National Naval Aviation Museum ... Cool

Day 194 |  Pensacola  

It was a beautiful morning here in Pensacola. The sun was shining and it was comfortably not chilly. We took an early morning walk (without jackets) and spotted these happy flowers just outside the marina gate. A quick trip around the park led us to a pelican on the handrail overlooking Pensacola Bay. He didn't mind our presence and after a few photos, we moved on. We joined up with Roger (Miss Utah) and drove over to Naval Air Station Pensacola to visit the National Naval Aviation Museum. We checked out the Top Gun Tomcat out front then entered the massive museum. The folks at the information desk suggested that we first do the trolley tour of the Flight Line. We loaded onboard and were driven through a huge parking lot where over a century of aviation history was parked, side-by-side, wing tip-to-wing tip.

Our driver Doug provided commentary on most of the aircraft we passed. His notes included personal history and experiences and airframe-specific history. There are more than 150 aircraft on display on grounds, including an A4 (center) and P3 Orion (right). Barry flew both of these during his time in the Navy back in the 1980s.

We hopped off the trolley and joined a tour led by Lt. Col. Terry Bryan. He flew over 300 missions in Vietnam, in over 65 different aircraft during his career with the Marines, and was a wealth of information. He led us through the first floor exhibit hall's displays chronicling the evolution of aircraft. All aircraft on display are restored originals and not reproductions.

We then entered Hangar Bay One, the newest exhibit hall. On display just inside the door was Marine One that transported Presidents Nixon and Ford (and was the backdrop for Nixon's farewell Victory salute). There were areas devoted to Coast Guard aviation, Women in Aviation, a Vietnam POW exhibit, and the Apollo moon landing. The real attractions here, however, are anything having to do with the resident Blue Angels Flight Demonstration Squadron.

Lt. Col. Bryan's tour ended here and we passed beside a H53 helicopter on the way back to the main exhibit hall. We grabbed a quick lunch in the Cubi Bar Cafe which was decorated in memorabilia salvaged from the NAS Cubi Point Officer's Club in the Phillippines which was closed following a volcanic eruption. The restaurant was itself an exhibit with unique and colorful plaques, helmets, and carvings covering the walls and ceilings ... and forming the tops of the tables.

Following lunch we went to the Giant Screen Theater and had a private viewing of Magic of Flight. This classic IMAX film is now of legal drinking age, but still showcases great cinematography and information. The dated clothing and electronics give away the movie's true age. A quick lap around the second floor included stops for Naval artwork, lighter than air vessels, cockpit trainers, and Skylab. There were several motion-based flight simulators, but I couldn't convince either of the boys to jump in. We entered a 4D experience on the daily routine on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. All day the Blue Angels Atrium had been the scene of ceremonies -- a Master Chief's retirement and graduations of both Air Force and Navy training programs. It was a delicate balance to be both curious and respectful at the same time. Observing the ceremonies from the balcony seemed to be the best compromise ... and provided a great view.

The special feature of this museum was that it was free (except for the movie.) We could have easily spent another day here as we sped through many of the exhibits and did not see close to everything. If/when we come back, I will wear multiple layers of Cold Gear and sweatshirts. This was undoubtedly the coldest museum I've ever been in. So there's the tie-in to the title of this post -- a great museum with high-functioning air conditioning units.

We returned the rental car and were driven back to the marina in the dark. It was late and we enjoyed the leftovers from last night for supper. Severe storms are supposed to pass through tonight and be followed by high winds and thunderstorms tomorrow. Odds are we'll stay here another day and hope for a better weather window to develop. We need to be in Carrabelle, over 200 miles to the east, by next Wednesday at the latest to stage for our overnight Gulf crossing. We are experiencing a bit of "Gotta Get" anxiety. We know we're on a tight timeline and Mother Nature is not cooperating. Fingers crossed.

