Lorenzo & Delois Johnson

We left Chattanooga this morning due to no dockage available.  We would have liked to spend the weekend there, but luck was not on our side. 

Yesterday, we arose early, and packed the rental car to take Rachael to the airport in Nashville, 145 miles away.  We stopped to have breakfast and arrived  at the airport with time to spare.  We regretted having Rachael leave us, but we were grateful for the time she spent with us.  Nashville and Chattanooga are in different time zones, making for iteresting planning.

We returned to Chattanooga, and had lunch at the Cracker Barrell Restaurant.  We then did boat chores, and went to dinner.  Finding a parking place was very difficult when we returned due to all the aditional people at the waterfront for the Skull racing contests.

Today, we travelled 30 miles to the beautiful anchorage we visited on our way to Chattanooga.  There are 6 other boats here. This place is really beautiful.

Tomorrow, we will lock through the Nickajack Lock, and travel 36 miles to Goose Pond  Colony Marina and Resort.  We have heard that they servae Shrimp and Grits in their restaurant, and we are interested.  

We are planning to spend time at Joe Wheeler Marina and also at Grand Haven before we head South on the TennTom waterway.  The weather is starting to impact our travels.  The cold nights are causing fog in the early morning, so our departure times are now around 9 am.  We are planning short days to make sure we are not caught out after dark.  We have lots of time, so we do not need to rush.

We awoke this morning to  heavy frost and lots of fog on the water.  We were busy taking pictures as the fog lifted and the sun rose over the mountain.  I started the generator at 0600 to run the heat pumps to get temperatures back to a comfortable level prior to starting our day. 

The decks were very slippery with a heavy layer of frost.  We continued to take pictures and stare in awe at the beauty of this location as the sun rose higher and burned the fog off the water.

We got underway at around 0830.  No locks today, and we are only 30 miles or so from Chattanooga.

We have 18 more locks to pass through before we reach the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.  Arriving in the Gulf will return us to the restrictions imposed by tides and salt water, but on the positive side we will leave the locks and spiders behind us.  Good riddance to both!!!

Our trip today brought us to the part of the Tennesse River that we travelled 250 miles to see, and it was well worth it.  The awsome beauty caused the radio conversations to stop, and everyone was overwhelmed at what Mother Nature has provided.  I cannot describe the vivid colors, the breathtaking views, and the absolute amazement at the scene that unfolded as you rounded the next bend in the river.  I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this in person.

This afternoon, we obtained a rental car in order to drive Rachael to Nashville for her return flight tomorrow.  She will be sorely missed.  We really enjoyed her company, and hope that she will join us again in the near future.  We took her to dinner at the restaurant of her choice, and She made a great restaurant selection.  We really enjoyed the meal.

We will leave Chattanooga Saturday morning.  There is a large festival here this weekend involving the racing of Scull rowing boats.  The area in which we are docked will be dedicated to the racing activities, so we have to move on, since there isn’t any more dockage available for this weekend.

Tomorrow, we will get to see the scenic area again as we pass through.  The Cumberland Gap was created when the earth’s crust separated about 5 miles, creating a very long valley through the mountains.  This area Rivals Canada’s Georgian bay in scenic beauty, and with the changing of the fall colors, is a clear winner in this rivaldry.

It will take us about 1 week to retrace our path back to Grand Harbor in the Yellow River, where we will rejoin the traditional Great Loop path and continue downstream on The TennTom Waterway towards Mobile Al.

Today, we traveled approximately 50 miles, Locking through Nickajack lock and dam.  We had a group of 7 boats traveling together, and there was lots of idle talk and some good information being passed around via the radio.  The chatter made the travel much more enjoyable.

We passed through the lock in the early afternoon, and went a short distance beyond the lock to the anchorage we had previously selected from the charts.

