Started down the Tenn-Tom Waterway to Mobile

Visited the Corinth Civil War Museum with some new friends from Georgia, Carol and Eric on CaroLinn. This is about 25 miles SW of Shiloh Battlefield.
This was important as two major railways crossed here and both the South and the North wanted to control this.
When the North took this area the slaves were somewhat freed but were considered Contraband. They started working for an income at that point.

We found an awesome local restaurant called "Cindy's Place" in Corinth.
You could ordered a meat and three sides. I had grilled chicken, turnip greens, black eyed peas, corn salad, and a corn muffin. Angie gave me a couple of her fried green tomatoes.

The Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway was finished in the 1980's.Basically giving a route from the
Tennessee River to Mobile AL  More earth was moved in this build than the Panama Canal.
Passed a tow was a little tighter than the Tennessee, Ohio, or Mississippi Rivers.

Beautiful Morning

The highest/lowest  lift/drop in the Tenn-Tom Waterway.
84 feet. Whitten Lock.
 A crude oil barge ruptured in this lock about and month ago and it took them a couple weeks to clean up the spill.

Passed by a wood chip/mulch yard and loaded barges.
This is a Scott's Lawn facility so probably ground by a Vermeer Grinder.
I visited a Scott's bark grinding operation in Fulton MS running a Vermeer Tub Grinder,
where we are staying at  Midway Marina tonight, Tuesday.

Looper Rendezous and down the Tenneessee

 Here we were at The AGLCA week.  Tom is in the picture,
I picked up a cold and was sleeping in the boat as this was
taken.  This conference hosts those people planning on doing
the loop those that have done it and us that are in progress.
We met some incredible people- even a presenter (Robert Creech), that stays in touch
with our boats previous owners Linda & Charlie Thomas. 
We got to tour other boats and we hosted ours for
those planning to do the loop could ask questions.  Most of the guys were impressed
with the tool box that Tom costumed built to fit in our boat.  Lots of pictures taken of that.   

Just in time for Halloween we had spooky fog!! Or as I said made
me hungry for Pea soup.

We left Joe Wheeler and went to our first lock with 18 other
looper's so we rafted up and went through the Wheeler Lock.

Small world- this couple is from Rogers City, MI.  I lived there
for one year when I was 14.  He was a dentist Dr. Taylor and his
wife Chris that are doing the loop in their sailboat.

 

This boat was built from scratch by Curt Gard from Colfax, Iowa.  The funny
part of this story is that he kept it from his wife for 2 years.  They are now
happily going on the loop.  Boat is called Curt's Dream.  

Chattanooga TN to Huntsville AL

 We are heading back down the Tennessee River. We will attend a America's Great Loop Cruisers Association Fall Rendezvous with about 50 other boats at Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville AL
Heading there tomorrow, Saturday. 55 mile river run.

The Tennessee River was just as beautiful going down river as going up.

We traveled with WaterMarks from Wisconsin and CorkScrew.

Angie decided to wear a scarf as there was a little chill in the air when we looked thru Gunterville Lock.

Our friends on WaterMarks, Linda and Conrad, invited to their boat to make Naan Bread individual pizzas.
They were great.

Heading down the Tennessee River

Ang and I flew to Maine from Chattanooga for our oldest son, Chris, wedding. We had a good time with family members from all across the US. We ate a lot of lobster, oysters, and mussels. We are starting back down the Tennessee River today. It will be good to be moving again.
Tom

Travel Map August and September 2019

Travel Map August and September 2019
Orange Bold Line

Great Smokey Mountains Road Trip

How great is your handiwork God! We enjoyed a one night and two days in 

Smokey Mountains.  You can see the observation hike we took and we could see Tennessee and North Carolina .  While driving we saw a Mamma Bear and her cubs, Tom captured some pictures in the woods and then as they were walking towards us on the road.  We walked on part of the Appalachian trail just to say we were in Tennessee and North Carolina.  We have enjoyed our time in Chattanooga, had my first taste of Grits...and to be honest I am good now that I tried them.  We are docked near where the duck boats go out and a tourist riverboat.  This weekend they are hosting the  iron man triathlon 2019 , and no we did not qualify to join in their fun.  We did enjoy the lower temps in the Smokey Mts, as we are expecting the next week to be at least 90-95 every day.

We are flying out on Sunday to Maine for Chris and Rachel's wedding and it has been hard to think that we will be in cooler weather. (but I cannot wait and either can Tom so he doesn't have to hear how hot I am everyday)   We are blessed to be able to be on this adventure and have met some super nice people along the way and where you least expect.  Life is good ....I miss our family and friends but most of all I can't wait to see SAMUEL and yes his parent's too!

Chattanooga

The famous Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel

Having a drink in a Choo Choo railcar

A view from Lookout Mountain. A major Civil War Battle was fought here.
We traveled on the River oxbow coming into “Nooga”

We traveled up and down the incline railway to go up to  Lookout  Mountain.
Steepest railroad. Measured 31 degree slope.