Many Moons leaves Clifton, Tenn. We are putting some miles on now -- nearly 60 miles yesterday (from Birdsong Creek to Clifton) and nearly 40 today (from Clifton to Snake Creek). In a boat that goes 8 mph comfortably on flat water, pushing against a 2-3 mph current, that counts as distance. That 60-mile day … Continue reading Clifton to Snake Creek (Days 74-75)
Bible verses and political displayand a southern drawl. That's what I'm noticing more of now. (And ruins in the river.) Maybe it's because of where we are right now. Mooring Cells in Tennessee River, used to secure barges. We are in Tennessee, more than 1,500 miles from our start in Keweenaw Bay on Lake Superior, … Continue reading Into Tennessee (Days 72-73)
Not every day on The Great Loop is a great day. Just like life on land, there are days you just sort of get through, and wonder when it will become fun again. There are days when your heart can't receive the beauty that your eyes do, and you wonder when you will be "fully … Continue reading Paris Landing (Day 71)
Tonight, I'm not upset that darkness falls so early as I sit on the fly bridge to watch meteors fall in the sky above, and a star-beam compete with a moon-beam in the water below. I don't know if I've ever seen a star-beam before! I've seen just one meteor so far, but still. All … Continue reading Panther Bay (Day 70)
Sometimes you start a thing for one reason and keep doing it for another. I joined the Navy to see the world and stayed to serve the people. I started The Loop to support Jeff's goal and have stayed ... well, for more than one reason, but one of them is a morning like today's, … Continue reading Sugar Bay to KenLake (Day 69)
Shifting gears, again ... from the hub-bub of Green Turtle Bay to the quiet anchorages of Kentucky Lake. Last night, we heard barges rumbling through the nearby lock. Tonight, we hear crickets. Variety is good. It awakens your mind and refreshes your senses. Entering Kentucky Lake We've also encountered the Tennessee River, our 6th river … Continue reading To Kentucky Lake (Day 68)
It's not just us. Lots of Loopers spend a full week at Green Turtle Bay in Kentucky because it's the most well-equipped marina between Chicago and Mobile, Ala. (We left that marina days ago but we're still nearby.) The inland river section of The Great Loop is about 1,200 miles long, and we've traveled about … Continue reading Staying Put (Days 66-67)
Today's leg: 1.5 miles! Tee-hee. We're tied to the somewhat crooked dock of the Thirsty Turtle restaurant, just around the bend from the Green Turtle Bay Marina. Many Moons at the Thirsty Turtle dock, Barkley Lock in the background. In the summer, this dock is for day use only, but it's after-season now and nobody … Continue reading Thirsty Turtle (Day 65)
Barkley Lock at night It's raining. Here we sit on our 4th night in beautiful Green Turtle Bay in Kentucky, just above the natural playground called Land Between the Lakes and adjacent to the beautiful-at-night Barkley Lock, and haven't had a chance to see much of it. But we will. When you travel The Loop, … Continue reading Now, The Rain (Days 63-64)
Today, we arrived at Green Turtle Bay (GTB) in Kentucky. It's a "breathe" milestone among Loopers who start in the Great Lakes. It means you're off the big rivers for awhile, having survived the big lakes plus about 600 miles of inland waterways, including many anchorages, river currents and eddies and sand bars, 11 big … Continue reading GTB: What Is “Success?” (Day 62)
For Many Moons 