#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.