Saturday 10/27- Sunday 11/11
Back on the road again, we decide to make our trip south filled with interesting side trips. We make our first destination to the famous Civil War battle site of Shilo in Tennessee and then camp for the evening at nearby Pickwick Landing Marina in their parking lot. Our next stop is Memphis where we stay a few days at the T.O. Fuller State Park, a short distance from the city. Along the Memphis waterfront on Mud Island, we walk an amazing large scale model of the Mississippi River. Of course, we visit Graceland and learn about the colorful life of Elvis. The evening entertainment includes the lively action on famous Beale St., listening to music and partaking in the culinary delights. We ride on the trolley, sightsee the downtown historic districts, tour the Gibson Guitar factory and visit the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King was shot.

T.O. State Park

Mississippi River

Mississippi River Model At Mud Island

Graceland

Beale Street

Gibson Guitar Factory

Motel Where M.L. King Was Shot

Saturday 10/13 – Friday 10/26
After a few hours of motoring, we arrive at Joe Wheeler State Park Marina, the site of the fall AGLCA (America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association)Rendezvous. The week is filled with informative meetings pertaining to doing the loop, as well as daily meals and social hours. During the week we enjoy meeting many new loopers along with the ones we had previously met. With the closure of the Rendezvous, Royce and I catch a ride back to our truck and trailer at Tellico Harbor Marina with Ron & Eva. After spending the night at their home, we depart for Joe Wheeler Marina. On our way back, we purchase an air conditioner for Puffin, thinking it might be nice to have in the months to come. The next day we take a road trip to tour the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville. After provisioning Puffin, we once again take to the Tennessee River making our way to Wheeler Lock and Dam where we make our descent to Wilson Lake. We drop anchor at Six Mile Creek and spend two night there due to inclement weather. It is during our stay there that we decide not to cruise down the Tenn-Tom Waterway which would have taken Puffin and crew to Mobile, Al. We decide instead to trailer Puffin south to Florida, so we head back to Joe Wheeler Marina to prepare Puffin for the road. Back at the marina, we run into Wayne and Rhonda and have a delicious dinner aboard their boat.

Joe Wheeler Marina

Joan at Rendezvous Kayak Races

Ron and Eva

It's HUGE!

Our New Trailable Boat

Wheeler Lock Loopers, Transition and Honga Exiting Wheeler Lock

Friday 10/12
We had planned on anchoring today but we decide to follow Wayne and Rhonda to their homeport of Bay Hill Marina. Our trip downstream takes us by the Redstone Arsenal, the location of the famous von Braun U.S. rocketry team that developed the Redstone missile, the Jupiter-c rocket , the Mercury-Redstone rocket, the Saturn V rocket used on the Apollo missions and home of the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. At mile 326, we cross the midpoint of the Tennessee River beginning at Knoxville and ending at Paducah. After transiting the industrial complexes of Decatur, Alabama and passing by TVA's Browns Ferry nuclear power plant, we arrive at Bay Hill Marina(mile 287). We spend the day taking care of our chores so we can enjoy the upcoming week at the AGLCA Rendezvous.

Help Me Rhonda
River Sights Near Decatur

Thursday 10/11
From our anchorage we hail the lockmaster at Guntersville Lock(mile 349) and he notifies us that he can take us down without delay for our 39' decent to Wheeler Lake. We are accompanied by Help Me Rhonda and soon make way downstream passing by the yellow and brown rock of Painted Bluff, the abrupt end of Merrill Mountain and one of highest bluffs on the river. Both boats arrive early afternoon at our next destination of Ditto Landing Marina(mile 333.3), named after pioneer James Ditto who began a ferry here in 1807. We visit each other's boats and later Royce and I take a walk along the river.

Painted Bluff
Guntersville Lock

Wednesday 10/10
This morning we borrow the courtesy car and drive to Scottsboro where we visit a famous store called Unclaimed Baggage, a place that has an unbelievable assortment of goodies supposedly unclaimed, unidentified or lost at the airlines. The items range from racks of wedding dresses, leather coats, showcases of jewelry, audio and video gear to a large department store array of various clothing. We quell our temptation to purchase that morning however Royce did find a deal there the day before. After a stop at Walmart, we return to the marina and prepare to depart for our next destination. While at the fuel dock, we meet loopers, Wayne and Rhonda aboard Help Me Rhonda, a 41' Roughwater. We decide to travel together so off we go down Guntersville Lake to an anchorage(mile 349.5) near our next lock. Before we arrive there, Royce and I decide to check out a cliff with a carving in the stone dating back to 1914 with the inscription “Gen. Andrew Jackson 1813-1914 , Ala. D.A.R.” Having found that, we then pass by a cave that is a santuary for thousands of federally endangered gray bats. Although it was close to dusk, we didn't see any bats emerging. Probably a good thing! We arrive shortly thereafter at our evening anchorage.


Andrew Jackson Inscription (Look Carefully)

Anchorage

Monday 10/08 – Tuesday 10/09
After spending a peaceful night at our anchorage, we have a short trip to Nickajack Lock(mile424.7) where once again Puffin is lowered downstream 39' to Guntersville Lake, the second largest lake in the Tennessee River system.(Kentucky Lake is the largest) Our trek takes us out of Tennessee and into Alabama passing two more TVA power plants, Widow Creek(coal-fired) and Bellefonte(nuclear power). At mile 378 we arrive at Goose Pond Colony Marina, a 360-acre recreation complex owned by the city of Scottsboro that features a beautiful golf course, vacation cottages, and restaurant as well as a marina.(Even with all these amenities, our moorage fee is only $15 incl. power.) We appreciate the covered moorage(shade) and the air conditioned bathrooms. A courtesy car gives us an opportunity to get needed supplies that afternoon. The next day Glenn works on a mix of chores and has a chance to update our blogspot as the marina offers wifi, while Royce is invited to Scottsboro with a local marina tenant and is treated to a tour there.

Sunday 10/07
This morning Puffin and crew head down the river leaving our interesting stay at Chattanooga. Along Nickajack Lake we travel through a gorge where the river follows an ancient earthquake fault creating water depths as deep as 135 feet. It's also the once troublesome areas of the river(prior to the dams) known as “The Pan”, “The Skillet”, “The Pot” and “The Suck” where boats became uncontrollable because of the boiling and swirling waters. Later we pass a very scenic stretch known as the “Grand Canyon of the Tennessee” where the river narrows and the mountains drop steeply to the river.(part of the Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife) We stop by Hales Bar Marina(mile431.2), the site of the old and abandoned Hales Bar powerhouse(world's second largest hydroelectric plant at the time) where Puffin takes on fuel, ice, and has a pumpout We enjoy showers before departing for our evening anchorage at the base of Little Cedar Mountain (mile 426.9), close to our next lock.




Anchorage At Little Cedar Mountain