Catching Up With Friends in Pensacola

Day 193 |  Ingram Bayou to Pensacola  |  3 Hours  |  23 Miles  

The Ingram Bayou anchorage was an excellent spot to spend an evening. It was surrounded on three sides by trees and open to the south where we could see high-rise hotels (or condominiums) in the distance. I didn't sleep well, but was treated to the sounds of a lone owl in the trees. It is much better to count Hooty-Hoos than sheep. I finally gave up and crawled out of bed at 6:00 to catch the breaking dawn reflecting in the still water. The hint of pink quickly dissipated and the cloud cover increased. It was a gray morning as our raft of three boats untied and got underway at 8:00. The scenery soon improved with colorful buildings off to the south on the barrier island. A big moment was seeing the "Welcome to Florida" sign. This is the 14th state we've visited on the Loop.

As we neared Pensacola, Barry's phone rang with a call from our long-time friends Janice and Bob Grabham. We were sailboat neighbors for many years at Regent Point Marina, and enjoyed many years of yacht club activities together. Now retired and living in Pensacola, they had been following our progress on Marine Traffic this morning and told us we were passing in front of their condo. They took a shot of us in the water and I got one of them waving on the balcony. What a lift we got hearing familiar voices from home. We made plans to get together later for dinner and continued east toward the Naval Air Station Pensacola. I missed the best spot to take the photo between the trees. Below the Navy logo, the words read: Fly-Fight-Win.

Located on the grounds of the Naval base is Pensacola Light, dating back to 1859. Navy jets circled overhead in training exercises. As we made our final approach into Pensacola Bay, we were joined by a pair of dolphin that swam for miles just off our port side. Although the overcast sky didn't provide for the best pictures, it was amazing to stand within five feet of these guys as they gracefully arced up and down.

We pulled into Palafox Marina along with Miss Utah. This marina is located on the edge of downtown with parks, restaurants, and retail all within easy walking distance. Eager to stretch our legs, we walked first to the Memorial Monument and the explanation of the City of Five Flags nickname. Pensacola was settled by Spaniards in 1559 and is the oldest European settlement in mainland America. In its history there have been five flags that have flown over its soil: Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the Confederate States of America, and the United States. Holiday decorations occupied the small park. One board paid tribute to the Blue Angels. A large Christmas tree stood in the middle of the traffic circle and we had to get the obligatory selfie. Notice that we are not wearing coats. For a couple hours this afternoon, the sun was out and it wasn't chilly. Definitely the warmest day we've seen in weeks. Now we're really longing for a nice long string of warm days. The trip back across the breakwater gave us a rare aerial view of Crossroads.

Folks were fishing off the boardwalk and the natives have obviously learned that the pickings are good. A single blue heron, shockingly about three-feet tall, walked alongside us. Four pelicans had gathered on the brick bench wall. The pelican is highly regarded in town and provides the form for the community art project. There are many more around town and we hope we can get a look at some. Janice and Bob met us at Crossroads and then they took us to dinner at a local favorite, McGuire's Irish Pub. We have looked forward to this evening for over a month and are thankful that we could get together on such quick notice. We shared stories of travel, retirement, common friends, and their new hometown of Pensacola. Janice and Bob, we cannot thank you enough for a wonderful evening.

Our meals were great and we brought doggie-bags back to Crossroads. The most interesting restaurant feature was the collection of over one million signed one dollar bills which were attached to the ceiling and walls. Once back at the marina, we took a short walk and were able to spot Misty Pearl (Selene 43 sister ship) all trimmed out with lights. Doug and Dana decorated her today. Tree-lined Palafox Street also glowed elegantly in white lights. We have some multi-color lights to put on Crossroads, but they will not be anything close to this elaborate. We will wait, however, until after our crossing of the Gulf of Mexico to attach them to the bow rail.

We are in weather-watching mode now, trying to determine the best plan of attack to get to Carabelle and stage for the next good weather window to cross the Gulf. Right now that looking to be in a week. Tomorrow we will visit the Naval Aviation Museum with Chris and Roger (Miss Utah). The good news is that today we secured a slip at St. Petersburg Municipal Marina from December 10-January 4. We can now breathe easier, knowing that Crossroads has a safe place to stay while we head home for Christmas.

