- The Inland Waterways -
the 1st time
June 19 to November 2009
Spirit Dancer is headed up the rivers from Mobile to explore the inland waterways and numerous lakes during hurricane season. We'll get to go places we would not have had the time to see if we were here during the downward passage from Chicago. It gets too cold to quickly after labor day.
The inland waterways (ICW, rivers, etc.) are measured by statute miles. Mile "0" is where Government Street in Mobile Alabama passes under the river as a tunnel at the convention center. Each river, canal and waterway runs it's own numbering system.
Below are links to Google Maps of our location, links to marinas if applicable and links to Kem's blog on the Houston Chronicle. Most recent event on top.
11-16 to18-09
Dog River Marina
Dog River Marina, Mobile, AL: This is a large repair facility with travel lift and a West Marine store on property. Courtesy cars are available and Mike and Ricky on the fuel dock are there to support your every move. Middleton Marine provides mechanical services. They are absolutely dedicated to providing excellence in not only the technical side of their work but also the customer service side. Ray worked diligently to make sure we got the right parts for our generator, Glenn came over to supervise my work and when it didn’t work right and Glenn couldn’t get it done either with the parts we had in hand, whoa, Katie bar the door! Out came the troops from certified masters to managers to Sonny making sure all was well. They stayed late into the evening working on the problem until they got it resolved. Did they charge for all that? You bet they did! They charged for the original part and the one hour estimated labor it should have taken to do the job. Now how’s that for something you don’t see often.
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Excerpt: " Dog River Marina in Mobile at last! We were looking forward to this stop for many reasons. This stop meant the end of our six month “river run” and the beginning of our Florida adventure ... "
11-15-09
Convention Center Dock Mobile
Convention Center Wall, Mobile, AL: This is a great stop when the river is not rushing at you carrying the logs you passed on the way down river. Restaurants, bakeries, shops right downtown. Just call and security will come down to get your boat information. There’s no charge.
"UP AGAINST THE WALL"
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Excerpt: " No, this isn’t about that famous country western song – this is about hangin’ on the wall in Mobile, Alabama. We were pretty exhausted from dodging trees and logs when we finally ma... "
"LCS 2"
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Excerpt: " During our initial cruise UP the Mobile River in June, we passed Austal Boatworks (Australian, high-speed trimaran hulls) and noticed a very unusual navy ship being assembled. At the time, we didn&rs... "
11-14-09
Three Rivers Anchorage SPOT
11-13-09
Bobby's Fish Camp SPOT
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Excerpt: " A Looper cannot be considered a REAL Looper until he/she ties up the boat to the floating dock at Bobby’s Fish Camp on mile 119 of the Tombigbee Waterway in southern Alabama. The mile mark is i... "
11-12-09
Bashi Creek Anchorage SPOT
11/08-11/09
Small well protected anchorage in a park across from the Coast Guard station (CG Cutter Wedge).
Four other boats, water 7.9 at entrance and 12 to 15 feet inside.
With all the rain from IDA, the locks are dumping as much water as they can. So with the current running 8 knots, we'll stay another day - at least.
"GO - NO GO"
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Excerpt: " We awoke this morning to a no wind, no rain situation. What a relief! I guess Ida bored with the mundane river folk and moved on down the road. The word down the blue highway is that the rains have c... "
"GRIDLOCK"
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Excerpt: " Our “SuperMax” anchor is holding, even though the water level is rising fast. Rain is so heavy it is sheeting sidewise and the wind is constantly gusting at 35-40 miles per hour, and at t... "
"HURRICANE HOLE"
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Excerpt: " This is the one blog I had hoped never to write. Having said that, we are safely tucked away in a hurricane hole awaiting the fickle fate of Ida, Cat 1, about to approach landfall on the Gulf Coast, ... "
11/07/09
Wide open anchorage. We stayed here on the way up. Adagio, Stevedore and Spirit Dancer.
Adagio decides to turn around and head north rather than head toward the storm.