This place was absolutely awesome.  It was totally shielded in all directions bythe tall sheer cliffs, with absolutely beautiful foilage.  The water was 12′ deep, which is an ideal depth.  Plenty deep enough to provide protection from touching the bottom, but not so deep as to require lots of anchor rode and lots of swinging room.

The boats anchored and rafted together, allowing one to walk from one boat to the other.  We all sat around enjoying the company, visiting each others boats, and in general having a great time.  This was the perfect group in the perfect place at exactly the right time.  It does not get much better than this.

The cold weather required heavy blankets for sleeping, but it was a really great night.   

We had another great day on the water.  No fog this morning, so we were able to get underway at around 0800.  The winds were over 25 mph, but they did not create any problems since we are in the river.  These winds would have caused major problems on the Great Lakes or on the ocean. 

We are docked at Goose Pond Colony Marina and Resort.  When we arrived, We found that  5 other Looper boats were already docked there for the night.  We are all heading to Chattanooga on a sightseeing tour. 

 Was very glad to meet Robert and the others.

Tomorrow, we will travel approximately 50 miles to transit the Nickajac Lock.  We will anchor for the night just upstream of the lock.

We have a group of 16 people traveling together on 7 boats.  We were able to go to dinner together since the restaurant owner sent two cars to pick us up, and the courtesy car was also available. We had a good dinner, and an enjoyable time was had by all.  We were surprised to find that everyone at the table are North Carolinians except for one couple from New York.  When the restaurant owner heard our plans for tomorrow, He agreed to deliver dinner to us at the anchorage.  He has another restaurant near where we will spend the night tomorrow night.

The weather has turned a lot cooler; actually it has turned cold.  We are staying warm since our flybridge is completely enclosed and we have heat available on the flybridge.  

We should arrive in Chattanooga on Wednesday.  We will probably leave on Saturday morning because there is a festival of some sort scheduled for this weekend and docking space will not be available.

On Thursday, we will drive Rachel to Nashville to catch Her flight.  We will surely miss her, and hope that She will come visit with us again soon

We had a good travel today.  The Tennessee River is absolutely beautiful.  Very few tows on the River, and lots of Bass fishermen.

We are docked in the Ditto Landing State MArina.  This place does not have a lot to offer; fuel power, and docking.  However, we don’t need a lot.  Lois cooked dinner for everyone, and it was a real treat.

Tomorrow, we will continue on towards Chatanooga.  We are hoping to meet a fellow Looper and long time acquiantance, Robert Creech, at the marina tomorrow night.

We arrived at Joe Wheeler State Park today after a very pleasant trip from Grand Harbor.  It rained yesterday (Fri), so we decided to remain at Grand Harbor and wait for fair weather.  We used tohe Courtesy car to go to town for breakfast, and do some shopping.  We spent the remainder of the day doing boat chores, and returned to town for dinner. 

This morning, we left and headed upstream on the Tennessee River toward Chattanooga.  We passed through one lock, and arrived at the Joe Wheeler State Park Marina.  This is the location where the Loopers Rendezvous was held last week.  It was attended by 180 Loopers and 60 boats.  We are in Alabama now, and the river winds in and out of Alabama and Tennessee. 

The restaurant served a very good buffet.  One of Judy’s cousins, who lives in this area, came to visit and have dinner with us.  We really enjoyed their company.

Tomorrow, we are going to travel approximately 60 miles, and spend the night at a Alabama State Park Marina, Ditto Landing Marina near Huntsville, Alabama.

We are having to leave later in the day now due to fog in the mornings.  The shorter travel day will impact our trip planning.

We arrived at the Grand Harbor Marina, at mile 215 on the Tennessee River.  It is also the entrance to the Tenn-Tom waterway.

We will head East on the Tennessee River toward Chattanooga, 250 miles away.   We would like to be in Chattanooga by Thur, 10-30, since Rachel has to fly back home on that date.

The Grand Harbor Marina and Resort is a very nice place.  It is top shelf.  The restrooms have teak flooring, and each restroom has a wide screen LCD Video system installed.  The courtesy cars are almost new, and in excellent condition.  This is the first time I have driven a courtesy car with less than 200,000 miles on the odometer!! 

