south. There are two nearby locks which are closed for a few days which are backing boats up more than usual. We've been in touch with many of our Looper friends, most of whom are already in the Mobile area.
I got back on the boat by 4pm and we settled in for an early dinner. Dinner tonight was grilled catfish with a side dish of spaghetti (which I got while out doing errands). We had garlic bread also. Dessert was a special treat—two items I bought while in Iuka. We split a piece of pumpkin cheesecake and a piece of apple cranberry pie!!!!! Yum, Yum.
Unfortunately, we learned that we need a certain part for the hydraulic repair and that the part cannot be shipped here until Tuesday. So…we'll stay here until the part is received and installed. We'll probably re-start the trip next Wednesday.
Saturday, November 18 th
At port in Iuka, Mississippi
Today was an easy day. The skies were blue in the morning and the temperature had soared to a balmy fifty degrees!!!! We planned on spending the day on the boat—relaxing, updating the website, paying bills and other chores.
We watched parts of the Michigan/Ohio State football game which was fun and also got caught up on some overdue reading.
For dinner, we went out to a local restaurant with Nan and Bob from Bonas IV. Jean ordered one of her favorites—chicken parmesan with a small salad, vegetables and a side dish of pasta. I ordered another filet mignon—my second in three days. It was the house special and recommended by everyone. I also had a small salad and baked potato. No dessert!!!!!!
Sunday, November 19 th
At port in Iuka, Mississippi
Today was just a day of relaxation and fun. We did NOTHING in particular—nothing special—it was wonderful.
We read, took naps and enjoyed the day!!!!!
For dinner we had grilled fish (catfish from the freezer) with a mixed greens salad.
Monday, November 20th
At port in Iuka, Mississippi
Today, we all, Jean and I and Bob and Nan decided to visit come of the nearby towns—mainly Aberdeen and Columbus. Aberdeen was our first stop and it was a very quaint town. Aberdeen has had a strong impact on the social, political, and economic development of northeast Mississippi since her beginning in 1837. Robert Gordon, Aberdeen's founder, acquired the land from the Chickasaw Indians. He laid out the town, began selling lots, and named the city for his native Aberdeen, Scotland. Aberdeen was originally founded because of its location on the Tombigbee River and its proximity to rich prairie land ideal for cotton farming. The cotton was then transported down the Tombigbee River to Mobile on its way to the cotton mills of the northeast United States. The town has some interesting architecture including its City Hall building.
We walked along Main Street where Nan and I did some window shopping. While shopping I came across this great sign for a CPA's office. I had to take a picture.
There are many historic buildings in Aberdeen and we went by some of them. We went to one of the town's most famous antebellum homes—the Magnolias. This is a magnificent 1850 Greek Revival mansion complete with Doric columns. We were told that this house was open to the public but…no one was there. We loved the house and its grounds. The magnolia trees on the front lawn were spectacular and the gardens were beautifully manicured.
We continued along to Columbus, Mississippi in our rental car. This town is also quaint and has many historic homes. It's also the birthplace of Tennessee Williams. His home now houses the Visitors Center.
Long before Tennessee Williams wrote “ I've always depended on the kindness of strangers” in A Streetcar Named Desire , the town was recognized for its kindness to strangers. During the Civil War, residents tended to over 3,000 wounded soldiers in local homes. Shortly after the War, a group of Columbus women helped to start the nation's healing process by honoring the war dead from both armies with bouquets of fresh flowers. Columbus is now known as the city ‘where flowers healed a nation'.
By early afternoon we were all hungry so we found a great local place for lunch—Café on Main Street. This restaurant was on a lower level of a downtown building and was very unique. You order from six entrees which change every day. Then you order as many ‘sides' as you want and pay by the side. Each person fills out his own personalized menu which also serves as your bill. It worked very well. We all enjoyed our lunches completely.
Jean and Bob wanted to drive to the Columbus Marina while Nan and I stayed downtown and did some shopping. It was fun.
We rejoined as a team and headed out to go on Columbus' ‘driving' tour of historic homes. This town had many historic homes and they're all identified and part of a driving tour. We were not able to go into any of the houses but….they were beautiful. We enjoyed this tour. This first house, which is Franklin Square, was built in 1835 and is one of the earliest brick houses in Columbus. It is still in the Franklin family.