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Excerpt: " My last few blogs have been focused on impending bad weather and the challenges that could create for boaters. Let me present the flip side to you – anchoring in a secluded cove or inlet. I now... "
11/05/09
Mile 335.0 We were last here end of June and first week of July.
Received word about IDA and how that might impact our travels south.
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Excerpt: " THE GAME is really to get a whole lot of boats through the 335 miles of the narrow Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway safely to Mobile and points further south. THE PLAYERS are the 300 Looper boats that ha... "
11/04/09
Smithville is an old marina owned and operated by Jessie, Nel and son Scott.
Exposure to north winds and wakes from passing boats
11/03/09
"WISH US LUCK!"
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Excerpt: " The following email was sent to us by a Looper who is two days ahead of us on the same route... "Second Star and Emotion 3 are at anchor in Cochrane Cut below Tom Bevil dam. The Lock at Bevil y... "
11/02/09
Mile 335.0 We were here on the way up, again on our way to Chattanooga and now on our way back down.
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Excerpt: " We departed this morning at first light and enjoyed a long day’s run (our last for a while) on the Tennessee River. Tomorrow we begin our 9 day trek, 450 mile run and 550 foot drop to sea level... "
A true resort park. Great lodge and facilities.
We're here for the Great Loop crusting association's annual fall rendezvous.
"SMASHING SUCCESS!"
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Excerpt: " The Great Loop Rendezvous was a smashing success with over 300 “Loopers” in various stages of completing the 6000 plus (depending on all of your side trips) mile trek. Although a few drov... "
"BOO!"
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Excerpt: " During the months of September and October, The Huntsville Botanical Gardens comes alive with Scarecrows! Although Bob was less than enthusiastic initially, he took me to visit all 200 of them - and ... "
"LEAF PEEPING"
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Excerpt: " Each autumn, thousands of people flock to the East Coast and New England to “leaf peep” at the vibrant colors of the fall foliage. If Alabama, Kentucky or Tennessee is closer to your home... "
"FLORIDA KEYS PARTY"
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Excerpt: " OK – so we’re not in the Keys - yet. However, last night a few very creative Floridians (and Floridian wannabees) threw an impromptu poolside Florida Keys Style Happy Hour for the Loopers... "
"MARES TAILS"
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Excerpt: " There are many “old salt” sayings and many have to do with changing weather conditions. Here is a quick rule of thumb that we have learned to watch for and has to do with “mare&rsqu... "
"FISHING?"
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Excerpt: " We’ve been asked so many times, “Do you fish?” Well, to the dismay of my brother and nephew, the answer is no. Jake and Jed live in Kansas and are avid fishermen. They really would ... "
"WHITETAILS"
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Excerpt: " The Whitetail deer are plentiful in this protected park area. All it takes is an early morning or late evening walk in the wilderness (or nearby golf course) to see a good sized herd of them foraging... "
"LOOPER CRITERIA"
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Excerpt: " OK, so the OFFICIAL criteria for being a Looper is making the trek all around the eastern half of our great country by boat, and “crossing your wake” or circling back to the beginning loc... "
"PARADISE FOR BOATERS"
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Excerpt: " It’s true, this is almost the perfect paradise for boaters – the only things lacking that we can see are sandy beaches, palm trees, tiki bars and 85 degree weather! When we left Alred Mar... "
"SPIKIN TABACEE"
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Excerpt: " You may, or may not, remember our great experience docking at Avery Island, LA, and touring the Tabasco plant there. That’s where we learned that one doesn’t “pick” the pepper... "
Oct 7
SPOT
Mile 357.4 Alred Marina Place to change oil and fuel filters.
Nice courtesy car. No restaurant.
"SEEK SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!"
