Florence Marina and The Rendezvous

As we traveled on the Tennessee River, we came to Florence, AL.  We had no intentions of doing more than restocking of supplies, but this little city is one of my favorite stops along the way.  A young lady had inherited this marina from her father.  She worked hard with her girlfriends to keep the place running and was doing a good job.  They got a new washer and dryer while we were there, although the dock did need some repair.  The restaurant was very nice with tables overlooking the marina.  Our slip was right beside the ramp to shore, so walking Sadie in the park right beside the marina was nice.  The courtesy car was interesting.  The bearings were missing in one wheel, the windows didn't roll down, it didn't always back up, and there was soda pop spilled everywhere.  However, free is good.  We only had to fill up with gas when we brought it back.  We heard that the week after we left, the wheel fell off the van.  Oops!  

While in Florence, we visited the Frank Lloyd Wright designed home.  It was beautiful and quite unique as all his homes are.  The complimentary wood work, brick work and floor to ceiling windows with beautiful garden views from each room were all awe inspiring. 

                                                   FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT HOME

Dining Room

Den

Boys Bedroom with Four Bunks, Built in Drawers
and Bench Seats
 

Living Room

In addition we spent some time at the Helen Keller Home.  It was interesting to hear her story which I can remember reading about years ago and see where she lived as a child and later with her teacher in the cottage next to the home.  It was interesting to see the history of slaves quarters in a building with the kitchen separate from the home.  The room for the cook was actually a nice room, but I'm sure heat in the summer kitchens were overpowering.  We were there in October and it was quite warm then.

 

Marv at the Helen Keller Home

The Cottage Where Helen Lived with her Tutor

 

 The Alabama Music Hall of Fame was very interesting.  However, we were running out of time with the courtesy car, so we had to cut this tour short.  I think Marv could have lost himself in this museum for an entire day. 

The next day we departed for the rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in Northern Alabama.  It was fun to arrive early and anticipate the new arrivals each day.  We spent the day traveling with Jim and Moe on Gemini.  Their home port is not far from where we live in Michigan, and for years we drove by Moe's place of work almost daily.  They are delightful companions.

Arriving early at the rendezvous and watching as the other loopers arrived was fun.  Loopers are fun people.  As I've said before if you want a happy hour party, you sit your chair on the dock with something to drink and a snack, and before you know it, there will be two to twenty more people with drinks, chairs and snacks ready to share the travel stories of the day.  We all help each other with mechanics, food, pets, tie ups, departures and what ever arises.  The rendezvous was so much fun.  We had three straight days of classes, wonderful meals, and incredible fellowship.  Our brains are on overload.  Most of the classes involved sections of the travel we had ahead of us.  We will attend another in Norfolk in the spring.

One day while at the rendezvous, the city sent a school bus to take us to shop and dine.  Marv and I went to lunch in a place that had overly slow service.  Several of our friends left without eating, because they had to get to a concert which Marv and I opted not to attend.  Across the table from us was a couple from Louisiana who had closed on their boat purchase that day, and they came to the rendezvous to learn about looping.  Marv and I suddenly realized that we had missed the last bus back to the marina, so Roger said to not worry; he had us covered.  He went to get his car while Marv and his wife paid for the meals.  We all climbed into the car and off to the concert he drove.  When he and his wife got out of the car, he handed Marv his keys, and told him to just park at the hotel by the marina.  Now this wasn't just a car.  It was a brand new, gold BMW convertible, and they barely knew our names.  Trust me, we drove very carefully back to the marina.  Then we were challenged in trying to figure out how to remove the key from the ignition.  Everyone in the boating world is so nice, but this was over the top.  The next day Roger said he wasn't worried; he knew our boat and our dog.  Poor Sadie; held at ransom once again.

The rendezvous was wonderful and so much fun, but we are tired and ready to move on.  Tomorrow is an early rise--5:30 am.  With 80 boats at the rendezvous, we are leaving in shifts in order to ease traffic on the locks.  Our group will leave port at 7:30 with 14 boats in our lock group.