From here we drove to Fort House which was built in 1850. With more than 9,700 square feet and twenty rooms, it was an ideal house for parties and social gatherings. The Fort House is an example of ‘Columbus Eclectic' design, a combination of Greek revival, Gothic Revival and Italianate architecture.
We continued driving and found our way to Highland House which was built in 1902. W.S. Lindamood built his brick home on the site of an earlier home that was burned down by a jealous housekeeper who was in love with him.
Our next stop was Wisteria Place which was built in 1854 by William Cannon who was a Mississippi State legislator, and also had served as acting governor. Later, he served as President of the state Democratic Convention. When he died at the age of 54, Jefferson Davis, U.S. Secretary of the War at the time, said…” I have lost my best friend”.
One of our last stops was to see Whitehall which was built in 1843. This pillared mansion was built near the street, although the property extended over an entire city block; it included gardens, stables and servants quarters. During the Civil War, it served as a hospital for Confederate soldiers.
After our driving tour we went to the Friendship Cemetery. This is also a famous landmark in Mississippi and was truly beautiful. This historic burial ground was founded May 30, 1849 on a five-acre parcel of land owned by the Union Lodge No.35 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The emblem of the Odd Fellows, three interlocking links representing Friendship, Love and Faith, inspired the original design of the cemetery laid out in three links formed by interlocking oval driveways. An early memorial ceremony honoring Civil War soldiers buried in Friendship Cemetery has been credited as the forerunner of the modern Memorial Day.
One of its most famous monuments in the cemetery is the “Angel of Grief”, popularly known as the “Weeping Angel”, which drapes the tombstone of the Rev. Thomas Teasdale. Originally from Massachusetts, the Rev. Teasdale became pastor at the First Baptist Church in Columbus and was so loved by his flock that when he died, the congregation ordered the “Angel of Grief” from Massachusetts, signifying their love for him and the depth of their loss saying, “When he died, even the angels cried”. This sculpture was very captivating.
We got back to the boats very late—around 7pm and were too tired to go out for dinner or to make dinner. Jean and I had popcorn and chips and salsa!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 21 st
At port in Iuka, Mississippi
Today was spent doing ‘things' around the boat. The parts Jean ordered for the flybridge hydraulic shifter were due to arrive and to be installed. This problem would finally be fixed.
I went to the grocery store for some food shopping and also did a few Christmas-related errands. I also managed to ‘do' four loads of laundry!!!!!
Here's a picture of boats lined up at the marina . Bonas IV is the one at the near end.
I was back on the boat by 5pm after an afternoon of errands. I was on a mission to find a mincemeat pie for Thanksgiving but had no luck. For dinner we had chicken Caesar salad with garlic bread. Dessert was low fat frozen yogurt—strawberry—topped with fresh strawberries.
Wednesday, November 22 nd
Iuka, Mississippi to Aberdeen, Mississippi
Today would be a long day—we had a lot of water to cover. We planned on an early departure—6:25am. Fortunately there was only a slight amount of fog. But…it was freezing—only 30 degrees. I had on layer over layer of clothing complete with my hooded sweatshirt and wool hat. We had our gloves on and the portable heater was going on the flybridge. The flybridge windows had frost on them—a first!!!!! We used the portable heater to melt the frost from the windows.
We were underway quickly and it felt good to be back on the water. The day was dreary but the scenery was excellent. Our first stop was the Whitten Lock which has an 85 foot drop!!!!! We were in the lock early and the lockmaster took us right away. I tried to get some pictures to show the drop but….it isn't easy. I did get a picture of Nan standing on the deck of Bonas IV in the lock.
Early in the morning, we cruised into Bay Springs Lake and the Divide Cut. The Divide Cut is the topographic divide (line of hills) between the Tennessee and the Tombigbee river basins separating Bay Springs Lake on the Tenn-Tom from Pickwick Lake on the Tennessee River. Over 150 million cubic yards of earth were removed to form the 39-mile-long Divide Cut—more than that excavated for the Suez Canal. A total of 350 million cubic yards were removed from the entire waterway, or nearly twice that removed for the Panama Canal, making the Tenn-Tom the largest excavation project in history.
We passed our share of tows and barges today—they seemed to be everywhere. It's amazing to me that these tows operate on a 24-hour clock and the captains are on duty for long stretches of days at a time. Here's a couple more that we passed—one early in the day carrying sand of some kind and the other later in the afternoon. It's clear that that load is heavy with huge stones.