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Excerpt: " Now I was raised in Kansas – the land of Dorothy and Toto – and growing up I experienced my share of tornado warning sirens and spent many a scary moment at school under my little desk or... "
"BACK IN 'BAMA"
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Excerpt: " It was a beautiful day of cruising and we are now tied up on the transient dock of Alred Marina in Guntersville, AL, for a few days. The photos are from our boat as we prepare for sunset and Happy Ho... "
"BIG DAWG"
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Excerpt: " We were sitting on the deck, feeling pretty good about things in general, when we came to the realization that we can sometimes be the Big Dog in a marina, and sometimes the Big Dog comes right up an... "
Oct 6
SPOT
Mile 382.3 Jackson County Park Marina, Scottsboro, AL
Extraordinarily rustic. A place where old boats are being neglected while some are being rebuilt. Nice people working hard to create a nice environment for boaters and non-boaters alike.
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Excerpt: " Have you heard the term – any port in a storm? Well it’s so very true today. We are expecting torrential rain this evening and tonight so we headed 4 miles off the river into Roseberry Cr... "
SPOT
Mile 431.1 Hales Bar Guild, TN
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Excerpt: " This was definitely a day out of a Harry Potter movie. As soon as we left the Marine Max Chattanooga dock, we were “in the soup.” It wasn’t fog so much as mist and “smoke on t... "
September 28, 2009
"CHOO CHOO"
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Excerpt: " Pardon me boys; is this the Chattanooga Choo Choo? Why yes it is! And it’s stationed at one of the most unique Holiday Inn Hotels you will ever experience. The actual Choo Choo, of Glen Miller ... "
"SOLITUDE IS OVERRATED"
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Excerpt: " Solitude, junk food and chick flicks are much overrated! As soon as I posted my last blog about being alone, my new neighbors came pouring in and filled up the dock. Many of the new boats are from th... "
"SOMETHING I SAID?"
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Excerpt: " Seldom do we find ourselves the only boat on the dock, especially a great marina dock like this one, a block from all Chattanooga activities and events. Our Looper friends Dick and Linda, on Pul-Toy,... "
"RIVER GALLERY"
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Excerpt: " On the bluffs overlooking the Tennessee River is the Chattanooga Bluff View Art District. It is an easy walk from our boat dock and has boutique hotels, world class restaurants and the very cool Rive... "
"RIVERS AND OCEANS"
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Excerpt: " Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium is rated as one of the top 3 in the country – and we can support that rating. It’s definitely a “not to miss” while visiting here &ndash... "
"CHATTANOOGA"
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Excerpt: " It’s interesting to note that we started our adventure 4 months ago, and this is only the 5 th major city on our route. First Galveston, next New Orleans, then Mobile, next all the way up to Na... "
"BOILING AND ROILING"
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Excerpt: " There has been so much rain in the Tennessee Valley recently that the river is running high and fast – and full of deadheads. This is one of only two rivers in the US that runs NORTH, so as we ... "
September 27, 2009
Mile 431.1 Hales Bar
Guild, TN
September 26, 2009
Mile 378.2 Goose Pond
Scottsboro, AL
September 25, 2009
SPOT
Mile 334 Ditto Landing
Huntsville, AL
September 24, 2009
Mile 287 Bay HIll Marina, Athens, AL
September 23, 2009
Mile 256.2. Florence Harbor
Florence, AL
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Excerpt: " Most of the Tennessee Valley has been inundated with rain recently and the rivers are running high and fast. The Tennessee River is one of only two rivers in the US that runs NORTH. We are going DOWN... "
September 22, 2009
Mile 215 TN River (Mile 450 Tenn-Tom)
Grand Harbor, Counce, TN
"TENNESSEE SPRING WATER - XXX"
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Excerpt: " What a great welcome awaiting us at Grand Harbor – Bud and Lynn were there and eager to get aboard and start the adventure. Since the weather was REALLY looking bad, we grabbed a quick dinner a... "
"RAIN DAY"
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Excerpt: " Usually, a heavy rain forecast provides a “lay day” for cruisers. One that enables us to do boat maintenance, wash laundry, catch up on emails, complete business projects, or (my personal... "
September 21, 2009
Mile 158.5 TN River. City of Clifton rebuilt the marina and just re-opened it.