14 Boats in a Huge and Deep Lock on the Tennessee River

As we headed back towards Florence, we had two locks to pass through.  All the organization the night before was to no avail as we had a few in the group who traveled fast, and had to be ahead of everyone else.  However, when the got to the second lock, they had to sit and wait for the rest of us.  Pretty funny.  Those lock masters know how many boats are coming each time.  It is always fun to raft off of another boat in the locks.  This gives us a chance to meat new people and share adventures as we wait.  We also had people standing on the lock waving at us as we traveled through.  It is difficult to visit with them due to the noise of boat motors all idling while the lock water levels change.  Marv and I learned early on, that when we talk to each other in the locks, we need to use our names.  For example, when I have released and pulled in all lines I yell, "Marv, all clear."  Without using names you hear as many as 14 line throwers yelling to the captain of the boat that all lines are clear.  When the boats are close together, it is difficult to know who is yelling at who.  For us the names help save the day, as Marv then knows I am talking to him, and our boat is ready to drive on.

We went back to Florence where we once again had a stranger offer us the use of his truck.  I'm so surprised by this offering.  We just never cease to be amazed by the kindness of people.  We chose not to hook up to water this time, as our water line was hanging in the water and had some growths attached.  Purified tank water is just fine.  Rather than taking advantage of someone, we used the infamous courtesy car again.

Our next stop is Aqua Marine on the Tenn-Thom River where we will reunite with our friends, Panda Bear, and continue our journey south.  As we pulled in, there were no dock hands to catch lines, but there was the man from Florence who offered us his truck.  He and his friends came and grabbed our lines.  It's always nice to see smiling faces and friends, new and old.

Grand Harbor to Aqua Marine

Monument at Shiloh Battlefield

     Grand Harbor is a very nice upscale resort and marina. For us it was somewhat remote with little to do near the marina. It was not dog friendly so it meant long walks outside the resort for Sadie to get her exercise. We were however about a half hours drive from the Shiloh Civil War battlefield. The marina like most had courtesy vehicles, in fact they had two newer vans which unlike those at most marinas, they were safe. We shared a van with Chuck and Vicki of Patriot and spent part of one day at the battlefield. Since we only had the van for half the day we did not get to see it all and would love to return someday. Like all civil war battlefields, every company and militia have a monument to the men from their unit, who gave their lives in the battle. Above is an example of one such monument..

Old Methodist Church at Shiloh Battlefield

Inside of Methodist Church

     Grand Harbor Marina sits at the beginning of the Tennessee Tombigbee waterway. We would normally go south from here. We are however going to participate in the Americas Great Loop Cruisers Associations (AGLCA) Fall Rendezvous. This is being held at Joe Wheeler State Resort Park. Joe Wheeler is located 62 miles up the Tennessee River. Therefore we are making a detour to attend this event.

Pickwick Lake

     The Rendezvous begins October 13th, so we have some time to kill.It is only the 4th and we have seen all we can at Grand Harbor so we decided to move on the Florence, Alabama. On the morning of October 5th, we set out to cruise the length of Pickwick Lake to Florence.
     At a MTOA (Marine Trawler Owners Association) picnic last winter in Punta Gorda, Florida, we talked with a couple who had completed the loop a few years earlier, they commented that the places you will enjoy the most are those you did not intend to visit. Florence, Alabama is one of those places. Florence is a very typical southern city with all of the charm and hospitality you would expect. The visitors center which is a short walk from the Marina is a very interesting museum unto itself. The Florence metro area includes Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals as well as Florence. We spent 3 days in Florence and could have stayed much longer. Tuscumbia was the location of "Ivy Green" the childhood home of Helen Keller which we visited.



Helen  Keller Childhood Home in Tuscumbia, AL

 Anyone knowledgeable of the music world knows that Muscle Shoals was the recording capitol of the world during the days of vinyl records. Recording artists of every genre came to Muscle Shoals, Alabama to record their records. We visited the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. I never imagined that so many artists were either from Alabama or lived there at some point in time.