Lulu's -- Like Margaritaville, Only Better

Day 192 |  Mobile to Ingram Bayou  |  6.2 Hours  |  39 Miles  

Our departure time was set for 8:00 and I slept in a bit, missing the nice sunrise (picture courtesy of Oar Knot), the frost on the railings, and the discovery of a large piece of debris that partially blocked our departure path. The marina staff was very helpful and a workboat came over and removed a section of dock, clearing our way. We started our engine at the designated time, cast off our lines and began the process of squeezing through the boats and the pesky piling in the middle of the fairway. The wind had mercifully laid down, but there was still a pretty strong current. Thanks to Chris and Roger (Miss Utah) for helping fend off as we tried a few times to exit. We finally put ourselves on the far side of the piling, and used it to help keep the current from moving us towards other boats. We got out without ever touching fiberglass, but it was way too much excitement to start my day.

The Dog River Channel and Mobile Bay were both calm. We and Miss Utah had a smooth trip across. As I was storing our docklines and fenders on the stern, a dozen pelicans (brown ones now) were zipping up from behind us. I looked forward and saw a shrimp boat on the horizon. The pelicans were heading for their spot at the breakfast buffet. A bit later, we saw our first lighthouse since Chicago, the Mobile Bay Lighthouse. It dates back to 1885 and is a screwpile light, based on the ones found in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2002 its tower and Fresnel lens were removed, replaced by a solar powered red light on a pole. The lens is on display at the Fort Morgan Museum. Hopefully one day they'll rebuild the top light tower to restore its original appearance.

Across the bay, we intersected and then followed the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GICW). We were excited by our first dolphin sightings, but at the same time still mesmerized by the gracefulness of the blue herons. An odd ship passed us carrying artificial reefs.

Santa came out on the dock to wave hello. Docks of all sizes lined the GICW and pelicans stood guard at most of them. Today was a treat as we planned to stop at Lulu's in Gulf Shores (AL) for lunch. After a tough start to the day, things turned in our favor as there were no boats at the restaurant's dock. Crossroads and Miss Utah filled up the entire space. Tied up, we headed inside, passing by the Fountain of (errr ... for) Youth. If you look closely you can see where Barry filled his side of the fountain with water and it is spewing forth.

Lulu's is probably most famous because it is owned by Jimmy Buffett's sister Lucy. It is quite the complex and we walked through imagining what a rocking place this would be on a summer weekend. The food was good as well (better than we've found at Jimmy's chain restaurants). I had shrimp salad with fried green tomatoes and Barry had gumbo and a crab melt. We did hit the gift shop and picked up a few things before heading back to the dock. Chris and I wanted a photo of the boats, but the angle was not very good. The best shot was Chris leaning over the rail. The sign on the dock alerted us to more wildlife that we're anxious to see. We pulled away from the dock, escorted by more dolphin.

The GICW runs alongside a road, which had nice Christmas decorations on the light poles. We only had about ten miles to go to reach our anchorage for the evening in Ingram Bayou. Flying overhead were some of the Navy's Blue Angels. Miss Utah set her anchor and we rafted up on her starboard, Liberty on her port. I chatted for a while with Aunt B and found all about how today's festivities went. For close to 30 years I have always been at her house this weekend to kickoff Christmas. It is difficult to be away, but everyone is trying to share the holiday spirit to make it close to being there. I tried to describe to her how the boats are rafted together and we just hop over the rails to cross between boats. She asked that I wear my safety shirt and be careful. The final photo is me standing on our caprail preparing to cross over the rail onto Miss Utah. All three crews visited until the sun began to set, then we crawled back over the rail.

We will depart tomorrow morning and continue east on the GICW to Pensacola. We have reservations at Palafox Marina which is located downtown. We're looking forward to being able to get off the boat and walk around a larger city ... and maybe see some Christmas lights at the same time.

Charging Well Aboard Crossroads

Day 191 |  Mobile   

The Beneteau sailboat which was docked in front of us departed at 6:30 this morning and I emerged from the warm covers to watch their trek out of this tight fairway. Tomorrow morning we'll have to back out between the pilings to port and the line of yachts on starboard. Who needs caffeine with an energy rush like this? We're definitely hoping this wind dies down a bit. Being up a few minutes earlier than normal gave me the opportunity to catch up with happenings in the Eastern Time Zone. Spending the last three months in the Central Time Zone has been the most frustrating part of daily life on the Loop. We're still more than a week away from the Port St. Joe (FL) area where we'll finally reenter the Eastern Time Zone and be in sync with everyone back home.