Clifton Marina TN
Our second time here.
"CLIFTON"
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Excerpt: " It was great to get back to our friends at the Clifton Marina. What this little marina lacks in size, it makes up for in personality. We were so glad to see our friends from our first stay here back ... "
September 20, 2009
Mile 115.5 TN River
Waverly, TN
"LANDING IN CUBA"
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Excerpt: " We thought we’d never see the day when we would be able to visit Cuba – but now we can check that off our bucket list! Not only did we Land in Cuba – Cuba Landing – Bob enjoye... "
September 19, 2009
Mile 73 TN River.
Dover, TN
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Excerpt: " Many notables in Leatherwood – first was docking. They were kind enough to give us a covered slip since the weather was so stormy. We backed halfway in and could not go further! The slips were ... "
August 11 to September 8, 2009
Mile 31.6 Green Turtle Bay on the Cumberland River (Lake Barkley - land between the lakes).
"IT'S OFFICIAL!"
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Excerpt: " After a setback of 6 months of boat restoration and almost 4 months of cruising, we have officially started the Great Loop adventure on September 19, 2009. It’s true, we have already had more b... "
"ONE NIGHT STANDS"
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Excerpt: " We’ve been in one place WAY too long and although we will miss our friends at Green Turtle Bay, we are looking forward to making new acquaintances moving on down the Tennessee River. The fall f... "
"CELEBRATE YOUR HERITAGE"
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Excerpt: " I feel comfortable in Kentucky and it most likely relates to Bertie (previous blog) and her adoring husband Emory. They were my great aunt and uncle on my mother’s side of the family. Bertie an... "
"CLOCKS AND ALARMS"
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Excerpt: " Clocks and alarms – who needs ‘em? Well, I, for one, have always needed them. I have needed them to successfully meet deadlines, to be punctual, to set goals and attain them, and to know ... "
"TRAGIC ACCIDENT"
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Excerpt: " We witnessed a terrible tragedy this morning. A 25 foot gasoline powered pleasure boat exploded and caught fire as it was leaving the fuel dock. There was one couple onboard when it happened. At ever... "
"AGING YOUNG"
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Excerpt: " As you might imagine, in the past week I’ve had to be less active than usual, and that always makes one feel older and more decrepit. So, here is my Kemism on aging. I firmly believe that one s... "
"DRIVING MISS KEMBA"
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Excerpt: " A week ago, I took a very scary tumble off our swim platform and into the water in our dock. Although I struggled like a mad woman to get out and onto the dock, I was in that “green turtle&rdqu... "
"AMBASSADORS"
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Excerpt: " Lakewood Yacht Club (LYC) participates in the Yachting Clubs of America program of reciprocity with almost 800 yacht clubs across America. This lets us visit and use their amenities and enjoy t... "
"SCI-FI? NOT!"
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Excerpt: " What I am about to share with you sounds very science fiction, but I assure you it is not – it’s very real and the Great Lakes ecosystem is in eminent danger. It all started in the 1970&r... "
"MEET TOM"
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Excerpt: " OK – it’s true confession time. I know I’m not old enough, but I have been reading the AARP journal. First place, it seems as though it’s the only magazine that gets forwarded... "
"VERY SCARY"
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Excerpt: " There are scrapes and bruises that everyone gets if they spend any time at all on a boat – we refer to them as “boat bites.” And then there are out and out accidents that can cause ... "
"DOWNTIME"
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Excerpt: " Downtime – what an illusion! For those of you following this blog, and thinking, ah, the good life – just lounging around on the boat deck all day long - I have a rude awaking for you. It... "
"DEADHEADS"
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Excerpt: " For all of you 70’s Jerry Garcia - Grateful Dead followers, this is not a time warp trip back to rock legends. Sorry. Dead heads are a very real challenge on the rivers. When the spring ..."