As usual, the shoreline is varied and interesting. There are portions lined with rip-rap and some where the erosion is very evident and troubling.
There's also an unusual problem in this area of tree stumps in the river. We haven't seen anything like this since Canada. But…we've been told that the Tenn-Tom is known as ‘ ‘Stump City' and we can understand why it has that name. We were also told to be careful about anchoring in this waterway due to the large number of tree stumps in the water. Just as reference…this section of the waterway was created by the TVA in order to allow for commercial and recreational boating. These locks and dams were built to provide for an organized way to traverse the different elevations in these connecting waterways. In some places, complete towns had to be totally relocated. These tree stumps oftentimes denote where a town once stood. In clearing for the waterway, the central channel was left devoid of trees, but the trees were left uncut outside the main channel.
As we continued along in the day, the sun glistened beautifully on the water. It really is wonderful to be out on these waters, in the sun, cruising along. I wish these pictures could really reflect the beauty of the landscape. Here are two pictures taken at different times in the day.
Ingram Barge Company is one of the largest tow companies on these rivers and we see them everywhere. This barge was carrying a huge load of grain from one of the nearby plants.
Of course, there were more tree stumps in the water. I'm somewhat surprised that in some cases, people have built houses such that their view is of the stumps. What's up with that????
We made it into our second and last lock for the day—Wilkins Lock—without any problems—we're getting spoiled!!!!! As I secured the boat I saw something very funny. As people go through the locks, they often autograph the top of bollard with the name of their boat. They write it in magic marker—you see the names from current years and from years gone by. Well...this bollard had a heart with an arrow through it and it read “Hud and Bet—10/29/06”!!! We assumed that that meant Huddie and Betty Baxter from Cape Cod who are also on the Loop!!!!!
I also looked up from the lock and saw a beautiful view from inside the lock. Once again, the sun was glistening perfectly and reflecting on the water.
Back on the water, we saw more trees in the water—these being more than stumps—trees with full height.
Further along, as we approached Aberdeen, the shoreline changed to have more trees in every size. This usually happens as we get closer to dams and locks.
At this time of day—late afternoon—I love the effect of the sun on the water. Here's another of my bow-view pictures.
This area of the river was now becoming more commercial and we saw a HUGE plant—it looked like a grain processing plant of sorts. At its base were many, many barges—some filled and some waiting to be filled.
We made it into Aberdeen by 4:15pm but both of us needed to take on fuel . Bonas IV went first because the manager of the marina was putting Ocean Flyer on the fuel dock overnight. We waited while Bob re-fueled and then we took our turn. Both boats needed quite a bit of fuel so we weren't settled until after 6pm. It was a long day.
We quickly saw several other Loopers who invited us to stay at Aberdeen for a Thanksgiving Day feast. The owner of the marina had invited all Loopers to spend the holiday at his house—what a generous person!!!!! There were six Loopers at Aberdeen so it was good to see everyone. We indicated that we needed to keep going and that we would be celebrating thanksgiving on Bonas IV with a Thanksgiving feast made by Nan.
Tonight's dinner was excellent. We had a Caesar salad, garlic bread and meat pie. We purchased this meat pie at a farmer's market back in Little Current, Ontario. Meat pies are very popular in Canada and this pie was excellent. For dessert we had a low fat frozen yogurt in Moose Tracks flavor!!! Yum, Yum.
Thursday, November 23 rd
Aberdeen, Mississippi to Carrollton, Alabama
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you!!!!! Today started out very cold—only 30 degrees and chilly. We started the day by buying some freshly made biscuits from the marina. We had been told by the other Loopers that these biscuits were FANTASTIC and they were. We bought a dozen with plans to eat them later today with our Thanksgiving turkey.
We were off the dock at 6:15am and on to our first lock. Jean had called the lockmaster to ask about the conditions at the lock and to ask about the fog. He responded that there was only a slight amount of fog and that we needed to get there ASAP. He had a tow coming in about 45 minutes and wanted to put us through before the tow. We headed out quickly. Bonas IV was right behind us. One of the benefits of leaving early in the morning is the purple skies and calm waters. On this particular morning there was also a fair amount of fog which made for some interesting pictures as we left the marina.
