#11 Sept. 11 - 16

We left our little anchorage of the 10th and headed up river. Here we are approaching Wilson lock. It is the THIRD largest lift lock in the world.  I know you are getting a little bored with these lock pictures but if you could experience it  --  you would be as awe struck as we are.  These locks and dams are an engineering phenomenon.

That is a 21 ft pleasure craft about to exit as we are going in!!!

Each one of those lines represents 5 foot. Count them.  We were lifted 93 feet!  The holdback of this lock creates Wilson Lake. As the Kentucky dam creates Kentucky Lake, Pickwick Dam creates Pickwick Lake.

Pretty impressive overwhelming sensation inside one of these behemoths, especially when you are alone.  Notice the water roiling behind us as the water rushes in.

This is not a swing gate to let us out.  The picture where I suggested counting the lines? Well, this is that wall and it just slides down into the water, walkway railings and all.  A horn signals us when it is safe to exit.

Again, the view leaving these locks is a totally different look. I think this dam is over 7000 feet from bank to bank.

6 miles up the river/Lake Wilson we encounter Wheeler lock and Dam. We only got a ride up of 57 feet. You can see a highway bridge that was built right over the dam.

Wheeler Lock and dam from 3 miles away. Now are you beginning to see the enormous fete of building these structures. They have created navigable commercial waterways from the interior to the Gulf. If these dams were not here, these great rivers would be only 4 to 10 foot deep!

Here is what our chart plotter showed us.  The dark black line is a "flooded submerged bridge"! and the area is also a "flooded timber" area.  The original riverbed is within the darker lines on the chart.

The next few days, after stopping at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina for fuel and to check on our reservation for leaving the boat for a couple weeks while we fly home;   we just picked nice little anchorages and then ended up in Decatur, Alabama at Riverwalk Marina. Spent two days there just scubbing the water line and washing the boat and other chores.  Carlton and Becky Moore, Gold Loopers (Gold Loopers are those who have completted the loop) came around and befriended us.  Offered to take us to anywhere we wanted to go.  Very gracious and kind and interesting folks.  Another couple to put on our special friendly list.  

16th.  Only went 17 miles today. Found this little river inlet at the town of Triana and tied to the dock at their boat dock ramps. I walked up into town to the library to use internet and get this blog out.  Hate to let too many days go by.
Huntsville is only 20 miles up river where we will meet our friends Pam and Bruce Fritz on the 21st. So we have a few days to just play "Lazy River".  Maybe we'll just hang out here another day.  It is so peaceful!

#10 Sept 5 - Sept 10th

These next few days we anchored in little inlets or behind islands along the river. Here are some scenes we observed along the way.

An abandoned Dock. This dock was busy and accessible before they damned the river.

Cypress trees spreading their roots deep in the ground t o secure their spot when things get a little dicey in the spring and during floods.

This particular anchorage Densons Island MM125 gave us a little trouble the next morning. The River channel is on the left and the anchorage behind the island on the right; but, it was 40 foot deep. we wanted a little shallower due to  current etc. So we positioned ourselves at the end of the island. Next morning we discovered we had hooked a huge dead tree and NOT the bottom. Half an hour of wrestling we escaped. The chain was wrapped around this tree better than Bill could have done if he wanted to drag it home. Of course, I didn't get a picture!

Oh Wow!! Pickwick Lock and Dam! MM206.7 Holding back the Tennessee River some 63 feet; we are a mile away.

 

The chamber is 1000 feet long and we are moored to its side in the middle.  Pretty intimidating!
We will pass through Wilson Dam in the next few days and it has a lift of 93 ft!!!!

We continued up the River to the entrance to Yellow Creek at Tennessee River MileMarker 215 and turned right into the Tenn-Tom waterway which was Tenn-Tom MM450. We went at far as MM457 to an inlet for anchor on the 8th Monday.

Our plan for the 9th and 10th is to tour all the historical sites at Corinth, Shiloh where the first most strategic battles of the Civil War took place. Grand Harbor Marina lent us their car.  

Ice Cream anyone?

We visited Corinth, the site of the Siege and Battle involving "the Crossroads"; rail lines East and West from Memphis to Charleston on the Atlantic and North South from the Ohio River to Mobile Alabama. These rail roads were vital backbone of the Confederate States for supplies and moving troops. The Union forces set out to take control and cut off their supplies.

While we were at the actual crossroads a train went by . . . .

and not two minutes later one went by on the other track.

