Day 168 Halloween at Kingfisher

It was 37 degrees when we opened our frozen little peepers this morning at 6:15. Some boats were firing up their engines to leave the marina to head to the lock. We didn't have the desire to follow, so we are celebrating Halloween here at the Kingfisher. Got the courtesy car again to go find Cafe De Monde coffee, my favorite from New Orleans, which we did, so I bought 8 packages from a local grocer. Drove around inspecting some of the local plantation houses. Bluff Hall is a beautiful Greek revival style home built in 1832 by Allen Grover, a local plantation owner, for his daughter and her husband. It stands above the chalk cliffs on the river. (Pic 1) Then we drove around the Gaineswood plantation home. (Pic 2) Another Greek revival mansion that took 20 years to complete. The owner, a former Indian agent, started building it around his original log cabin and completed the project on the eve of the Civil War. He had a large slave population and, ironically, behind the plantation house is the projects - thought that was an odd place to build them since they are mostly occupied by minorities. The marina hosted a Halloween party for the boaters this evening despite the growing winds and dropping temperatures. Some Loopers dressed up but the best costumes were worn by marina employees - the witch and the pirate. The temps are dropping to 33 degrees tonight and 29 by tomorrow night. The winds are predicted to be between 15 - 25 mph, so we just might be here another day...or two. Happy Halloween! 

Day 167 Demopolis

Morning was cold and clear as we drank coffee watching 9 Loopers leave the marina to head south. Then we got a text from El Nido asking if we could get the courtesy car to come pick him up from the ER. We were a little befuddled since he had joined us for dinner last night and we had deposited him at his boat afterwards.  Well, it turns out Bob had a kidney stone and an ambulance took him to the hospital at 2am. It passed and he was fine, but Demopolis does not have a taxi service so he had no way to get back to his boat. The marina owner generously offered his truck to us so we could go pick him up. The first pic is The Red Barn, which is where we ate - a very rustic, popular restaurant. There are a lot of local fish farms so my catfish sandwich was delicious as was John's trout. Later in the afternoon, we walked to and around town. It's a beautiful old village, but 80% of the store fronts are vacant. Demopolis, which means "city of the people", started out in the 1800's as a hub of river traffic and got quite a reputation as a bawdy town - lots of taverns and no churches. During the Civil War, it thrived with encampments, warehouses and hospitals. The second photo is one of the antebellum homes we passed. After the loss of the Confederacy, the retail, theater, and banking business blossomed here. The last pic is one of the city's three historic theaters, Si-Non Theater, where the likes of Harry Houdini performed. But something happened in the mid to late 1900's. Could have been the demise of cotton in this area, the interstate passed them by, Walmart moved the retail trade to the nearby busier highway - whatever, but now it's another casualty of the 21st century. Colder weather is moving in and we need to move on, but we are still deciding when since marinas and anchorages are scarce between here and Mobile and lots of Loopers are competing for limited accommodations. 

Day 166 Kingfisher Marina

Woke up to a gray, humid morning, but no rain to speak of. Cruising down the river, we notice that the banks of the river are lined with a rock layer in some areas. It's almost like a natural seawall.  Boated our 7 miles to the Kingfisher Marina in Alabama, which is located right next to the Demopolis Lock. A very nice marina with golf carts, pool, meeting room, courtesy car - all the amenities. There is a lot more tow traffic on this part of the river than we've seen since the Mississippi. Fueled up, pumped out then walked around the marina and saw a lot of our Looper friends. By lunch time, the sky was dark and the temperature started dropping. Did some research on those white cliffs we saw yesterday. They are part of the Selma chalk formations which were deposited about the same time as England's famous White Cliffs of Dover. There are suppose to be some more down the river.  At 4pm, the marina hosted a discussion on cruising the Gulfcoast conducted by authors of anchorage guide books. Got the courtesy car for a Walmart run with El Nido then we stopped for dinner at a local color restaurant. After returning the car, we popped into the lounge and watched the end of the World Series with some other Loopers that go to bed later than 8pm. No, Loopers are not known for staying up late. Hanging here tomorrow to do some laundry and explore the little town of Demopolis. 