This marina is unique in that the entire marina and all of its docks and buildings are floating to allow it to rise and fall with the river level.  Most marinas are secured by long poles driven in to the riverbed.  This marina is held in place by huge anchors embedded in the rock underneath the marina.  Many adjustable winches are used to keep the marina secured in place.  The end result is a very stable and secure installation.

We used the courtesy car to go to town for dinner.  The drive from the marina to town was only four or five miles, but it was a very scenic drive.  The marina is part of an upscale resort, and we were impressed with the facilities.  The area is very heavily wooded and there are many steep hills and sharp curves.

A very nice place to visit.

We are anchored in a cove off the main channel.  The anchorage location is a good one.  It is well protected from wind and also well protected from traffic on the river.

We travelled 57 miles today, and it was a good day.  The boat has proven that the long period of inactivity did not create any problems.  Everything is working perfectly, and Lil’ David is ready to travel. 

We enjoyed a good dinner, prepared by Judy and Rachael.  The setting was really beautiful and peaceful, and the food was really good.

Tomorrow, we will continue on, expecting to reach Grand Harbor Marina tomorrow afternoon.  Grand Harbor is located at the intersection of the TennTom waterway and the Tennessee River.  We are going to deviate from the traditional Great Loop path by making a side trip to Chattanooga, Tn.   This trip will take us through the Cumberland Gap, sometimes called the Grand Canyon of the East.  It has the reputation of having the most scenic views in the country.  This is the peak of the fall foliage color changes, and we are expecting to see some great scenery.

We had a great night at the anchorage last night.  The night was very cool, but the daytime temperatures were very comfortable.

We left the anchorage shortly after 9 am, and arrived at the marina at 2:15 pm, covering a distance of 50 miles.  The fall colors were very beautiful.  There was very little river traffic.  We  saw only 2 barges, and we met only two or three other boats all day.

This marina is a very nice place to visit.  The staff is very friendly, and the facilities are first class.  Lois, Judy and Rachael borrowed the marina courtesy car to go shopping at the local Wal-Mart.

We ate dinner at the marina restaurant.  This is a great place to eat.  The food was excellent, and the portions were very generous. I would love to spend more time here, but we need to move on so that Rachael can see Chattanooga before She has to leave.

Tomorrow, we will continue South on the Tennessee River.  We will probably anchor tomorrow night because there will not be any marinas available. 

We have left the State of Kentucky, and are in Tennessee.   We will be in Tennessee for the next couple of weeks.  When we reach the end of the Tennessee River, we will be able to stand in one spot and see Alabama, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

We are moving again!! We left Green Turtle Bay today around 1 Pm, and traveled 30 miles to Clay Bay, an anchorage where we are spending the night.  This is a really scenic anchorage. We had a really enjoyable dinner aboard Gilraker.  Gary and Judy have a guest for the next few days, and we have really enjoyed having Rachael join the crew.   If She can cook, we might shanghai her for a few weeks.

The boat ran perfectly, and the weather  was very nice.  The nights are very cool, in the low 40’s and the days are in the low 70’s after the sun rises.

We are on the Tennessee River, traveling down Kentucky Lake.  The Lake is very beautiful, and the leaves are turning and creating a really beautiful landscape.

We are only 4 miles from the Tennessee State Line, so tomorrow we will leave Kentucky

Tomorrow, We will travel 50 miles to Pebble Isle Marina.  We will spend the night there and take advantage of the nearby wal-mart to replenish our stores.

We are heading to Chattanooga, Tn.  This is a side trip that will take us through the Cumberland Gap, and through reportedly some of the most beautiful Fall foilage anywhere.  Chattanooga has lots of interesting places to visit, and we are looking forward to enjoying Chattanooga before we start the long trek down the Tenn-Tom toward Mobile, Ala.