In 1861 there were two lines of rails each way.  In those days they did not have side or switch tracks.
Battles at Corinth handed occuation back and forth until the Union succeeded/

A bonus at the Corinth Museum was a Coca-Cola museum. One of only 70 independently owned and operated bottling facilities licensed by Coca-Cola. Although they don't bottle anymore, they do service many vending methods.

On the 10th we borrowed the Marina Van again and traveled to Shiloh. I can't begin to explain how impressive the displays and the Battlefield affected us.  It was very interesting and at the same time, very depressing. As many as 200,000 men from different convictions fought violent, bloody battles. At that time there were 34 United States. 11 of those States wanted secession from the Union. Regiments from Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan were heavily involved in the Union advances.

This monument was erected by the State of Michigan. I think you should be able to enlarge it to read the plaque.

Thought my brother Mark would enjoy this picture.  He is very involved in keeping the music and history of Fife and Drum Corps alive and teaching an appreciation of Military Music.

"Catfish Hotel"
We ended our day of History with a supper of Catfish (our second, and it was better than the first) before doing a little shopping and heading back to the Marina.

We will return to the Tennessee River tomorrow and travel upstream to eventually meet up with friends in Huntsville, and then to Joe Wheeler State Park where we will leave the boat and fly home for a few weeks.

#9 Sept 1 through 4

Another beautiful day. and very warm.  Labor day and everyone is out on the river; tubing, skiing, boarding, anchored soaking up the sun; speeding up and down, Sometimes it appears they are anchored right in the fairway. Our first stop this day was the Riverside Restaurant for their famous Catfish!! We tied to their courtesy dock and enjoyed our first!
Not bad, we will order it again.
We traveled about 50 miles today.  We like to plan just 40. moving along at about 8 mph. We can have a leisurely start and be settled at Marina or anchorage by middle of afternoon. Care must be taken to stay between the buoys; the river twists and turns and although the waters reach far and wide and appears to be a lake - it is not! The areas beyond the buoys are basically flooded bottom land fraught with stumps, trees and other such stuff. Only the locals have been seen traversing across the waters and their boats are very flat bottom, shallow draft craft.

On the way we passed this barge building establishment. When we passed on our way to Nashville we saw them working on the one behind . The barge in the foreground had been rolled out of the big blue paint shed and is ready for launch and delivery.  Sure would like to see that behemoth hit the water!

Clarksville City Dock for the night.  Strange, nobody, no boaters around.  Bill walked up and got us a Fried Chicken Dinner.  Even though right on the river it was pretty peaceful.  Bill mentioned that there were tows going by all night and created a little swell. I didn't  feel or hear a thing.

All along the river there are establishments for loading the barges. This particular one is picking the gravel or sand from the barge and putting it in the hopper where it is conveyed to various piles on shore. One has to wonder if another set of barges come along and they load those piles in them??

Our anchorage for the evening on the 2nd was up Hickman Creek.  And yes, that is Bill preparing to grill pork chops for supper.  My little screen invention has worked great.  We can sit on the back deck and watch the sunset and watch the little critters trying to get in!

This is our anchorage on the 3rd after a very peaceful run down the river.  I think we had cheese, crackers and beer for supper this night!  Ha!

By and large, this is the view from the Pilot House as we cruise this river.  We will be in Green Turtle Marina this evening; near Barkley Lock and Dam on Barkley Lake.
When we arrived there were three other Loopers here.  One, started in May from Lake Mary Florida!!! Get that? Florida. They are heading home and will complete their Loop pretty soon.  They have twin 300 outboards on their sport fish boat; travel at speeds of 30mph and up!!! Guess we can't buddy boat  with them. The second couple from Ontario,Canada is heading up the Cumberland to Nashville and will leave their boat  till next season. The third couple are from Washington State. Trailered their boat to Peoria 2 years ago, completed their Loop this year and are going around again to catch the Bahamas and all the other places they missed.
There is such a varied mix of folks doing their thing!  What fun to meet them and there is not one we haven't enjoyed.

Our next venture will be to leave here and take the Barkley Cut from the Cumberland River to the Tennessee River. heading South to Pickwick Lock and Dam. We will be in an area where they say we can go to the top of a hill and see the States of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky. Also the countryside is where many Civil War Battles were fought and won or lost, depending on which side you were on. We hope to spend a few days exploring the History of the area that played a great part in our countries growth. History is soooo much more fun this way!