Day 164 Sumpter Anchorage

We are now in Alabama. The books say we zig zag in and out of Alabama and Mississippi for the next 3 miles of the river. John found his next boat, but it looks like a bit of a fixer-upper. Jack and Duncan came to an understanding this morning. I guess they'll tolerate each other for the rest of the trip.  Left the wilds of Pirate Marina at 9am and locked through the dam. Three boats that traveled at 20 knots locked with us but sped off as soon as the gates opened. The rest of us chugged leisurely along the muddy river at 8 mph. Scenery is taking on a more swamp-like appearance on one side of the river and high dirt cliffs on the other. Looks like they are man cut since this is the straightened portion of the TomBigbee. The foliage is becoming much more varied. The temps were getting a little high today at about 85 degrees, but there was a strong breeze. A small front moves through Tuesday and Wednesday knocking the temperatures back down. After 37 miles, El Nido and us pulled into a remote, quiet anchorage just off the river by a park. No data service - there's a shock - so this will get published when we near civilization again. 

Day 163 Jack Takes a Swim

Well, you may have noticed yesterday's blog ended mid- sentence - that's because as I was going to type ...headed back to the boat and called it a night after a fun day with Gary. John and I heard a ruckus on deck then a splash. Panic! Captain Jack took his first swim of the trip. I dropped the IPad (somehow hit "publish") ran around to the other side of the finger dock and there was our stubborn, mischievous cat swimming back to the dock towards me - complaining all the way. He wanted to jump from the boat to the side of the dock that was farthest from him. We told him no, but some felines have to learn the hard way. Hoisted his ample butt out of the water and he spent the next couple hours licking river water off of himself. We were told there are 2 gators in the area so lucky for Jack, they were not in the vicinity. Leisurely left the marina at 10:30 this morning and headed down river. Spent the day playing "dodge the water hyacinth". Traveled with new-to-us Loopers, Seahorse and Pimora, and our ol' buddies Bob and Duncan on El Nido. Scenery was pleasant, river was lazy. Passed a phone booth. Ya don't see many phone booths anymore, let alone one on the bank of a river. Since we got such a late start, we couldn't make it to the anchorage after the second lock so stayed at a marina. The Pirate Marina was rough, redneck, remote, run down, but we liked it. Except for the 5 Looper boats that stayed here,  the rest of the boats that were docked did not look like they had left their slip in quite a while. Near here is the snag boat museum, so a few of us borrowed the courtesy van (quite scary) to go see it, but the beautiful antebellum museum and boat were closed on Sunday. The 108' US Snagboat Montgomery, built in 1926, was the last steam-powered stern wheeler to ply the inland waterways of the south. It kept the rivers clean for commercial traffic. Tomorrow a few of us head to an anchorage after locking through the Tom Bevill Dam.

Day 162 Gary Does Columbus

Got an early start so Gary, John and I could see as much of Columbus as possible and we accomplished our goal. Started at the Farmer's Market which was pretty small. Then we went to Thomas "Tennessee" William's first home; now their new Welcome Center. The Center is decorated as a home with a display about the famous playwright in the upstairs sitting room. Thomas only lived there about 3 years. Later his family moved in with his grandparents then finally settling in to St. Louis, which he called St. Pollution. Interesting how he got his name. He attended the University of Missouri. His classmates asked him where he was from and he answered Mississippi. However, they felt his accent was from Tennessee so that's what they called him. Next on the agenda, we visited the locally famous Waverly Plantation. Built in 1852, it is a fine example of antebellum architecture. The Snow family bought it from the heirs of the Young clan in 1962 and spent the next 50 years restoring it. Mr. And Mes. snow were antique dealers so the place is filled with beautiful period pieces...and a ghost of a little girl. She supposedly appears as a light and calls for her "momma". I took one interior picture and you'll notice to the right by the stairwell there is a light blurb. Hmmmm. Anyway, the mansion and gardens still need a lot of work, but it's an amazing old place.  The eldest daughter and father still live there and it's kind of creepy because you don't see any sign of habitation on the tour given by Miss Snow. Later we took a driving tour of all the pre-Civil War mansions in Columbus - totally restored and jaw dropping. After lunch, we walked around the Friendship Cemetary. We wondered why there were so many unknown grave markers, but then remembered this was the site of a large Confederate hospital. The tomb of the "unknown Confederate Soldier" stands in the center of the largest Civil War section. Tried to find some night life around Columbus to no avail, so we headed back to t