The Aberdeen Lock, a 27 foot drop, was only one mile from the marina and we went right through. It was dreary and cold but—we went through without any problem. There was even a slight slick of ice on the decking of the boat. Immediately after leaving the lock we re-entered some fog banks. We could plow through, but the fog was eerie.
Today we would be traveling about 55 miles—we wanted to be at the marina early so that we could have a nice Thanksgiving meal. In the distance, I saw a beautiful mountain ridge and the views were magnificent.
Today's run was perfect. The sun was brilliant and it warmed up to the mid-seventies by early morning. The waters were calm and the scenery was beautiful. There was still some color in the trees and their reflection in the water was gorgeous.
We passed by many sections of shale in the water as well as some large banks of sand and trees. It was also strange to see how much erosion has taken place along the shoreline.
This section of the river has many twists and turns and we were also waiting to see a tow and barge come around the corner. It was always nice when that didn't happen. The views from the water were gorgeous.
Over the last few days, we've seen very few houses along the water. It's been great shoreline and views, but very few houses. When we did come across this lone house, which was quite nice, I took a picture.
We made it through the second lock, the Stennis Lock, with ease and were in good shape to make it to our destination marina in good time. The Stennis Lock has a 27 foot drop and, when originally built, created 8,900 acres of lake behind it.
We made it to Marina Cove in Carrollton by 12:30pm and quickly got settled in. The afternoon sun was gorgeous and it was now about 74 degrees. Other boaters at the marina were in shorts and t-shirts!!!!!
Our Thanksgiving meal was fabulous. Nan cooked a turkey breast complete with stuffing and gravy. She also made mashed potatoes and both jellied and whole cranberry sauce. Jean made butternut squash and I made a salad—mixed greens, walnuts, cranberries and crumbled blue cheese with a raspberry walnut vinaigrette dressing. We also had homemade biscuits that we had purchased at the Aberdeen Marina—fresh out of the oven at 6am!!!! Dessert was equally fantastic—pumpkin pie with cool-whip topping. It was truly a feast!!!!
Friday, November 24 th
Carrollton, Alabama to Demopolis, Alabama
Today would be another long day on the water. The morning started at a very cold temperature of 33 degrees but was expected to go up into the low seventies. It was actually icy on the dock—very slippery. There was also some fog—just a bit. We were off the dock very early—at 6:25am—with the first morning light. Jean called the lockmaster who told us to ‘come on down'. He was expecting some tow traffic so we quickly undid the lines and shoved off. Bob and Nan were right behind us.
We went through the Bevill Lock easily—and quickly—and we were very lucky. There were both upbound and downbound tows within a mile of the lock. We would have been waiting for hours had we not rushed off the dock. Immediately after leaving the lock we encountered some fog along the water. Surprisingly, there was also a heavy amount of foam in the water. We could not explain the foam but the combination of the fog and foam made for an interesting picture.
The sun is brilliant this morning and we expect to see many fishing boats along the way. We have 93 miles to go today and one more lock. We're closing in on the last of our locks!!!!! After today's run, Jean and I will have only two more locks to go in the entire trip!!!!! This is fantastic. I need to count how many locks we've been through but I know it's at least 125!!!!! Bob took this picture of me at one of the locks.
The scenery along the Tenn-Tom is gorgeous but very different from the Tennessee River. The topography is lower and is definitely varied. Each bend we go around produces a different look. At certain points there are small shale deposits and then we come into areas which are very treed. The reflection of the trees in the water is beautiful.
Farther along, the shoreline is strange— red sand mostly—and pretty ragged. There is quite a bit of debris in the water—due to the number of trees which have fallen into the waterway. There's also so much erosion that one of the few houses we've seen along the way is actually perched at the very top of the shoreline. This house is just one moment away from plunging into the river.
Speaking of strange ‘things' along the shoreline—get a load of this. We saw this telephone booth, standing all by itself in the middle of a field along the river. How fun!!!!!
As usual, I had to take a picture of the view ahead from the perspective of the bow. I love these pictures, and there are so many opportunities for pictures.