My mission this morning was to stay inside and stay warm. I was, however, called upon to venture outside to switch over water tanks when Barry ran out of water mid-shower. Three loads of laundry yesterday and my earlybird shower this morning had drained our aft tank. I crawled into the cockpit locker and flipped the valve to the forward tank. I then pulled out the hose and filled the empty aft tank. I began working on some bills, our expense log, and then on my computer project as Barry made one more (that I know of) trip to West Marine to get a few lightbulbs. We have wanted to change our exterior lights to LEDs to be more energy efficient. Now that it gets dark so early, it is becoming more important. Today, that project rose to the top of the list. Our new alternator was delivered around 1:30 and Barry had it installed and tested within 30 minutes. We're now charging well with the needle perfectly centered in the green zone and the batteries are at 100%. All is good.

I enjoyed hanging out in the pilothouse where the sun shining through the windows created a nice warm area. I conferred with Santa and managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done. I, too, was charging well. At 3:00 we picked up the courtesy car and ran into town to pick up our usual week's worth of perishables. We took 10 West towards Pascagoula, but our destination was in-town. Before our alternator issues, we had planned to make a quick run over to New Orleans and visit the French Quarter and aquarium. That's an additional destination that we'll have to catch another time. We passed Hank Aaron Stadium, what appeared to be a nice-looking home for the Mobile BayBears (Double A, Los Angeles Angels). Aaron is a Mobile native and the stadium opened in 1997 with a seating capacity of 6,000. Unfortunately, the team will depart Mobile after next season and relocate to a newly constructed $46 million stadium in Huntsville as the Rocket City Trash Pandas. Suddenly the Richmond Flying Squirrels and Nutzy don't seem to be such weird names.

Below is a rendering of the Trash Panda's new 7,500-seat park and entertainment complex. Yes, Richmond, this is what is expected to attract and keep a AA team. The Squirrels won't wait forever. So, we made it to Walmart and loaded up the cart with the normal milk, bread, turkey, cheese, and Cheerios. Of course we left without our usual six heads of Romaine. We will learn to love spinach salads for the next week. These Alligator Nuggets were spotted in the freezer section, but at $13.44 a bag deemed them too expensive to try only to find that they taste just like cheap chicken. The sun set over the marshland as we returned to the marina.

We will leave here tomorrow morning along with Miss Utah, but will wait until about 8:00 do so. Hopefully the frost will have melted by then. Our plans have us stopping for lunch (and probably a shirt) at Lulu's before finishing up on anchor for the evening at Wolf Bay. We are flexible (and have several alternative plans if required), but don't necessarily like being so. We'll see how it goes.

A Captain's Utopia

Day 190 |  Mobile   

Barry removed our pesky alternator last night and we loaded it into the courtesy van we had reserved at 10:00. Off to the rebuild shop we went -- roughly a 10-minute drive from Dog River Marina. As we exited the parking lot we spotted this interesting creation. It appears the cutting torch operator had a bit too much free time and turned a van into a pickup truck. A true conversion van. I must admit, however, that the caprail around the bed is a nice touch. As is common practice, we stopped to refuel the courtesy van on the way back. What a pleasant surprise to see gasoline under two bucks a gallon. A final stop along the way was to the Mobile office of VSC Fire & Security. We had seen it pop up on Google maps and had to swing by for a look. My sister has worked at the headquarters in Ashland, VA, known in early/local days as Virginia Sprinkler, for over 30 years. We swapped a few texts and I later learned she had recently trained the Mobile office manager. Small world.

It was a raw day here with cold temperatures and a gusty breeze. We took a walk around the marina and found a palm tree. It did little to warm my hands and we're still hoping for the palm tree photo with blue sky and no jackets. Another thing we're looking forward to is spotting manatees. I could very well grow tired of the manatee by the time we leave Florida (much as I did of blue herons and egrets on the rivers), but right now bring them on. I spent the afternoon doing some Cyber Monday retail therapy, working on a few computer projects, and doing laundry. The sunset was better than anticipated, although the view of our dock is not the prettiest.