Rosenbaum House Florence Alabama

living room of the Rosenbaum House

       While in Florence we visited the Rosenbaum house, which is the only Frank Lloyd Wright designed home in Alabama. This house is of Usonian design with lots of Plywood utilized, even the furniture with the 3 legged chairs, made of plywood, reminded me of my childhood.
      On the morning of October the 10th we set out for Joe Wheeler Resort. It is only 26 Miles but with 2 locks it would take most of the day. The first lock is Wilson Lock, at 97 feet is the highest single lock east of the rocky mountains. The only higher locks are on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. It takes awhile to either fill or drain this lock, so if there is a tow in the lock the turn around time is about 1 1/2 hours or 3 hours if you have to wait for 2.

Approaching the Wilson Lock

From inside Wilson Lock as Doors Close

Above the Wilson Dam is Wilson Lake, it is only about a 2 hour run to Wheeler Lock and Dam. This lock nearly as high as Wilson. While we were waiting for a tow to be locked through we tied up on a wall near the discharge for the water when draining the lock. It was amazing the amount of water and it sounded like Niagara Falls.

Water discharge from Wheeler Lock

     After clearing Wheeler lock it was only about a 2 mile run to Joe Wheeler State Resort Park. We arrived there 3 days early which allowed for us to get caught up with laundry, cleaning of the boat and maintenance issues, as we knew once the rendezvous started we would be busy dawn till dark.
     We thoroughly enjoyed the Rendezvous. There were all sorts of seminars on lots of subjects. There were seminars with information on all of the different legs of the trip from this Rendezvous till the Spring Rendezvous in Norfolk, Virginia. Many of those attending were either in the planning stages or some just considering doing the loop, so there were seminars on picking out the right boat and how to go about buying a boat, what to take with you on the boat, etc. There were some fun events such as Dingy and Kayak Races and other fun competitions.  With 80 couples attending who arrived by boat the Marina was full. Many people had their boats open for viewing on two different afternoons. We had some awesome meals as well. The time spent with the other loopers was great. We shared our experiences with others as they shared theirs with us. I can't wait until May for the next one.
     The day after the Rendezvous was interesting to say the least. Luckily not all were leaving at the same time or going the same direction. As it turned out there were 14 boats in the first wave heading down river. With only 8 floating bollards in the lock that meant that 6 of us would have to raft off of other boats.


Our Flotilla headed for Joe Wheeler Lock

Sadie Too rafted off of Jobsite in Wheeler Lock

 

Inside Wheeler Lock

     As we were leaving Wheeler Lock we came across the only freighter that we saw on the entire river system.


Freighter below Wheeler Lock

    After leaving Wheeler Lock it was total chaos to cover the 15 miles to Wilson Lock before the tow that we had to wait for at Wheeler Lock.  The lockmaster would not lock us through ahead of the tow unless all 14 boats were there so we all had to make it.

Inside Wilson Lock

After clearing Wilson Lock we traveled just 1 mile down to Florence Marina. Since we had already spent several days here earlier, we only spent one night. The next morning we left traveling with "Elizabear" to Aqua Marine Marina. Aqua Marine is located near Grand Harbor Marina at the beginning of the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway or Tenn-Tom which it is what most people call it.
     While traveling on the Tennessee River/Pickwick Lake we came across a deer swimming across the river. At this point the river is approximately 2 miles wide.

Deer crossing the Tennessee River

Late in the day we arrived at Aqua Marine and reconnected with "Panda Bear" one of the boats we had traveled with earlier in the trip.

September End at Green Turtle Bay and Kentucky Lake

On September 20, 2015 after going back up the Mississippi River to help our friends who were stuck on a sand bar, we were late as we entered the Cumberland River and headed to Green Turtle Bay on Barclay Lake.  Once again I am always watching and waving at the tug boat crews.  It was almost dark as we headed to the Cumberland turnoff, so we explained our intentions to the tug we were following, and he actually moved over in the river and shined his lights so we could run beside him and see where we were going.  As we passed, the pilot came out on the bridge and waved back and bowed in thanks as we were making our final pass and turn.  They really appreciate communication and courtesy which I'm sure they don't always see, and I'm always delighted to see them wave or beep a horn at me. 

As we pulled into the anchor site behind Cumberland Island, the moon light filled the sky and our friends on Rhon-Da-Vous were already there with their lights on so we could see to anchor.  Marv took Sadie to shore in the dark in the dinghy, and he didn't come back for a considerable time.  I got the spotlight out to watch for them, and finally here they came.  They had pulled into shore, and when they got out of the boat, they both sunk in the mud.  Marv said he couldn't reach the radio to call for help, and he had to pull his feet out a little at a time to keep from loosing his river shoes in the mud.  Needless to say, they both got a good hose down when they got back on the boat, and that still didn't wash off all the mess.  I didn't care; I was just grateful to have them back on board.