We made it to the second lock in good time and are on our way to Demopolis. This lock, the Heflin Lock, has a drop of 36 feet. As expected, the fishing boats are everywhere and, unfortunately, they are very hard to see. The boats themselves are painted in a camouflaged way and the men are all in camouflage gear. Set against the backdrop of the water and the shoreline, it's often difficult to spot these boats. Due to the size of Ocean Flyer 's wake, we really have to slow to idle speed when passing these small boats.
In the afternoon, the temperature warmed up considerably and the sky was a brilliant blue. The views were excellent and the cruising was incredible.
We continue to see tows and their barges, and today was no different. This is a picture taken by Bob, as Ocean Flyer made her way by an oncoming tow.
One of the key sights of this leg of the trip is the White Cliffs of Epes. These beautiful cliffs stretch for about 1/2 mile along the water and look very majestic. They're gorgeous.
Bob, on Bonas IV , got some great pictures of Ocean Flyer as we passed by the White Cliffs.
We're in the Demopolis Yacht Basin by 3pm and get settled quickly. This marina's in a good spot and it's a very popular spot. There are quite a few boats here and more are expected. Given the popularity of the marina, Ocean Flyer is rafted to Bonas IV. The marina is easy to spot due to the large pylons which frame its main dock. This marina is a big fueling stop for the tows, so the outer dock is huge.
Dinner tonight is on board Bonas IV. Bob and Nan live near Philadelphia and love Philadelphia cheese steak sandwiches. Bob made cheese steaks for each of us. They were delicious. We made it an early evening—everyone was very tired. We were back on Ocean Flyer by 8pm and went to bed shortly thereafter.
Saturday, November 25 th
At port in Demopolis, Alabama
In 1817, 350 exiled followers of Napoleon Bonaparte came up the Tombigbee River from Mobile and landed at the white bluffs to settle what was later to become Demopolis. Land had been granted to the French colonists by the U.S. Government upon the condition that grapes and olives be cultivated. This “Vine and Olive Colony” doomed to early failure, was replaced by cotton. Between 1830 and 1860, plantation society flourished and many beautiful plantation mansions were built along the river.
Today we did errands and small things around the boat. Jean, Bob, Nan and I went into town and did some grocery shopping at a local food store. We also drove around to get a feel for the area. It was a casual day and we were able to relax.
For dinner we had grilled catfish with green beans and a Caesar salad. Yum, Yum!!!!
Sunday, November 26 th
At port in Demopolis, Alabama
Today we did things around the boat. The weather was not good for traveling so we decided to stay put in Demopolis for the next few days. I had the opportunity so I took a couple of pictures of the Demopolis Yacht Basin, our marina.
Late in the afternoon, Jean and I and Nan, along with Miriam from Through the Years, went into town to see one of the historic homes. This home is called the Bluff Hall as it sits directly on the River. It was lovely with beautiful rooms and a very pretty setting.
We also went to see Gaineswood, a National Historic Landmark. The Smithsonian Guide to Historic America: The Deep South says that Gaineswood is “one of the three or four most interesting houses in America—remarkable for its lavish Greek Revival interior and for the imposing arrangements of its porticos and other architectural elements”. This Greek Revival mansion evolved during the years 1842-1860 when it was constructed by its owner-architect General Nathan Bryan Whitfield.
After visiting the house, we headed out to do some food shopping—how exciting!!!!
Dinner tonight was chicken with red potatoes, squash and a raspberry walnut vinaigrette salad. We had no dessert.
Monday, November 27 th
Demopolis, Alabama to Silas, Alabama
We got an early start today—off the dock at 6:00am in very cold weather—39 degrees.
There were five boats leaving Demopolis and Ocean Flyer was in the lead. We headed right for the lock which was only two miles away. We're now traveling on the Black Warrior River—an extension of the Tombigbee.
All five boats went through the lock without any trouble and we were on our way by 6:50am. This was the Demopolis Lock which has a 40 foot drop. I managed to get a picture of the dam as we went through the lock. It was a little eerie.
There was some slight fog on the water as we emerged but nothing so difficult as to prevent us from moving along. This also had an eerie feel to it as we slowly edged along the water.
Not long after leaving the lock we passed some beautiful white cliffs. They were very impressive and just seemed to spring from the shoreline. They weren't as high as some of the others, especially the White Cliffs of Epes, but they were very picturesque.
I took my usual pictures as we cruised along—getting pictures of the shoreline in its different shapes and forms. Today there were many sections with quite a bit of sand—both golden and red-colored.