Day 161 Another Beautiful Day in Columbus

We were on the fence whether to head out or stay, then our good friend, Gary, texted us that he was coming to spend the weekend, so here we remain until Sunday. Lazy day at the marina as gorgeous weather continues. Had a delightful, delicious dinner at Huck's last night with Bob from El Nido, Sara and John from Free Bird and Roda Lee's Roberta and Dave. Afterwards we toured the antebellum mansions around town. The second pic us one of them that we drove by. Magnificent. Loopers left this morning and Loopers arrived this afternoon. Took an afternoon bike ride to the John Syennis Lock and Dam and park. Later we had docktails again under the office. This facility lives up to its reputation as catering to its patrons. Last night, we had the courtesy van, but more Loopers wanted to go to town to have dinner. So the owner loaned his Tahoe to the other group and had his wife come pick him up to go home. Unheard of.  Waiting for Gary as I write this. May eat here or may go to town, but definitely going to Columbus tomorrow morning for Saturday Morning Market and more exploring. 

Day 160 Fun in Columbus

The morning was downright cold, but warmed quickly to gorgeous fall weather. The marina is surrounded by water lillies and pads. Pretty, but I'm sure the owners are not fond of them spreading everywhere. Got the courtesy car to get supplies and snoop around old Columbus. Sara and John joined us. Columbus is an old southern town incorporated in 1821. In the 1800's, palatial homes and plantations were built here - the southern aristocracy flourished. When the Civil War came to this area, Columbus was the site of a major hospital so it was spared destruction. After the war, a group of town women placed flowers on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers calling it Decoration Day. This event was the original Memorial Day. The two John's walked the quaint city streets while Sara and I "girl shopped". We broused some really cool stores and the guys found some beautiful old mansions like The Painted Lady, a locally famous B & B. Tennessee Williams original home is here and now serves as a Welcome Center. Only had the car for two hours so hurried back and discovered Dave and Roberta from Roda Lee had just arrived at the marina. Lots of Looper friends boated in this afternoon. We are all heading back downtown tonight to a marvelous restaurant, Huck's, to get some good southern cookin' and drive around to see more of this historic area. 

Day 159 Columbus

We pulled our hook and took off on such a beautiful morning - Thomas Kincade couldn't have painted a more stunning start of our day. As we boated towards the lock, a bald eagle flew over our bow. We could hear the squawking chicks in the woods beside us. Passed water plants that bloomed a brilliant yellow flower. It looked like a gardener had planted them there.  This part of the TennTom is called "the river". It has a lot of oxbows, which are loops leaving the waterway that were the original river before they straightened it. The only lock of the day, Aberdeen Dam, was a breeze.  Made the 30 foot journey with a little critter that kept trying to find his way out. The lockmaster identified it as a beaver, but it looked like a giant rat to us. You can see him streaking across the water in the second pic and a close up in the third. The fourth photo reminded me of "the bridge to nowhere" that Brandi use to drive us by in VI. The weather and trip to the Columbus Marina were about as tranquil as it gets. Right after we docked, we looked across the basin and there were two of our favorite Loopers, Sara and John from Free Bird. So happy to hook up with them again; they've been ahead of us for a few weeks. Lots of Loopers at the marina. It's small and remote, but has excellent facilities, staff and service. Will stay here for a few days and explore the area. A museum and beautiful antebellum homes are located in nearby Columbus...and a Walmart. Time to restock. Sara is making dinner for us so we are bringing a superb bottle of wine that we've been saving for a special occasion.  The occasion? Reuniting with friends and it's a gorgeous Wednesday.

Day 158 Lots of Locks

Woke up early and was leisurely drinking coffee in our pristine anchorage until El Nido and Roda Lee came on the radio with an announcement that 9 of us were all going to do an 8am lock down. Leaped into action and did the first of 6 locks of the day. Our first one was the Jamie Whitten Lock that we have heard about for the entire Loop. It drops 84 feet - the biggest we will encounter. I was not looking forward to this experience, but it turned out to be one of the easiest locks of the trip. We were the front boat and I felt like Dorothy looking up at the massive doors of Oz. By the end of the day, as we traversed the final and 6th lock, we had dropped 224 feet and we were down to traveling with only one boat, BamADream. Everyone else stopped at marinas or anchorages along the way. The landscape varied from lush, fat trees lining the banks, their branches going all the way down to the water to thin cypress swamps. There's a lot more pine and evergreens in this area so we are not seeing the fall color variation as much. This section of the TennTom is called "the canal" and that pretty much sums it up. Muddy, calm waters and just tranquil. BamADream ended up joining us at our quiet, secluded anchorage for the night after a long day of boating. Nothing but the sound of birds and crickets. The weather is superb - 70 degrees and sunny, but in the 40's again tonight. Tomorrow we only do one lock and a short jaunt to the Columbia Marina. 