Barry knocked out several boat projects today, and made three trips to West Marine, just because he could. Dog River Marina has an on-site West Marina -- every captain's dream.

We'll pick up our new alternator tomorrow afternoon and stop for a few provisions ... and maybe a little Christmas shopping. We'll install it tomorrow night and hope all works as planned so that we can depart first-thing Wednesday morning, making our way toward Pensacola.

We Have A Palm Tree Sighting

Day 189 |  Tensas River Anchorage to Mobile  |  5.6 Hours  |  48 Miles  

Knowing today would be a short mileage day, we delayed our departure until 7:30. This allowed for a little more sleep after a late night and time for a light blanket of fog to burn off. The morning was chilly, but not cold and the Tensas River provided the perfect mirror-like surface for a stunning reflection. The journey down the Mobile River was more of what we've seen over the past week -- remote areas sprinkled with areas of heavy industry. Today we passed a steam/power plant and many more birds. The egrets were active today.

As we neared Mobile we spotted a group of white pelicans. We had not seen these in a while and it was nice to see another species. A two-knot current of an ebb tide aided our trek to Mobile and we arrived at the Cochrane Bridge ahead of schedule. The harbor was very busy with tugs moving barges, barges being unloaded, and pleasure craft heading both up- and down-river.

Australian shipbuilder Austral has a yard in Mobile that produces warcraft for the US Navy. We spotted our first palm trees outside of the convention center. Miss Utah followed us through the harbor and was dwarfed by her surroundings. The 35-story Retirement Systems of Alabama Tower is the tallest building in the state.

The container ship RDO Concord was being unloaded as we exited the harbor into Mobile Bay. We were heading due south at this point and quickly remembering what its like to cruise in the light chop of tidal waters. We passed a fishing boat that was pulling its nets in the channel, and didn't answer the VHF radio. As we neared our turnoff for Dog River, the chop and wind combined to send spray over the bow and onto the pilothouse windshield. The falling tide that we were thankful for in the river turned into our nemesis in the channel. The low tide water level left us with only two feet to spare and I counted out our depth readings as Barry fought a strong crosswind to keep us in the channel.

We pulled into Dog River Marina just as it started to rain. Our first stop was the fuel dock where we took on 350 gallons of diesel and got a pump out. That was a lengthy process and I was thankful for the lone heron that entertained me as I watched the nozzle and tried to stay dry.

We tied up to the transient dock just as the heavy rain began to fall. Accompanied by some sporadic thunder and lightning, the storm lasted well past nightfall. By that time the tide had flipped and was coming in. We must get used to the delicate balance that results from staying on a fixed dock in a tidal region. We'll stay here a few days and have plenty opportunity to work out the details.

Passing Through Our Final Lock

Day 188 |  Silas to Tensas River Anchorage  |  9.0 Hours  |  73 Miles  |  1 Lock  

Crossroads and Miss Utah pulled out of Bobby's Fish Camp at 6:30 for the short run down to the Coffeeville Lock. Thankfully, we entered right in and the doors shut quickly. We were all very cognizant of this lock's significance -- it was the final one on our trek through the inland rivers. The morning was gray and gloomy, but the crews of both boats were all smiles.

We encountered our first lock on June 11 back in Troy, NY, and have passed through a total of 102. We traversed a least one lock on 35 days. Our single-day record was 11, back on July 23 while in Canada on the Trent-Severn Waterway. We remembered back to our first Looper Rendezvous and initially hearing about the different types of locks -- cable, rope, floating bollard. The presenter was spouting out all kinds of warnings about floating bollards and how bad they were. I now say, give me a floating bollard any day. They are so easy. Pull in, attach one line to the midship cleat, catch up with important texts, untie, and be gone. Today's scenery was lacking. Eroded hillsides and downed trees were evidence of recent floods.

The highlights were bridges and industry. With those two things we had a good chance of having cell service. Our route was once again full of twisty switchbacks requiring a lot of travel, but yielding very little forward progress. We were surprised by the number of tows we encountered along the way and surmised that the Thanksgiving holiday had shifted more activity to Saturday.