This River has many oxbows—which is a fancy word for twists and turns—like in a hairpin fashion. You need to travel four or five miles in a windy motion constantly making turns—some of which are pretty tight. It's also tight when we encountered some tows—which we did.
One unfortunate thing we saw was significant erosion along the river and houses either perched right on top or actually falling into the river. There weren't many sections with houses—very understandable given the conditions of the shoreline. There were many sections where trees seemed just ready to topple over into the water.
By early afternoon we had made good progress and were pleased with our position. The afternoon sun was brilliant and I love pictures of the sun's reflection on the water.
As we continued along, there were some very pretty small cliffs—nothing spectacular but pretty nonetheless. I had to take a picture.
We made it to the famous Bobby's Fish Camp by early afternoon—1:00pm. This is a ‘must' stop for Loopers. This camp is true to its name and is really for fishermen. It's not really a marina. It's a small dock which offers fuel to boaters. Given its short size, we needed to raft to other boats. We rafted to Bonas IV which was rafted to a 60 foot boat already at the dock. There's no electrical power at the dock but it is a safe place to stop. I managed to get a picture of four boats behind us which were rafted to each other. I also took a picture looking down the river from the side deck of Ocean Flyer. The day was just beautiful.
For dinner, Jean cooked a great pork roast complete with rice and green beans with bacon and onions. It was a delicious meal.
Tuesday, November 28 th
Silas, Alabama to Fairhope, Alabama
Today was a very long and very crazy day. We knew it would be a long day and were hoping for a very early start—in the dark at 5:15am—but Mother Nature had other plans for us. We got up at 4:00am and could see nothing—there was a very thick fog outside such that you couldn't see the boat at the dock in front of you. At about 4:45am we heard a tow announce that he was coming through on his way to the lock and we could barely see him. He passed by us while we were still tied up to the dock. These tow captains run in ANY weather!!!!!! There were six Loopers at the dock—all rafted to each other and we were all headed to the lock. We kept a good vigil regarding the fog but we did not get off the dock until 7:00am with Ocean Flyer in the lead. The fog had cleared to the point that we could see in front of us so off we went. Today was going to be strange.
The next marina—Fairhope—is 135 miles and one lock away, which is why we wanted to leave early but…with the late getaway and the need to go through a lock we doubted that we could get to Fairhope. We had identified two overnight possibilities—one anchorage about 104 miles ahead and a ‘wall' at the Mobile Convention Center in downtown Mobile. Staying at the Convention Center wall would put us in Mobile Bay at mile zero, zero which was 119 miles from Bobby's Fish Camp. We left the dock not knowing exactly where we'd spend the night. It's difficult to anchor out in these waters due to the number of stumps and debris in the water. Other Loopers have gotten their anchors caught in debris and have had problems getting free.
As we left Bobby's there was a beautiful, high sand embankment at the water's edge. I thought it was awesome.
We made it to the Coffeeville Lock in good time and all six boats got secured pretty quickly. This lock has a 34 foot drop and was no problem for us at all. This lock and dam created the Coffeeville Lake that covers 8,800 acres and a length of 97 miles. Jean and I had a major reason to celebrate at this lock—this is our LAST lock of the entire trip!!!!! We haven't taken an exact count but we believe that we've been through about 125 locks!!!!! So…we didn't mind the fog and the cold—it felt good to get through. All six boats were through the lock by 7:40am.
Another milestone…once through this lock we re-entered tidal salt water. We have not been in salt water since entering the Erie Canal in mid-May. This is both a blessing and a curse. The blessing is the smell of salt water—it's so strong and so wonderful. The curse is the need to wash the boat after every outing!!!! Ugh—I had gotten used to the benefits of fresh water!!!!
Shortly after exiting the lock, more fog settled in front of us and made the traveling difficult. Jean slowed the boat down significantly as we inched our way along.
We kept slowing down for either more fog or debris in the water. Bob, behind us on Bonas IV , took this great picture of us just before one of the fog banks.
This waterway has tree stumps along the shoreline and also many miles of eroded soil. It was strange to see the shoreline so demolished in some areas.
Once we came out of the foggy areas, we saw these high, white cliffs in front of us. They seemed out of place relative to the last few miles but they were just beautiful.
