Crossing our Wake!!!!!!!

The day after we arrived in Mobile our good friends Mike and Debbie flew into New Orleans, rented a car and came to spend some time with us on the boat including crossing our wake.  The plan was to stay here in Mobile until the 14th and head down to South Mobile Bay and turn left back into the ICW and stop at Lu-Lu's for Jan's birthday party and crossing our wake.  However, the weather had another idea so we were forced to leave early.  We left on the 12th of Nov. and had a great ride through the bay.  We decided to go to "The Wharf" and then take the boat to Lu-Lu's on the 14th.   The Wharf is only about 3 miles past Lu-Lu's.  We crossed our wake at channel marker 124 heading into the ICW.  This is where we intersect when we crossed through Mobile Bay last January and coming down the bay from the North at Mobile.  We finished our adventure of America's Great Loop.  We had many emotions as we finished what started from our home port of Lodi, CA in August of last year, taking Panacea down the Pacific Coast to San Diego, loading her on a truck to Seabrook, TX and starting the journey of our life.  Our next blog will be a summary of our adventure with some stats and some of our favorite memories.

This is the iPad with Blue Charts showing the brown line as our route and the boat is Panacea.  The brown circle is where we cross our wake and complete our Great Loop

This is the waypoint on my chartplotter, okay, I'm a little off coarse, but hey, we had 7 feet of water!

We did it!

Mike and Debbie celebrating with us.

Chloe is just happy it's over!

One happy Panacea

Thank you Endeavor (John), Twelve Stones (Elaine and Russ), Attitude Changer (Barb and Ross), Prime Interest (Lester and Irene), Nearly Perfect (Jack and Patty), Mike and Debbie for celebrating our accomplishment and Jan's Birthday.

Happy Birthday Baby.....

Opps!

Continuing to Head South to Mobile, AL

After the weather improved we left Columbus Marina on 11/3 and traveled about 30 miles to Pirates Cove Marina in Pickensville, AL. and the next day 40 miles to an anchorage in Gainesville, AL.  We always try to anchor in a dog friendly environment for Chloe.  The next day after taking Chloe for a pump out we headed to Demopolis for a two day rest before the four day trip to Mobile.  There were several loopers there with the same idea.  The marina had a courtesy car so several of us went out to dinner.  When we left Demopolis on 11/7 arrangements were made with the lock, that was about two miles down the river, so we could get through without delay.  Turned out eleven boats left at 6:15 to lock thru.  This was our LAST LOCK we would have to go through on the loop!!!   We along with three other boats anchored for the night before heading to Bobby's Fish Camp, the only place to tie up with power in the four day trip.  We arrived on the 8th at Bobby's which only has a dock for about four boats to tie up and everyone else side ties to those boats.  We had a total of six boats.  We also had a crossing the wake party for Attitude Changer (Barb and Ross) who officially went to Bobby's from Mobile for their sea trail a year earlier.  We left the fish camp on 11/9 and headed to another anchorage about 80 miles.  It was a very nice place but I had to take Chloe about a mile and a half for her pump out.  We left next morning after the fog lifted for our final day on the Tombigbee and all the rivers and locks we have been on since leaving Chicago.  We arrived at Dog River Marina in Mobile on 11/10 and celebrated our accomplishment.  By-the-way, we went through 152 locks since leaving Texas.

Very pretty with the fall colors on the White Cliffs of Epes, AL

Lester and Irene with us at Bashi Creek anchorage 

They just completed their first 500 miles. 

Here we are tied up at Bobby's Fish Camp

This is the restaurant 

Attitude Changer arriving at Bobby's Fish Camp and crossing her wake!