"WILD THINGS"
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Excerpt: " Bob is back from his trek to The Woodlands with a side trip to New Orleans and both girls (SD and Kem) are happy again! It’s a beautiful day and we are off in the marina’s courtesy van to... "
"12 STEP PROGRAM"
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Excerpt: " It isn’t what you think – although docktails at sunset has become one of my favorite activities! This is about physical activity on a boat – or lack of it… Being onboard a mo... "
"ROOTS"
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Excerpt: " The waterline along a river is marked by trees – hanging on by their bare roots. This includes all species and varieties. Whether oak, sumac, maple or pine, none of them are exempt from being c... "
"KUDZU"
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Excerpt: " Kudzu is actually “the plant that’s eatin’ Tennessee. You see it growing all over the countryside and riverbanks. It’s a vine with large hairy, bright green leaves and is know... "
"BOATER MAGNETS"
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Excerpt: " As puppies can sometimes be considered “chick” magnets for guys, burgees are certainly ‘boater” magnets for boats. Burgees are triangular flags designating a yacht club or oth... "
"COMIN' AND GOIN'"
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Excerpt: " It has seemed strange to us that we have been out on this great adventure for almost 3 months and we have encountered very few boats and boaters doing the same thing. We have gone entire days on the ... "
"TOW THAT BARGE"
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Excerpt: " A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats. That is the
"GREEN TURTLES - REVISITED"
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Excerpt: " Yes, it’s true. After having toured the Cumberland River as far as Nashville, we wound our way back down river to this great harbor and marina, Green Turtle Bay. This marina has everything we n... "
"SCENIC ROUTE"
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Excerpt: " When my brother and I were grade school age, we lived in Topeka, Kansas. Almost every Sunday I can remember of those years, our Mom and Dad would load us into the car with a picnic basket and we woul... "
August 7 - 10, 2009
Lake Barkley State Resort Park SPOT
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Excerpt: " As I have mentioned before, the state parks and marinas in Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky are beyond belief. These stopovers provide all the amenities of most private yacht clubs at a fraction of th... "
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Excerpt: " As we pull away from the Nashville dock, we head down the river this time. The current is swift – possibly 2-3 knots – and unlike fighting it all the way up river, going WITH the current ... "
Mile 190.5 Nashville Riverfront Dockage. Right across the river from the Titans LP Field. And more importantly, it's at the end of Broadway downtown where the honky-tonks and interesting stores are located.
"CARPE DIEM"
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Excerpt: " Although we were planning on leaving Nashville early Tuesday morning, August 4, we found out about a great benefit concert featuring Alison Krauss and a host of other country blue grass performers. I... "
"ASPIRE"
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Excerpt: " The architecture in and around Nashville is truly brilliant – and very pointy. As we cruised into Nashville, the first dramatic landmark was the white spire atop the Baptist World Center, next ... "
"OLD FRIENDS AND NEW"
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Excerpt: " One of the great things about this trek is meeting new friends and making new acquaintances. But even better, is pulling into a marina or city and visiting with friends you haven’t seen in many... "
"LEGENDS"
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Excerpt: " Did you know – Conway Twitty’s real name was Harold Jenkins? Shortly after moving to Nashville in 1965, Kris Kristofferson worked as a janitor at Columbia studios while bob Dylan w... "
"HONKY TONKIN'"
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Excerpt: " The first thing you have to get straight when you arrive in Nashville – the difference between a honky-tonk and a country music club. Don’t EVER order wine or a fancy drink in a honky-ton... "
"SHOWBOAT"
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Excerpt: " Guess what was here to greet us when we docked in Nashville - none other than the world’s grandest showboat – the General Jackson. This awesome paddlewheel boat was named after the first ... "
Clarksville, TN SPOT
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Excerpt: " Definition: a very strong or irresistible impulse to travel. We woke up this morning and came down with a bad case of wanderlust - so we filled the water tank, pumped out “the other tank... "
Mile 31.6 Green Turtle Bay on the Cumberland River (Lake Barkley - land between the lakes). Tennessee River mile 23. Take the 1.5 mile cut between Tennessee River and the Cumberland River, then north about half a mile to Green Turtle Bay.
