#13 Chattanooga and more

Our trip back down to Rogersville, Alabama with Fred Bill's brother, was uneventful and most pleasant rather than flying.  We were anxious to get on with the Rendezvous -- a gathering of all sorts of boats (55 or so) and 225 folks who are doing the Loop, have done the Loop and those who want to do the Loop.  All kinds of seminars with infromation on the next segments of the trip all the way to Norfolk Virgina. Very informative. The food was great and the camaraderie was outstanding.  Finally on the 17th of October Fred, Pheobe(the cute little dog) Bill and I cast off for Chattanooga up the Tennessee River. We made stops at Riverwalk Marina again, Hit the Hard Dock Cafe and AGAIN, no one around to pay.  It has become Bill's favorite stop.  :)  Hunstville proved to be the highlight for Fred so far and his visit to the Space and Rocket Center. Bill and I ran errands and did a little shopping while there. 

10/22 Our first anchorage, Bull Frog Cove, rather weedy and Fred had a bit of trouble finding a place to get ashore with Phoebe. But accomplish it we did. Phoebe was grateful! and we didn't hear even one Bull Frog!

Here a train is hugging the bluff as it makes it way. We have entered what they call the "Canyons of Tennessee".

After supper conversation

10/23 Hales Bar Marina, next to Abandoned Hydroelectric dam. Eight years, 5000 workers faced consirerable risk. many accidents, injuries and even deaths. Also bloody labor disputes.  Nov. 1913 the world's largest hydroelectric generating plant opened. Only Niagra was larger. There was a great celebration; bands, dancing, speeches and fireworks. Almost from the beginning there were serious leaking problems through the rock strata under the dam. AND the lock was too small for modern navigation needs.  They stripped the machinery, closed her up and replaced it with the NickaJack Dam several miles up river. 

We are in Sequatchit Valley, which is one of two "rifts" in the world. The other is in Africa. A rift is where the earth actually splits apart.  This particular bluff is being quarried.

Pictures cannot, no matter how hard I try, capture the all around beauty of the hills, mountains and vistas. The leaves are just beginning to show a change 

Volley ball net awaiting participants for the weekend at the shallows along the river.

Trucks on Highway as we round the curve into the Chattanooga area.

World Class Tennessee Aquarium. Fresh water on the right, Salt water on the left.

We are docked right in fromt of the Aquariums

Phoebe and friends!

Yep, we had a ringside seat to this spectacle!

OOOPS!

Someone told us we would see all kinds of craft on the Rivers. I love his fenders!

Heading back down from Chattanooga at the Nickajack Lock and dam. All our locks from here on will be drops. It is interesting to realize we are high in the Appalachian Mountains. 634 feet above sea level before we reach Mobile, Alabama.

We are back at Wheeler where Fred will pick up his car and head South to his place in Florida.  We were treated to a Championship Bass Tournament.  140 boats with two people each on board. One Pro and one Co-angler. They congregated at 7am. at 7:30 they were allowed to start one at a time 1 through  140. It didn't take long since they had 250 hp motors.  They all started to arrive back at 3pm for the weigh in.  They will fish Thurs and Fri. the top ten will fish on Saturday. At the moment the heaviest catch 18 lb. 5 oz. Spots 1 through 40 will pay out.  Top No. 1 gets $125,000 and both the Co-angler gets a new boat.

Phoebe's last stroll through Joe Wheeler State Park, Alabama

Brothers. A good time sharing.

10/31 It's Halloween, Fred is on his way home to Florida and we are planning our next few days. Probably a short run today to Florence - about 17 miles. Actually the top ten anglers are going to weigh in their fish at the WalMart store in Florence. (WalMart sponsors this tourney). Sure would like to see the results. We will continue down the Tennessee to Yellow Creek, the beginning of the Tenn-Tom Waterway south. Then 450 miles to Mobile, Alabama.

#12 I can't beleive . . .

I can't believe it has been more than a month since I posted!  We traveled up the Tennessee to Huntersville where we picked up our friends Pam and Bruce Fritz visiting from Michigan.  As you can see below we visited the Space and Rocket center there. Huntsville, Alabama is known as Rocket City since it is the home of the huge complex, Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center where Wernher Von Braun world foremost rocket scientist helped lead the U.S. into the space age. The museum has the largest and finest collection of NASA rockets and army missiles.  There are dozens of hands-on exhibits, flight simulators, 354 foot Saturn V moon Rocket, 98 ton full size model of the Space Shuttle, Hubble Space Telescope - - it goes on and on.  Well worth a trip to Huntsville to visit.

Aldren, Bowman, Fritz, Fritz and Bowman

Life size!  This place is awesome!

Here is Pam and Bruce enjoying some of the Bluffs along the river as we leave Huntsville. It was a joy to share our experiences with these dear Friends.  We traveled on through Guntersville Lock to an anchorage and then headed back to Joe Wheeler State Park after a few days where we accompanied them back to Michigan on the 26th  of September. And yes, we were supposed to fly through Chicago but got caught up on the great shutdown of O'Hare airport there.  Was to leave Huntsville at 9:30 am but didn't get a flight till 5:40 pm to Dallas for a connect to Detroit at 10:30pm  Bill and I finally made it home at 1:30 am the next day.

It doesn't seem possible that we left home this year on June 8th. 3 and 1/2 months ago.  Everything was in order, we scooted up to Detour to winterize the cabin, back down to Kelly's in Traverse City, visited with Wendi, Jeff and kids and Sandi and JR and children.  Did Doctor checkups, Dentist Checkups and then were completely bored and ready to be back on the boat.  But, worth waiting for was Connie's 55th Class Reunion on Sat. Oct. 11th.  What a hoot!  Such fun to see everyone again. Unfortunately, 20% of us are gone, but the 20% that attended had a great time and looking forward to the 60th.

Bill's brother Fred was heading down to his place in Florida and offered to drive us back to Alabama where we left the boat. We invited him to attend the "Loopers" rendezvous with us and then on to Chattanooga for a few days up the Tennessee River. We will drop him off back at the Park where he left his car to head to Florida. We will then head South on the Tenn-Tom waterway toward Mobile, then on to Florida.  I think Fred will beat us there!!

This is some of the folks at the rendezvous getting gathered for a group photo. 225 people and some 55 boats.

some of the boats

Friday morn after the Rendezvous, 20 + boats head out at 8:30 am for a mass transit of the Joe Wheeler Lock and Dam 1 mile South of the marina.  I would have loved to be at the top of the lock  to photo all those boats in the lock at the same time. Yes, the lock is big enough.

Bill, Fred and I left around 1pm for Riverwalk Marina in Decator, Alabama, our favorite marina, Never anyone around, nobody in the office. Free!

We arrived late afternoon and headed for the Cafe, a bit of libation and supper. Decator is across the River.  Friday night at the Hard Dock is a happenin' place! Hard Rock at the Hard Dock til 2pm!!

We are on our way to Huntsville for a few days. Fred will visit the Space and Rocket Center; then off to Chattanooga.  We should be there around the 24th of  October. World Class Aquariums, Fresh and Salt water, Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga Choo Choo!  Looking forward to the visit.  It is great to be back on the water.