New Gold Loopers Ross and Barb

Toast to the Gold Loopers

Loopers 

More Looppers

Way to go, it's been fun traveling with you

We're back in Gator country

Another foggy start 

Taken by Prime Interest in the Tensas River anchorage

Has to be the most beautiful place we have ever anchored, Bashi Creek

I think this retirement life suits us well

Our Last Lock

Very cool Navy ship

Mobile Bridge entering the Harbor

Mobile, AL

Heading South on the Tombigbee

On Thursday, 10/30/14 we left Aqua Marina in Iuka, MS and entered the Tenn-Tom River. A large portion of the Tenn-Tom is man made and and was completed in 1985 and flows from the Tennessee River to Mobile, Alabama.  The journey down the Tenn-Tom-Tom is 450 miles and has 11 locks.  Our first stop was Midway Marina in Fulton, MS traveling 56 miles and going through three locks. Because of a late start due to heavy fog and a delay in the 3rd lock for Tow traffic, we did not arrive in Fulton until 6 pm.  

The next day we were delayed by fog again and had another late start.  We went 36 miles and through 3 locks to Aberdeen Marina in Aberdeen, MS.  A cold front came through and it was extremely windy when we docked at the marina.  We somehow ended up with a unplanned Halloween party on our boat.  That night the temperature got below freezing. 

On Saturday, 11/1, we left for Columbus Marina in Columbus, MS.  It was a short run - only 23 miles but very windy and cold.  We decided to bundle up and stay two nights to wait for it to warm up.

Leaving Aqua Yacht Harbor to head down the Tombigbee

The ditch

Columbus Alabama

Columbus Marina

Saw this telephone booth sitting on the shore

Scenes along the way to Demopolis

Heading to Chattanooga

On 10/17/14 We left Joe Wheeler State Park and decided to take a side trip with Attitude Changer (Barb and Ross) and continue up the Tennessee River to Chattanooga.  It's two hundred miles up and took four days.  Our stops were Ditto Marina in Huntsville, Goose Pond Marina in Scottsboro, AL,  a free dock at the Shellmound Recreation Area and we went through two locks.  Another reason we wanted to go up the Tennessee River is the changing of the fall colors of the foliage.  We made it to Chattanooga with no problems and picked up the rental car as soon as we arrived.  We had tickets to visit the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, 10/21/14.  Early next morning we all left and after arriving in Nashville we dropped Chloe off at Dog Topia.  We don't like to leave her, but made sure it was a top quality facility.  We were even able to watch her on a webcam during her play time with the other dogs.  We stayed for a while to make sure she would be okay and then we all went downtown to check out Nashville.  If you want a pair of cowboy boots or need a place to eat or drink, this is the place for you.   We went to the Wild Horse Saloon and ordered lunch and took some good pictures of the horses.  We then checked into our hotel and got ready for our night at the Grand ole Opry.   We saw several groups including Del Rio, Lee Greenwood, and Keith Urban.  What a fantastic show! Next day we picked up Chloe, who was really happy to see us, and headed back to our boats with a side trip to the Jack Daniels Distillery.  The history of this place is really interesting. A couple of interesting fact is the county the distillery is located is a dry county.  You can not buy alcohol anywhere except the distillery!  The town of Lynchburg has a population of 400 and Jack Daniels employs 300.  Next day Jan and I went into the town of Chattanooga and walked to the Chattanooga Choo Choo.  I'm sure everyone over sixty has heard that expression.  At one time it was a train terminal that most trains traveling south went through Chattanooga.  Now the train terminal is the hotel lobby and most of the rooms are half of a rail car they turned into a room.  We found the city of Chattanooga was full of restaurants and a lot of things to see and do.  The next day we headed back to Aqua Yacht Harbor in reverse order of our previous blogs.

Scenes along the Tennessee River

This is a Coast Guard boat that maintains the channel markers

Attitude Changer

Volley ball net in along the river bank

Nashville must be the capital of boot stores

Scenes of downtown Nashville

Wild Horse Saloon

Horses are upside down on the ceiling

Meet my new friends

If you ever go to Nashville, you have to go here.

Lee Greenwood

Keith Urban

Lynchburg Tennessee (Home of Jack Daniels)

Single Barrel 

Bottling the Single Barrel

Jack on the rocks

This is the safe that eventually led to his demise 

The reason Jack is only produced at this one location, the spring water

Home of the Moon Pie

This is a miniature train display at the hotel

Cool detail

Sunset on the Tennessee in Chattanooga

Scenes along the river on the way back

This was some sort of floating Amphitheater