10 days here. Kem flies to The Woodlands for Township meeting. Head toward Nashville on July 27. Looks like a three day trip.
"HIDDEN GEMS"
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Excerpt: " You often find things were you least expect them. We’ve caught sight of nesting eagles when we were really searching for the next mile marker. We were excited to see the three red wolf cubs on ... "
"THE WHOLE IS GREATER"
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Excerpt: " … THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS So what makes a community not just good, but great? Is it the explorer who first saw merit in the location? Is it the visionary who believed in that location and sh... "
"RIVERWAY BOYS"
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Excerpt: " For those of you who have been following the illustrious career of The Woodland’s very own rock / country / blues / funk / alternative band, The Waterway Boys, we know that you have been disapp... "
"PATTI'S SETTLEMENT"
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Excerpt: " Listen up all you cruisers and loopers. We did it – and we survived! Since we started this trek, anyone who has visited the Land Between the Lakes has strongly suggested that we not miss Patti&... "
"GREEN TURTLES?"
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Excerpt: " We are currently in the most awesome marina – Green Turtle Bay, and we will be here for 10 days. Bob has a major project to complete – YES, we ARE cruising AND working. Not only is the ma... "
"ALLAGAROO"
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Excerpt: " OK – how many of you remember all the words to your High Schools cheer? Remember details of your senior trip? Memories of those (oh, I wish I had thought THAT over before I did it) long ago exp... "
Mile 66.1 Paris Landing State Park Marina/Resort Buchanan, TN
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Excerpt: " We left Paris Landing State Park (Tennessee) eagerly moving forward to a new state, Kentucky. As we moved steadily forward up the Tennessee River toward the Land between the Lakes – that would ... "
Mile 96 Johnsonville, TN
Mile 158.5 City of Clifton rebuilt the marina and just re-opened it.
Below is Tenn-Tom above is Tennessee River. At Mile 450 on the Tenn-Tom intersects the Tennessee River at Tennessee River Mile 215. We've taken the Tennessee to about where it intersects with the Ohio River. Before the Kentucky Dam is the Barkley Canal which is a cut across the "Land Between the Lakes." This takes us into the bottom of the Cumberland River just above the Barkley Dam (where it too intersects with the Ohio River).
Mile 450 Tenn-Tom Waterway or Mile 215 Tennessee River, Counce, TN
We enter the Tennessee River here. Pickwick Lake. Mile marker numbers change.
"A BIRD IN THE HAND - ALMOST"
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Excerpt: " While I do not profess to be a professional “birder,” since starting on this adventure, I have been more aware of the multitude of types of birds that swoop by our boat and fly loftily al... "
"ACOUSTIC SHADOW"
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Excerpt: " This is where it gets confusing – our boat is docked in a great slip at the Grand Harbor Marina in Iuka, Mississippi, but we walk up the walkway to the land office and we are in Counce, Tennessee... "
"THE SPIRITS OF SHILOH"
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Excerpt: " On Sunday morning, April 6, 1862, roughly 100,000 troops clashed in the fields and woods near Pittsburgh Landing in the first major battle in the American civil War’s western theater in what ha...
"THE BIG KAHUNA"
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Excerpt: " Per Wikipedia, many myths have grown up around the term “kahuna.” One is that kahuna were outlawed after the white man came to Hawaii. For the purpose of this blog, it is useful to divide... "
Mile 394 Midway Marina, Fulton, MS
WALL-E"
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Excerpt: " This was the blog I was hoping NOT to have to write… but when I started this adventure, I vowed to document, the good, the bad AND the ugly. Well folks, here is bad and ugly in one blog. ... "
"GEOGRAPHICALLY CHALLENGED"
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Excerpt: " OK – we are on the move again – destination, Midway Marina, Fulton, Mississippi. I know that most places in the country are plagued by the heat and drought. We departed on th... "
Mile 335.0 We'll be here until Monday July 6. We've got the Blues Festival coming up, along with fireworks at the dam. More to come...