The first photo below shows the dark band of the high water mark on tree trunks. The water has receded quite a bit. The Alabama River was docile today and very different from the raging torrents of a week ago. The rest of the day was spent looking at familiar sights: heron, relocated channel markers, and perfect reflections in the still water.

Although conditions were not ideal for bird photography, we spotted a pair of eagles in a tree and there were countless egrets skimming the water's surface. At 4:00 pulled into a great anchorage on the Tensas River and rafted up alongside Miss Utah for the evening. We got together for supper and stayed up too late chatting.

Our final moments were spent planning our homestretch run into Mobile tomorrow. We are now in brackish water and turn our planning focus from locks to tides. We're hoping some warmer weather will arrive as well.

The Long and Winding River

Day 187 |  Demopolis to Silas  |  10.5 Hours  |  85 Miles  

The alarm rang at 5:00 and I reluctantly got up and ready for a possible 6:00 departure. Our designated leader called the Demopolis Lock at 5:45 expecting a "come on in" response. Instead, he found out that a tow had beaten us into the chamber and we'd have to wait about an hour. I laid back down and caught a few more minutes of sleep. The next time I awoke to an orange sky and felt better about getting underway when we could see. Seven boats filed into the lock and Crossroads was in the back next to the gate. When the water level dropped, we had a close-up view of the water leaking in over the sill. Leaving the lock, we passed the Demopolis water towers -- old and new, sitting side-by-side.

The scenery was much of the same that we've seen for several days. We had another stretch of white cliffs. We saw several small waterfalls along the way and more brightly colored foliage. It seemed that we saw more channel markers on the shore than at their anticipated location in the water. Recent high water levels have forced the buoys out of position. Our journey down the Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway today was full of switchbacks and curves and we traveled at all 360 degrees of the compass. By comparison, we could have driven point to point in a mere 76 miles. For a while we were even heading north and noticed that Granny's compass was still dialed in, accurate, and directing our way. I wish our modern day equipment was as reliable. Cell service along this stretch was almost nonexistent. Lack of internet did keep me from finding out that Virginia football lost to Virginia Tech ... again. Will I live long enough to ever see another Cavalier victory? Fifteen losses in a row and a 9-23 record of futility since I left Grounds. Ugghh.

I did see two eagles and managed to get shots of both. Thanks to heavy cloud cover, today was much colder than yesterday. We sure missed the sunshine heating up the pilothouse. Twice we turned on the generator and ran the heat for a few minutes to knock down the chill. We pulled up to the dock at Bobby's Fish Camp just as the sky was dimming for the day. We rafted up to Miss Utah, joined them for cocktails and then went over to the namesake restaurant for dinner. The boys had the house-specialty catfish and the girls had shrimp.  

The captains reviewed our travel plans for tomorrow and we retired to Crossroads just before Boater's Midnight. We'll have another long day tomorrow, but have identified a few destination anchorages depending on how much progress we make. First up in the morning will be our final lock of the river system: Coffeeville (aka Choctaw). Rain is falling now, but it will be gone by the time we get moving. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's forecasted sunny and 65 degrees.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Day 186 |  Gainesville to Demopolis  |  5.8 Hours  |  43 Miles  

We enjoyed a nice, leisurely trip to Demopolis today. The temperature had dipped into the lower 30s by morning and dropped the interior temperature of the boat to the mid 50s. We had elected to not run the generator overnight, pulled out an extra blanket, and slept well in the chill. It was leaving the covers at dawn that proved to be a most difficult challenge. I bundled back up in multiple layers and prepared to face the cold. We pulled up our anchor cleanly at 7:30, just as the last of the golden sunrise was giving way to blue sky. Miss Utah led the way out of the perfect little anchorage which had just enough current running through it to keep us pointing in one direction overnight. Just as we entered the Tombigbee Waterway we came upon a dredge crew working early on a holiday. The business end (bit) of the dredge was out of the water, giving us a view of the process we had not seen before. For the most part the trip was serene. The water was flat except for our wakes, there was little wind, the sky was blue, and a hint of color could still be seen in the leaves.

The best views of the day came as we passed by the White Cliffs of Edes. This mile-long, 30-foot high stretch of rock wall is part of the Selma Chalk formations which were deposited at about the same time as England's famous White Cliffs of Dover.

