The Loop Continues - Days 6 - 11

Day 6 was our next day on the water after spending Thanksgiving at Joe Wheeler State Park.  We planned an early start to get rolling and shoot for making Grand Harbor at the top of the Tenn-Tom today.  Things didn’t look too good after calling the Wheeler Lock only to find out that they had a barge coming up and we would have to wait for two hours.  So much for getting up early!!  So we waited (not like we had a choice) and left the marina to be out in the channel about the time suggested.  The barge came out pretty close to the expected time and made the first lock.  Next was Wilson Lock that has been under repair for a couple of months.  Instead of having to go through in the dark (6PM to 6AM) we got a Thanksgiving treat and basically zipped through at 11AM!!  The rest of the trip down to Grand Harbor was virtually us and a few fishing boaters.  Beautiful sunny day that warmed up from 27 degrees to about 60!  At Grand Harbor, we took the courtesy car and went to Freddy-T’s for dinner.  Great place for dinner that also is a sort of sports bar with a DJ and dance club – you got to multi-task in a small town!!  Track and photos - www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/899024

Grand sunset at Grand Harbor

Freddy T's

The boat table

Water skis on the ceiling

So did you notice in the track photos?  It was your first teaser pic. Wilson lock at Florence, Alabama, constructed between 1918 - 1925, was once the world’s largest dam and highest single lift lock.  Today is the 3^rd highest with a vertical lift of 94’.  Wilson Dam is the oldest TVA dam and is constructed of brick.  It is 4,541’ wide and 137’ high.  It is a National Historic Landmark and pretty impressive to see and pass through.

Yes - that teaser was Wilson Lock

Day 7 was our next change of plan.  We learned that the Tenn-Tom Locks now communicate and coordinate for river traffic.  So instead of doing a short run to Bay Springs prepare for a day of locking, we took advantage and made 56 mile run to Midway Marina.  We had stopped here on the way up after buying the boat so this was a familiar location and is a nice break after doing 24 miles of the “divide cut” and 3 (Whitten, Montgomery & Rankin) closely spaced locks.  When you look at the photos on the Ramblr track, it is easy to understand this section of the waterway.  Not too interesting as it is the excavated portion that created the link to the Tennessee River – pretty straight, rip-rap banks and nothing too see.  We’re going to spend an extra day here and go over to Tupelo to see Elvis’ birthplace and museum.  Track and photos - www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/899995

Day 8 and we are off to Tupelo in the marina courtesy car to visit Elvis Presley's birthplace.  Allen, this one's for you!  It was about a 25 minute drive over from the marina and a huge step back in time.  We saw the house, and room, where Elvis was born.  A little, white, two room house of just barely more than 400 SF as well as the church he went to up until the age of 13 when the family moved to Memphis.  There was a museum with a lot about his early life and influences in Mississippi.  Really interesting to see and have a better understanding of what the early years were like for him!  So I'm sure all of you Elvis fans know that his mother was 4 years older than his father, he was a twin (older brother was stillborn) and that his father was sent to prison (for forgery).

The House

Room where Elvis was born

Kitchen

13 year old Elvis

His Church

Inside Church

Check out the numbers on the wall plaque.  The donations are $5.31 and $3.58!  Got to remember that this was about 1940.

Day 9 has us moving on down the river toward the Gulf.  We woke up early to fairly thick fog on the river which delayed departure by about an hour, but when it cleared it was like a curtain being lifted - bam it was gone!  We had four locks (Fulton, Wilkins, Armory & Aberdeen) to pass through today on the way to Columbus Marina.  The weather, which began a foggy and cold (29 degrees) went to beautiful sun and upper 60's.  I had to get rid of my long sleeves and get down to a t-shirt - not bad for almost December.  In Columbus, we took the courtesy car into town for dinner at Huck's which I would highly recommend to anyone who might happen to be in this part of the world.  Food was great and the staff was friendly and attentive.  Track and photos - www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/902054

Day 10 was cold just like the previous day, but the fog did not form so we were able to get started when we had wanted.  This is basically just another day moving south on the waterway to get to the Gulf.  We got through the locks at Stennis and Bevill with no waits - continuing proof that the lock coordination really does work.  There were several barges along the way to provide some change to the scenery.  We traveled for a little over 6 hours and anchored in a cutoff channel for the evening.  Track and photos - www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/903276

Watching a tow pass our anchorage

Sunset in Upper Crooks Cutoff

Day 11 - the morning was much warmer than the previous days so no fog formed on the water.  We woke up early and decided to just go ahead and get started.  The only lock to do today is Heflin which is about 11 miles downstream from our anchorage.  The only traffic we have on the river is a few tows and their barges.  Not another pleasure boat anywhere.  All the other loopers have gotten down the river and are apparently well ahead of us!  One of the most interesting sights today were the white cliffs of Epes, Alabama.  These are chalk cliffs of the same basic composition as the White Cliffs of Dover in England.  We traveled just under 6 hours and stopped at Demopolis for fuel and to stay overnight. Much to our surprise, there are 4 or 5 other looper boats here.  Several of us will be continuing on down toward the Gulf tomorrow.  Track and photos - www.ramblr.com/web/mymap/trip/273527/903277

Kingfisher Marina at Demopolis Yacht Basin

We are now 3 travel days from Mobile Bay.  The next two nights will be spent in anchorages as there are no facilities other than Bobby's Fish Camp between here and the Bay.  Bobby's was once a great stop for a catfish dinner, but unfortunately Bobby passed away a few years ago and things are just not the same.  Next time we will have WiFi will be at Dog River Marina in Mobile Bay.