Day 157 Bay Springs Lake

Pretty uneventful day on the TennTom - this section is known as "the Divide Cut". The waterway was constructed from 1972 till 1985 at a cost of nearly 2 billion dollars. We are now in Mississippi. Passed some baffles that look like checkerboard waterfalls. They are used to prevent creeks from rushing in on the canal/river. Moseyed along till we got to Bay Springs Lake, a beautiful serene area with tons of anchorages. We picked one located in the Five Fingers called Jugfish Branch. The sailboat, Roda Lee owned by David and Roberta, anchored with us. We joined forces for dinner and drinks making it a very pleasureable night. Heading through  5 locks tomorrow to another anchorage. 

Day 156 Visiting Shiloh

John booked the marina courtesy car for 8am so we could visit Shiloh Battlefield and Cemetary. Since we are both interested in the Civil War, it was a fascinating day trip. We started our exploration of Shiloh at the visitors center where they show a very well done, informative movie about the battle - no politics, no philosophizing, just 50 minutes of facts and tragedy. It's overwhelming to even try to comprehend what took place on this hollow ground. Since the Confederates retreated on the second day, the Union soldiers were left with the duty of disposing of the dead. Shiloh is a national cemetary now, but the majority of the graves belong to Union soldiers who died there. In a couple other areas of the "park" are mass burial trenches of Confederate soldiers. One trench that we walked to contains the remains of over 1,700 fallen Rebels. It's scenic, still and serene wandering around on the fields where skirmishes took place, but it's not pleasureable somehow - more troublesome. Ironic that the bloodiest battle of the Civil War was fought in a place named after a little Methodist gathering hall or church - nothing holy happened at Shiloh. We saw a majestic buck beyond some cannons. Life goes on. Headed back to the marina and watched some football, planned more of our trip. Later sat on the dock talking to some Loopers we recently met and more and more boaters joined us. Suddenly a docktail party broke out. Met a lot more Loopers here - nice people from all over the country. Many are heading south for the winter. Tomorrow we are moseying down the Tenn Tom to an anchorage in Bay Spring Lake. 

Day 155 Grand Harbor Marina

Ya know those dreams you have when you try to run, but you can't, because your legs are so sluggish -  you are like in slow motion. Well, that's what it's like to boat up the Tennessee River. And the closer you get to the dam, you get more current and it gets slower and more laborious. Passed Shiloh Battlefield (pic 4) - going back there in the marina courtesy car tomorrow. Hard to believe that over 23,000 people perished there in 1862. Had to go through the Pickwick Lock - 54' up. A strong wind and swirling current kept taking the stern off the lock wall and it took every ounce of muscle to keep our bow from cramming into the cement. We managed to get it done with no damage, but we will feel it tomorrow. Finally, we made it to the beginning of the Tenn Tom early this afternoon.  Noticed a huge difference between the housing on the Tennessee River and the homes on Pickwick Lake - pic. 1 (Tenn) vs pic 2 (Pickwick). Not sure the River has any zoning or code enforcement. Free Bird sent us pictures of the Sundowner when they were traveling with us. Still looks good. 

Day 154 Anchoring in Wolf Creek

Long slow day on the Tennessee River. Landscape varied from tall, tall, majestic pines to flat scrub brush; high cliffs to little stilt houses on flat land; beautiful houses on high bluffs to trailers on banks that are washing out. Even saw some goats on an island. Erosion is a problem on the river. We saw a nice house (pic 1) sitting high on a clift with basically nothing under it but a brace. It may be there for one more season. It's a shame, but Mother Nature usually wins if she wants to reclaim her land.  Did not pass a boat today and only two tows. The river is wide in this section and makes for a lazy day on the wheel. Passed a stop sign (pic 2) - the backside is right in the center on the bank. If you ran this stop sign, a ticket would be the least of your worries. Weather was mild, but windy. Want to get this blog out before I lose wifi connection again. Spent most of the day trying to upload yesterday's. Tomorrow we go through Pickwick lock, then we are in Pickwick Lake and then turn south onto the TennTom.