Patti's Center in Grand River near Green Turtle Bay Marina

Enjoying a Seafood Boil at Green Turtle Bay

Kudos to the Chefs at the Crawfish Boil

Green Turtle Bay was a delight to see after anchoring out for several days and traveling in remote areas.  We were stuck here for 9 days for mechanical repairs, and I have to say, it was a delightful place to be stuck.  They had a heated pool with water aerobics and a beautiful salon and spa in addition to great restaurants, a crawfish feed, and wonderful people.  As Marv mentioned, they had golf carts to take to town for shopping.  So friend, Rhonda, and I headed to town where I made a small dent in my Christmas shopping.  In spite of our good times there, we learned after 9 days in port, that we were restless to continue our journey.  We are becoming true vagabonds.  By now, our travel companions had all moved on, but no worry!  Many new loopers have arrived.

Kentucky Lake

On September 30, we left Green Turtle Bay, crossed over to Kentucky Lake and headed south.  The winds were strong and the water somewhat rough.  (I laugh now as I write this blog, because I had no idea what rough was about at this point.)  Between dirty rivers and cool weather, I have yet to take a dip in the waterways.  I guess I just need to be a little more adventuresome.  We anchored out a few times on Kentucky Lake due to few marinas.  Taking Sadie to shore was always a challenge due to wildlife.  One night there was a coyote waiting on shore for them, so fortunately, Marv made alternate choices and went to the other side of the bay.  There weren't a lot of sights, but the scenery was beautiful.

Sadie on her Throne...She Owns This Spot
 

On October 2, after three days of cool weather, we stayed at Clifton Marina where we met several other loopers.  We have now been traveling with Patriot, Chuck and Vicki, who are two retired FBI agents.  What delightful people and what stories!  While about 20 of us, loopers, went into the marina for the spaghetti special dinner, a 90 foot yacht came into this little tiny marina with a lady pilot and an entire crew.  Of course no one got off to have marina spaghetti, but it was amazing to watch them tuck that huge boat into the slip.  In the mean time, we learned that spaghetti is the special every night at the Clifton Marina.  Now this marina consisted of a cash register, fishing tackle, an ice cream cooler, fishermen and a few tables and chairs.  That's ok.  It was good food, it was warm, and we had wonderful people to be around.  The next morning the 90' boat tried to turn around in the marina.  What a comedy of errors!  As they backed out, we all held our breath.  If they wrecked, we would all be stuck with the spaghetti

October 3 was cold and windy on Kentucky Lake.  A few times I tucked into the salon to warm up while Marv and Sadie drove from the flying bridge.  I'm so glad I'm glad I have a warm jacket and mittens.  We had to wait 3 1/2 hours for a lock, so we rafted off from Patriot.  Chuck visited with Sadie, and finally claimed that the best pet for him onboard would be a dead cat.  Because of the long lock wait, we were late getting into Grand Harbor Marina.  We once again met up with our friends from Rhon-Da-Vous and went to town for dinner at Freddy T's where they came to the marina to pick us up.  Dinner was nothing to write home about, but time with friends is always wonderful, and having the locals escort us was a great way to get tidbits about the local community, events and history.  One day we took a courtesy van with Patriot and went to see the Shiloh Civil War Battlefield.  20,000 people died here fighting over the Mississippi, slavery and control of the south.  It was interesting to see and of course we had a good time with Chuck and Vicki, Patriot.  As always we shared docktails with other loopers on the marina docks.  It's always fun to hear the woebegone stories of other loopers--locks, snakes, coyotes, boat oopahs and more.  Each day we meet new friends.  Boaters seem to bond immediately.  We all have something in common...love and respect of the waters.  Grand Harbor Marina is a beautiful resort, but the marina is so huge it is a real hike to get to shore to walk the dog or take a swim.  Fortunately, the marina office is dockside along with the showers and laundry room, and our slip was right by the facilities.

