Paris Landing State Park Marina, Tennessee River 10/25-26-2016
M & D really confused me this morning, I thought we had left for the day but they pulled into a dock right away? So I got all excited and when no one got me off the boat, I got mom’s attention by peeing on her foot while she was tying off. Didn’t know they had to stop for a pump out! Thankfully, mom just laughed and cleaned the boat and her foot.
It seems we had were luckier than some because Kentucky Lake & the Tennessee River can be really rough with lots of wave action. We had a really smooth delightful day of cruising. The scenery is really serene…the trees are turning colors, Canadian geese and other migratory birds are heading for warmer climates & thankfully, so are we! Some beautiful homes & resorts on this lake but not nearly the amount of industry. Our biggest concern today was watching out for the fishermen...
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| Bye, Green Turtle Bay |
A few of the tiny? homes along the way
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| ...And, they get bigger yet! |
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| The most organized condo unit we have seen in awhile |
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| Paris Landing State Park Marina |
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| US Coast Guard dredging across the marina from us |
Cuba Landing Tennessee River 10/26-27-2016
We got into our dock in early afternoon. Mom took me for a long walk and I was delighted…I hadn’t been able to walk in fallen leaves for awhile. I had forgotten how much I enjoy it!!! We all enjoyed a relaxing afternoon and evening on the boat including a nice meal that mom shared with me.
It turns out it didn’t agree with me, so at 5:30 am, I woke her up to let me out. She wasn’t sure what I wanted, so she opened the boat door quietly. I hopped off the boat making a beeline for the shore. Mom was a bit slower catching up with me since I already had my clothes on. By the time she caught up with me, I had diarrhea on the dock. She cleaned if off as best she could before taking me for a longer walk in the park. Thankfully the park was well lit so we could see where we were going. We came back to bed but we no sooner got to sleep again and one of dad’s boat electronics went off. Mom was NOT happy!
So, she got up again to shut it off and just stayed up at this point…think we both will be napping today!
Since it was only about a 50 mile run today we got into Cuba Landing around 2. Plenty of time to take a long walk around in the leaves and pine needles…HEAVEN! and nap. ZZZZZZ…
Mom figured out that I wasn’t sick from last night’s goodies, but from something I had eaten that I shouldn’t have…It all came out in the END! She made me rice to eat with my pumpkin for now. Mom made a Mexican themed pork roast dinner for the 4 other sailboat loopers coming in later today…
Once again it was fun to have other loopers aboard. Dad had met Hamp & Denise on Grace, and brothers Jeff & Bernie on 2 Infinity in Killkarney at dock tails. We had seen them again at GTB but really didn’t get to spend time with them until tonight. As so happens, for the next few days, we seem to be going to the same places. It’s always exciting to make new friends…
Cuba Landing Marina
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| One of the Car/Truck Ferries in this area |
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| Just some of the fishermen out here |
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| We weren't sure what this building was beside this dismantled bridge |
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| Here's another view of it |
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| The view behind the old bridge |
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| An Old Dock??? |
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| Mike thought this was a crop-duster??? flying over us |
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| Some of the more modest houses along here |
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| Our buddies on S/V Gracie, Hamp and Denise |
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| More white pelicans migrating |
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| Our other looper buddies, Two Infinity, Jeff and Bernie |
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| Loved how this one was tucked back in |
We go for miles with nothing, and then we see these houses together...
Clifton Marine Tennessee River 10/27-28/2016
Another beautiful day dawned for cruising…The looper sailboats, Gracie and 2 Infinity led the way but we soon passed them. Started seeing lots more homes built on stilts or high up along the river. We love how the limestone has been cut out by erosion and the fact that this was once part of a prehistoric sea…we kept looking for more eagles but saw lots of vultures instead. Mom discovered in her reading that this area used to be fished for mussels for their shells & freshwater pearls more than their meat. We realize that tomorrow we will be passing close the Civil War Battle of Shiloh. We are starting to catch up with more loopers again which we all like. It turns out this city had a bustling steamboat industry back in the 1800’s. Thanks to us going against the current in the TN, our speed has slowed way down unless we push Moondance’s engines…another reason to only try to do about 50 miles a day.
Clifton is a nice quiet little safe haven off the busy TN. I was happy to have grass again and lots of acorns shells to smell. Eventually the other sailboat loopers followed us in along with Seventh Sun, a Mainship 400 with Candy and Ken. They started the loop in 2013 from Ft. Myer’s but they live in Vandalia, OH. They keep leaving their boat in various marinas for long stretches. When they are ready to go again, they come back and start from there…they are on their second loop flag. Definitely a relaxed way of doing this trip!!!
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| Thought this house was pretty cool... |
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| I never get tired of all the many variety of houses... |
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| Love the changing trees contrasted with the limestone walls |
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| An octagon or hexagon house? |
Idyllic scenery
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| If you look behind this construction, you can see the old farm in the distance |
One of the fancier RV covers
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| What's left of another gravel industry |
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Clifton Marina's Electrical Entrance???