"AN ALL AMERICAN DAY"
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Excerpt: " All four scouts headed out early today and went all the way to West Point, MS, to visit the home of Blues legend Howlin’ Wolf. Finding the museum closed for the holiday, we were only able to pe... "
"FORWARD MOTION STOPPED"
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Excerpt: " What stops a boater’s forward motion – aside from running aground? A great marina is the answer, and Columbus Marina is one of the best. From the award winning customer service team, head... "
"YOU'VE GOT MAIL!"
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Excerpt: " WOW – packages of mail and boxes too. When you are able to pick up your mail every day out of your mailbox, the novelty wears off. Not so when you go 10 days to two weeks between deliveries..."
"MOTION OF THE OCEAN"
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Excerpt: " There has been much written about the motion of the ocean, or in our case, the “rhythm of the river.” Now that we officially have one full month of living on a floating home under our bel... "
Mile 338.8 Waverly Marina - Tiki Bar and band here we come. Finding this marina is a simple as reading Quimby's directions and not doubting every turn with, "this can't be right... no marina back here." The channel is 60 feet wide but we spin Spirit Dancer around on the dime and back to the side tie and settle in for a couple days of fun. Cliff has big fans everywhere to keep the patrons cool.
"PICTURE WORTH 1000 WORDS"
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Excerpt: " We are indeed happy campers – finally found our Tiki Bar. Waverly Marina is hidden away in a small inlet just across the Alabama / Mississippi boarder. Owned and managed by Cliff (and hi...
"BY THE POWERS!"
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Excerpt: " Ahoy me hearty landlubbers – We be thar at Pirates Marina Cove, and a fine lagoon it is to be sure. Shiver me timbers and call me a son of a biscuit eater, but we fought long and hard th... "
Mile 307.4 Docked at Noon. Ed, Joey and Starr are wonderful people. Our challenge is no cell phone service here. Our business requires we be connected. Using Skype.
"FLORA, FAUNA AND FOWLA"
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Excerpt: " OK – Let’s do the Flora part first. We have cruised over 700 miles since casting off on May 28, and we have traversed the entire length of Alabama South to North and will hit the M... "
"FAUNA AND FOWLA"
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Excerpt: " Not only have we seen great changes in the terrain, the birds have changed as well – we started out on the Gulf with gulls and pelicans and are now entertained by osprey, eagles, red-tailed haw... "
"GOURMET MREs"
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Excerpt: " Another day away from civilization calls for another party on the boat! Tonight we are hosting an MRE party, or as we like to refer to it as: How to have fun, eatin’ on the run. Our good friend... "
Mile 216.2 Lockmaster called DYB to let them know we were in the lock. Steve (former Coastie was exceptionally informative).
Great folks and restaurant at DYB.
"YOU CAN RUN"
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Excerpt: " As the old saying goes – you can run, but you cannot hide. You never know when Texas and Texans will turn up! We saw Miss Nelda right outside of Mobile. She was getting a make-over... "
"LOCK TERROR - GET OVER IT"
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Excerpt: " Well, I can tell you it’s not my very favorite part of the cruise, but it’s necessary and I now have 4 – BIG – locks under my belt. They have all been very different experience... "
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Excerpt: " Having had no contact with the outside world for over 24 hours – up the bayou without cell phone coverage or internet connectivity – the Captain and Admiral decided to throw a party!"
"OLE MISS"
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Excerpt: " Although we didn’t actually “touch land” as we cruised through Mississippi, I don’t want to short change the state. We will be visiting Mississippi again in the next week when... "
"Ooooops!"
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Excerpt: " So here’s the deal – when we were focused on traveling the Great Loop, we made sure that we had every navigation aid known to man, and then some. Our friend, John Poe, who completed the l... "