Pretty early in the morning we began to see the tow operators. They seemed to be coming at us with more frequency here but…that's probably just a perception.
I also went out on the bow to take this picture—one of my usuals—of us looking ahead as we cruised along. By now the skies were clear with some gorgeous clouds.
We went by an area that went on for some time where the shore was just covered with cut trees. We later came across a paper mill—Boise Cascade—and realized the connection. These cut trees were all in huge piles for a long stretch of land.
We also went by parts of today's cruise where the shore looked beach-like. There was quite a bit of sand—especially in high dune shapes.
Further along in our day we came across one of Alabama's power plants. There were many workers in the area, especially on a barge. They seemed to be installing something but we couldn't get a good look.
This was another day of variation in the terrain but…we were also traveling many, many miles. I really liked the look of the shoreline in this next picture.
After only a couple of patches of bad fog we were in clear skies. This enabled us to travel at good speeds and to make good time in getting down the Black Warrior River. As we rounded a bend, Bob took a picture of us against the shoreline. Earlier, he had taken another great picture showing Ocean Flyer against the skies and clouds.
We were all anxious to get to Mobile Bay—mile zero. Along the way, I took a picture of Bonas IV as Bob and Nan made their way under a bridge.
While cruising today, at mile 45, the Alabama River joins the Tombigbee to become the Mobile River—we're on our way to Mobile. As we cruised I managed to get just one more picture of the sun on the water. I know you must be sick of these pictures but…here's another.
As usual there are many bridges along these waterways. This bridge is called the Dolly Parton Bridge. Can you guess why???
Not everything is pretty along the water and I've done my best to be balanced in the pictures that I take. Here's one that's a bit too commercial for me. This is another Alabama power plant—a coal operation I think.
At about mile 13, pretty close to Mobile we had to get through a very low railroad swing bridge. We were worrying that we'd have to wait for a while because we know that there is heavy train traffic in this area. But…as we came around the corner we realized that the middle section of the bridge had already been swung into the open position and that we could go right through. We called the bridgemaster who confirmed that we should ‘come on down'. He had opened the bridge for an upbound tow but the tow operator wasn't there yet. So…we went right through. To me, this bridge is one of my favorites. It just looked so majestic against the sky. I got a great picture as we got closer. If you look very closely at the second picture you can see the bridgemaster standing outside of his ‘box'. He came outside to say hello and I snapped his picture. Can you see him?????
Well...lady luck was definitely with us today. We made it to Mobile Bay by 3:15pm and as we approached the Cochrane Highway Bridge we could see the Mobile skyline come into view.
As we entered the Bay, there were tows everywhere along with tankers and other commercial ships. Everything seemed so close to us, especially one of the tows.
This shipping channel is very busy and we knew we would have to proceed slowly. This port is the largest in the Alabama State Docks System and handles import, export and domestic cargo. Meanwhile, as we were inching along, we were trying to determine if we had enough daylight to make it across the Bay to Fairhope. We continued along passing many commercial operations and ships.
There were ships of all kinds in the channel including huge tankers and cargo ships.
We also passed by two ships which were in pretty bad shape. We both looked at them and commented on their condition. We then realized that we were passing the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center which focuses on extinguishing ship fires. These boats were the practice boats!!!!!
As we exited the busy section of the channel and made our way to the open bay we saw this huge crane facility which loads and unloads the container ships. This facility was massive and the equipment was incredible. It was particularly impressive set against the late afternoon sky.
We crossed into the main part of Mobile Bay by 3:35 with a decision to continue on to Fairhope. The weather report for tomorrow sounded horrible and we were concerned that we'd be stuck in downtown Mobile for several days. We just kept hoping that we'd get into port in daylight. Crossing the Bay turned out to be the right decision; there were no real winds and the Bay was relatively calm.
We arrived at the Eastern Shore Marina in Fairhope at 4:45pm with about 20 minutes of daylight left. We all celebrated outside in the cockpit of Bonas IV —what a day!!!!!! We traveled 135 miles in one day—with fog and with one lock—we were happy with our progress. We have completed the river portion of the trip and are now back in salt water. And NO MORE LOCKS!!! We sat outside looking out at the bay and were happy to be in port.
We were all exhausted. Jean and I had something light for dinner— a chicken Caesar salad—and then went straight to bed. We had been up since 4:00am and were totally exhausted!!!!! |