We all congregated on the outside patio after 5 and placed our cheeseburger orders and bought their beer. We were pleasantly surprised when the Clif-Tones showed up to play their Acoustical music for us…Not only were they able to cover so many different groups but Sissy had an amazing voice. Her partner/hubby was a gifted guitarist, music historian and musician! They couldn’t play really long since they had another gig to go to…but we sure enjoyed them while we could!!! |
Hamp, Bernie, Candy, Jeff, Ken, Mike and Denise
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| The Clif-Tones were incredible! |
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| Cindy, our Girl Friday |
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| There were a few drinks consumed... |
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| Sunset on the TN River |
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| Haven't seen morning glories in quite awhile... |
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| Our view out the marina in the fog this morning |
Reflections in the fog
Grand Harbor Start of Tombigbee 10/28-30, 2016
We started about an hour later than we hoped thanks to waking up to a heavy fog. Mom loved it for taking photos and enabling her and dad to take a morning shower for a change. Otherwise, they were a bit anxious since they had a longer way to go today and they were still going against the current.
Since mom had read ahead she was on the lookout for the 1830’s mansion that Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant stayed in Savannah, TN loaned to him by Union sympathizers, the Cherry family. He She now has to figure out which mansion it was from her photos. There were 3 gorgeous homes that could be possibilities that we could see from the river. Grant and many of the Union troops arrived by steamboat as well as land.His steamboat was called the Tigress. Now, Savannah, TN is known more for it’s 10 day Bluegrass Music Festival which ends on July 4th.
Pretty
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| All three of these houses were a picture together... |
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| More versions of the covered campers |
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| One of the old Savannah, TN mansions but not sure which one is the Cherry Mansion |
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| Coming through a tight space with these two other pleasure craft |
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| Not sure if this is a wood stork? |
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| Shiloh Battlefield markers |
Another view
More of the battlefield
Dad is doing a lot of slowing down thanks to all the fishermen and one barge. We saw the paddle wheeler the American Queen again in Savannah. She takes some really interesting sounding cruises from Memphis to various other riverfront towns.
We have passed so many lovely riverfront homes of all shapes and sizes including covered RV’s which seem to be popular along here. Mom had dad’s long distance lens on when we went past the Shiloh Battlefront trying to capture the monuments/markers.
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| We kept slowing down for these two and then they would get impatient and race ahead of us again... |
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| This Fisherman was prepared for anything? |
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| We figured they were looking for treasures on the shores since the waters were low |
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| In case you had a long wait before the Pickwick lock |
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| Before the lock |
Again mom discovered that the Pickwick Dam was named for the early settlement of Pickwick Landing. That landing got it’s name thanks to the postman who loved Charles Dicken’s “Pickwick Papers” that were delivered to him by boat. The Pickwick Lock originally was the largest of the TVA hydroelectric plants and flood control dams until KY dam was built! The lock has a generating capacity of 240,200 kilowatts. (All the dams in the TVA or Tennessee Valley Authority were built as part of the WPA starting in the 1930’s.)
We locked through with Seventh Sun, but for some reason it took us an hour to get through it???
Once through the lock, we were in Pickwick Lake with more pleasure craft and gorgeous McMansions perched high over looking the lake. Grand Harbor was only about 9 miles away so it didn’t take us too long to arrive. Corey helped us get tied up on the other side of the fuel dock with Seventh Sun.
It’s a beautiful resort with lots of covered boat berths, slips, condominiums and homes. As mom and I discovered it was a very long walk to the pet area…WoW!
I said, “Screw that, I’m going when I have to go!” And, I did!
The Pickwick Lock and Dam
It brought us up 45 feet
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| Once we were up we saw the bridge and the sculpture |
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| The hillside above Pickwick Lake |
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| More of the gorgeous homes |
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| These people know how to party! |
The standard boat around here
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| Grand Harbor that turned out to be in MS |
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| Lily said NOT AGAIN are we walking this far111 |
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| Candy and Ken from Seventh Sun |
Candy called the shuttle van for Freddy T’s Restaurant after we all enjoyed dock tails and mom had fed me…(Mom still had me eating rice and pumpkin to make sure I was OK.) Clayton was our driver and gave us a brief tour along the way. He was too cute and really informative!
M & D had a fun time with Ken and Candy but they were sad because, they would only be with them such a short time…Ken is still working, so they have been doing the loop since 2013 in small segments. I decided that I really loved Candy and Ken since they sent back their leftover fish for me!!! Mom brought back her chicken for me too!!! YUM!
Saturday morning mom and dad found out that the marina would not only let you take the van to the Shiloh Battlefield and Corinth, but they even let you borrow the CD Shiloh Battlefield driving tour. This part of TN is really lush with woods, fields and streams…It was a lovely sunny drive through rolling hills. Mom came back sad though…she & dad hadn’t realized how many men were lost in just this two day battle…over 23,000. Heartbreaking!!! The battlefield and Corinth Interpretative Center are both beautifully done and well run thanks to our National Park Service.
It’s the Parks Service’s one hundred year old birthday this year!!!
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| Shiloh Battlefield Administrative Building |
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| The Artillery on the Battlefield |
By the time M & D returned they were able to enjoy dock tails again before heading out with Jeff & Bernie and Denise and Hamp to Freddy T’s this time Jeff drove us in the big marina van. Freddy T’s was even more funky than last night since all the wait staff were dressed up for Halloween along with some of their customers!!!
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| Freddy T's |
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| Ashley, our Dream of Jeanie Waitress |
Another fun looper evening and we were all home before 9 or 10 PM...LOL