Later downriver, we saw some Spanish moss hanging from the trees. That was a first for us on this trip. There is not much shoreline in this section of the waterway, forcing the herons to study the area from tree branches. We arrived at Kingfisher Marina in Demopolis around 1:30 and jumped onto a list of boat chores -- check-in, pumpout, fill the water tanks, vacuum, and shower. We put our little turkey breast in the oven sometime in the middle of all these projects, and anxiously waited for it to be done as the aroma filled the boat. We added mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, cranberries, stuffed peppers, and the traditional popcorn (Snoopy-style) to the buffet. Chris and Roger from Miss Utah joined us at 6:00 for dinner, bringing salad and wine.

We all gained entrance into the clean plate club, helped by the fact that none of us had any lunch following our arrival in Demopolis. We enjoyed a great evening and had a ton of laughs together. It was a special day that we won't forget. We checked in and heard from all the family back home as well. Sounds like everyone had good days.

We will depart with Miss Utah (and several other boats) tomorrow at 6:00 am. Yes, I know, I cannot believe I just typed that either. We have a lot of miles to cover and need a quick and early passage through the Demopolis Lock, located just around the bend. We'll see how far we can get and drop the anchor before sunset.

And We're Off ...

Day 185 |  Columbus (MS) to Gainesville (AL)  |  8.7 Hours  |  60 Miles  |  3 Locks

We bid farewell to Columbus Marina at 7:00 this morning as the sun rose over the trees. The green signal light was on and we entered promptly into the John C. Stennis Lock along with five other boats and a floating garden of water hyacinths. These invasive plants can wreak havoc with a boat's water inputs and bowthruster propeller. Lacking anything better to do, I took the boathook out and "raked" them away from us. Both the leaves and root structure are incredibly dense.

The temperature struggled all morning to get out of the 30s, but we were comfortable in the enclosed pilothouse. A few tows passed us heading north. Much of the three hours it took to get to our second lock of the day was spent sightseeing. Strange things seemed to pop up in odd places along the shore -- a giant rooster, and isolated phone booth and a totem pole. Most of these we had heard of and have been on the lookout for them as part of an unofficial Looper road trip bingo game.

The two "kids" sitting on a dock were cute, but would have been cuter if it was warmer. We joked that we should call child services since it was so cold out. Somewhere along the way (no "roadside" sign) we left Mississippi and entered Alabama. The Tom Bevill Lock was ready for us and we were fortunate to pull right in. By this time our fleet had dwindled to three. The egrets sitting on the lock railings kept a close watch over us. Upon exiting, we began doing the math as to how far we could get before the sun began to set. We all agreed that we'd go another four hours and anchor just below the Howell Heflin Lock. Although few and far between, there were still a few bright red leaves along the way. We had to wait 30 minutes or so at this final lock as an upbound fuel barge was already loaded into the chamber.

The three boats pulled into the Tombigbee Ox Bow as the sun was setting. The day quickly turned to night and an almost-full moon rose behind us. I found the best spot on Crossroads to maximize the weak and fleeting cell signal. I laughed with family as texts and photos came in detailing their preparations for Thanksgiving. Thanks to e-commerce, at least my head will be there. Barry and I had dinner then watched Snoopy make toast and popcorn on A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. That's one tradition I didn't want to miss out on, so I brought back the DVD.

We will leave this anchorage tomorrow and make our way to Demopolis, roughly 45 miles downstream. An early afternoon arrival will allow us to have our own little Thanksgiving supper and hear all about everyone else's big day. Thanks for following along and for all the kind words. Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Picking Up Where We Left Off

Days 171-184 |  Kodak (TN) to Richmond (VA) to Columbus (MS)   |  1,818 Miles

We're back aboard Crossroads and anxious to restart our trek out of the Tombigbee Waterway to the Gulf of Mexico. We've taken two weeks off with our travel home for the death of Barry's dad (Julian) and current preparations for departure. Most of this time has been a blur, but was filled with the love and support of many folks. Thanks so much for the texts, emails, calls, and cards. I'll recap a few things here to fill in the large gap between where I left off at the halfway point of our trip home and where we are today.