Barkley Lake, Kentucky to Grand Harbor Mississippi

     Before I continue with the account of our travels once we reached Barkley Lake, I must say that we are way behind in keeping up to date with the postings in this Blog. There several excuses for this. The first is probably laziness, the second is very limited internet access in many of the areas we traveled though, the third and best excuse is that one of the most rewarding experiences of traveling the great loop is the social interaction with other loopers and boaters traveling the same waters. Generally after spending a day on the water, most of us take care of any maintenance issues of which there usually are some. Then it is time for docktails, which is bring your own cocktails and treats and gather somewhere on the dock to share the experiences of the day. When it comes to deciding between the blog and docktails you can imagine which one wins. After throwing out those excuses, both Connie and myself have taken lots of notes and pictures and will get caught up at some point..
     We arrived at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand River, Kentucky on September 21st. We had planned a four day stay that turned into nine days. We had to have a new stern thruster motor shipped in from California and have the boat pulled out of the water to replace it. We also had the replace the shaft packing which had been installed incorrectly by the last owner.



Sadie Too being pulled Green Turtle Bay

     If you are going to be stuck somewhere, Green Turtle Bay is not a bad place to be stuck. It is a multi use resort with lots to do onsite. Connie enjoyed the Spa, there was open space where Sadie could run and golf carts to rent and go to town.  One night several Loopers got together and went to dinner at Patty's Restaurant in Grand Rivers. They are famous for their 2 inch thick pork chops and 6 inch high meringue pies.

Loopers at Patty's Restaurant Grand River, KY

     On the morning of September 30th we departed Green Turtle Bay. We proceeded up Barkley Lake a few miles to Barkley Canal that connects Barkley lake with Kentucky Lake which is a reservoir on the Tennessee River. Kentucky Lake is a very large body of water which is 185 miles long, with the southern end being Pickwick Landing Lock and Dam. Kentucky Lake is very wide at the lower end

Lower Kentucky Lake

and has many shallow areas away from the channel, which is close to the middle of the lake. It was very hazy that day so we saw very little of the shore.
     We spent the first night on Kentucky Lake anchored in Clay Bay. It provided welcome protection from the winds blowing on the Lake. As I was taking Sadie ashore to do her business, I noticed that she was watching the shoreline very closely. As we came near to shore I saw that she was watching a coyote waiting for us on shore. We decided to go ashore on the opposite side of the bay.

Danville-Faxon Ferry on Kentucky lake

     At the abandoned Old Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge rather nice vacation homes have been built along the old railroad grade approaching the bridge.

Old Louisville and Nashville Railroad Bridge

Old Dock South of Old Railroad Bridge

     We spent our second night on Kentucky Lake at Cuba Landing Marina. This marina had nothing fancy but was very nice, and we were the only boat on the transient dock. This marina is in the middle of nowhere and nothing really to do but they had lots of mowed grass area for Sadie to run and play.

Sadie Too at Cuba Landing Marina

 At Lady Finger Bluff the terrain begins to turn more to foothills with lots of rock bluffs and outcroppings. At this point the lake begins to look more like the Tennessee River than Kentucky Lake.

Lady Finger Bluff

 Our third and last night on Kentucky Lake was spent at Clifton Marina where we once again ran into several familiar faces of other loopers we had spent time with previously. Clifton was a small no frills, electric only marina. There was a town there but it was a fairly long walk and we were told that there was nothing there.

Sea to See, Patriot, and Sadie Too at Clifton Marina

The next day, October 4th, we traveled along with Patriot to Grand Harbor Marina, via the Pickwick Landing Lock and Dam. We had over a three hour wait at the lock which would lift us up into Pickwick Lake which is another large lake formed as part of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Grand Harbor Marina is on Pickwick Lake at the point where the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway begins. We will be heading south on the Tenn-Tom later this month.

Sadie Too Rafted off of Patriot in Pickwick Lock

     There were 5 boats passing through the Pickwick Lock and the lockmaster would only allow us to use the two bollards at the front of the lock and the two at the rear of the lock. This required us to raft off of Patriot. Due to the three hour delay at the lock it was a hard run to make it to Grand Harbor before dark, but we made it at dusk.