We awoke to a beautiful sunrise in the Smoky Mountains, grabbed a quick breakfast at the Hampton Inn, and were back on the road. We encountered patches of dense fog at the higher elevations, but it burned off and a yielded a deep blue sky background for the fall foliage we saw at a rest stop.

Interstate 81 is one of my least favorite roads as it is only two lanes and full of truck traffic. We got stuck behind a wide load for a good half hour that tested our patience. We needed to pick Barry's brother and his wife up at the airport at 3:00. We didn't have much of a cushion. The escort finally pulled onto an exit and the entourage followed. Traffic picked back up to normal cruising speed, much higher than the posted 70mph. We managed to pull into our driveway with just enough time for me to unload and Barry to head out. From the airport, the three went to the funeral home for final details on the interment that would take place in less than 24 hours. While we were at the service, the wonderful Flower Fairy delivered a basket of sunshine. Unbeknownst to me, I had to read "When I'm Gone." I didn't think to bring my reading glasses, but just in time, a bright ray of sunshine illuminated my sheet and I got through it.

The next few days were spent cleaning out Julian's apartment, dividing up memories and arranging for the donation of furniture, medical equipment, and his car to local charities. We heard today that one of his rollators had already found a special new home and that made us smile. We thankfully also had time for several special visits with friends before our planned departure. Once again, Mother Nature had other plans for us, and produced an ice storm in the Shenandoah Valley that delayed us for another day. We both put our extra day to good use. Everything happens for a reason and everything came together perfectly.

We departed the next morning with a destination of Knoxville and my long-anticipated visit to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. As we climbed Afton Mountain we saw the lingering accumulation of ice on the trees and guardrails. It was cold and the wind was whipping, but we were making good time. A recalculation of our ETA showed that we could knock out the whole 800 miles in one day ... if we didn't stop. So, we didn't stop and continued straight through Knoxville. We crossed into Georgia and quickly came upon a backup. Waze showed that there was an accident less than a mile ahead of us. Driver comments sounded pretty bad. We were able to check the local news for the sad report while we sat parked for over three hours. We had good cell service and streamed Cars 3 while trying to pass the time.

We also came to the realization that we wouldn't make it back to the marina that evening. When we saw the "Welcome to Sweet Home Alabama" sign we started looking for a hotel and found one in Gadsden. A good night's sleep was now our primary concern. With four hours still to go and a noontime kickoff for the Alabama football game, we again left early. The Crimson Tide was well-represented on the highway, but we did see a lone Citadel fan as we passed the massive Mercedes-Benz factory in Tuscaloosa County. Our trusty Hyundai Tucson arrived at Columbus Marina just in time to prepare our sweet potato casserole for the holiday luncheon. While it was in the oven, I began the daunting task of unpacking, while Barry returned the rental car.

We put over 2,213 miles on our trusty rental. The marina had fried turkeys and prepared dirty rice. Boaters brought a wide assortment of sides. We visited for most of the afternoon, returning to Crossroads as the sun was setting and the temperature was falling. A plan was put together that we would delay departure for a couple of days, get some more boat projects done, and then leave with a group of Loopers. Barry installed the new shelf in my closet, we pumped up our fenders which have deflated in the cold, and cleaned some of our running gear/lines that have turned a disgusting shade of green. Today we began replacing the hoses connecting the hot water heater to the engine. We believe these to be original 18-year-old hoses and were in desperate need of replacing. Following multiple runs to town to pick up antifreeze, a new hose, a new radiator cap, and to drop off the used antifreeze for recycling, that project is now done. While out we caught a movie, enjoyed pizza for supper, and discussed tomorrow's departure.

Columbus Marina has been a great home to us for close to three weeks now. White pelicans float by just off the docks, eagles glide overhead, and the moon rises in a sky unpolluted with light. We were able to use the courtesy car for errands and to reprovision at Walmart. I visited the ball court one more time, in between rainy days. The Christmas decorations sprang up at the park and we had fun hanging with Frosty.

We are, however, very much ready to leave. We have two locks and about 60 miles tomorrow to reach our target anchorage. We are now current. If you made it through this, congratulations. I will be back on my daily schedule starting tomorrow. Thanks for following along.