Grand Harbor Marina, Iuka, MS - 10/8/10

We left Clifton Marina this morning at 9:00 a.m along with two other boats from Pickwick Marina that we had traveled with the last 2 days. It was about 50 miles up Kentucky Lake to Pickwick Dam. Kentucky Lake is very nice but Pickwick Lake takes it to another level.

The lock is a 55 foot lift and a little different from those we have seen so far. There is a concrete sill under the up river gates that looks to be at least 30 foot high which we will go over when the lift is complete.

As we traveled down the lake we saw a bald eagle perched in a dead tree and a nice house that Ricki wants me to make an offer on. We got to Grand Harbor around 4 p.m. and after getting settled, decided to get a courtesy vehicle and go to the recomended Freddie T's for dinner. On our walk to the parking lot we stopped and chatted awhile with Fred Myers and Joan at his slip. Fred is the author of several travel guides for the Cumberland, Tennessee and Ten-Tom waterways. He will also be a presenter at the rendezvous later this month. We like this place so much we may spend another day here.

For those of us who normally play on the Ohio River, We have seen tows pushing 25 barges on these lakes. Talk about intimidating!

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Our position tonight is: N 34 59.462 W 88 12.954

Clifton Marina- 10/7/10

We left Pebble Isle Marina this morning around 9 a.m. (top left picture) after cinnamon buns and coffee for all loopers in the floating restaurant.

We traveled 62.5 miles today to Clifton Marina in Clifton, TN and arrived at 4 p.m. this afternoon.

The birds in the photo are migrating sea gulls and there was hundreds of them on the sandbar. The cliffs are said to be over 350 million years old.

On the way we were passed by an 80 footer that had a wake that was awsome. Then we finally came into the harbor for Clifton Marina.

This evening we joined the folks from the other 2 boats we travelled with all day from the Pickwick Dam Marina and enjoyed their company and hors dors on the party deck here at the marina. You have no idea how many great people you meet on this adventure and it is becoming very apparent that that very well may be the highlight of the trip.

N 35 23.145 W 88 00.367

Don't forget to check our location each day at:

http//greatloop.org/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1213

10/6/10 - Pebble Isle, New Johnsville, TN

Wow .... what a day. This morning I woke up about 6:30 and was watching a rerun of MASH when I heard Lee Greenwood singing Proud to be an American and went up to the helm to see about 320 bass fishermen standing at attention in their boats as a parade of bass boats was passing bearing the flags of every branch of service. Apparently what I have been told, this was the national championship tournament for the American Bass Anglers. About 7:30 they were turned loose and 163 boats headed out of the

marina.

The first place prize for 3 days catch was a new boat. If I understood right, second and third place money totaled $35,000. Big fish of the day was worth $5,000.

We finally left around 9:45 for the 30 mile run to Pebble Isle. We passed this railroad bridge to nowhere along with this old grain warehouse that the story goes they tried to demolish it when the lake was flooded but couldn't. Most daymarks we passed were homes for the birds. We are starting to run into boaters we have met in other marinas now. After a fantastic seafood dinner at the floating restaurant, when we were walking back to the boat we ran into a couple from MO that I have followed his blog for a couple years. They actually sold their home in 2006 and have done the loop twice and are now just going back to the places they either missed or enjoyed.

One couple that we first met in Green Turtle told us that the marina that we are going to tomorrow, as are they, has an adult beverage party every Wednesday night and Thursday night and ..... for that matter, every night of the week. The next couple days will be 50 - 60 mile runs each day and tomorrow may be a late start since they serve cinnamon rolls at 8:30 a.m. in the restaurant to all loopers.

We are at: N 36 04.2 W 87 57.8

Paris Landing Marina - 10/5/10

The first picture is just after sunrise looking out of the harbor at KenLake Marina toward the breakwater and Kentucky Lake.

Last night we enjoyed the company of Bob and Mavis Duthie who live in Nashville but keep their boat, The Katie Lee, here at KenLake. They completed the loop several years ago and then produced a video of the trip "What to expect cruising the Great Loop". He has also done videos of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers.

We left the marina at 9:40 a.m and traveled a short 24 miles to Paris Landing Marina leaving Kentucky and entering Tennessee. The remaining pictures are scenes of Kentucky Lake as we came up the lake. The lake was much calmer today than yesterday and the automatic pilot didn't have to work as hard to keep us on course.

Our positon tonight is N36 26.470 W 88 04.880

Day 16 - Aurora, KY

We left Green Turtle Bay Marina this morning at 11:00 and traveled to KenLake Marina in Aurora, KY a distance of around 20 miles. The Kentucky Lake part of the trip today was a llittle angry and rough but the boat handles great. Very easy day arriving at 2:30 this afternoon. We have just "vegged" out this afternoon and are having a couple lobsters for dinner tonight before watching Dancing with the Stars.

This is one nice marina and one that we have thought about sometime in the future for trips south. Pumped in 94 gallons of fuel and got a pump out before sitting down for the evening.

Tomorrow is another lazy day with only 24 miles to Paris Landing Marina in Buchanan, TN.

Coordinates for tonight are: N 36 45.729 W 88 07.990

Day 15 - still in GTB

Well ... after coaching from our friend Allen McGee, we finally have figured out how to add pictures in the right places. The first one is the boat that was in Marietta at the Sternwheel and is stationed at Evansville, IN at the Inland Marina. This boat is crewed by a bunch of WW II veterans which one has to wonder what will happen to history when they are gone.

The second picture is what we found on our boat and sunroof roof (mayflies)when we anchored out near Shaweetown a few nights ago. We spent hours

cleaning up this mess and it seems like we had at least a bushel of

these little suckers.







The 3rd picture is our boat at GTB. It was in slip right beside the marina office which made it very handy to the yacht club and ship store.






Here's a picture ot the Captain and Admiral at GTB yacht club. The food was excellent here.









Several times we have mentioned our friends the 4 McGees and here they are. This is what makes this trip fun just meeting folks like this. They will be returning to Louisiana (sp) on Tuesday and are having their boat pulled and put on the hard until next spring.
We have really enjoyed their company and the stuff we have done since our chance meeting several days ago in Indiana.

Remember, to see a large picture you can click on the image to make it bigger.

Today we had intended to sample the breakfast buffet at the yacht club but it was discontinued this month for the season so we went into town and had a great lunch buffet then returned to the boat where Ricki worked on pictures and I cleaned the Ohio River stain off the hull. Tomorrow we head on up the Tennessee River and start marina hopping our way to Joe Wheeler State Park in Rogersville, AL by the 11th or 12th of October for the loopers meeting.

Day 14 - still at GTB

Today was Walmart day. Along with our friends the 4 McGees, we took the courtesy van into Paducah for a late Mexican lunch and supplies. Since two boats were involved, we got to keep it for 4 hours, which we did. Later we all went to a Branson style variety show at a playhouse in Grand Rivers then back to our boat for cake and ice cream. Didn't get any of our boat projects even started so hope Sunday will be a little more productive. We have been told that the brunch at the yacht club on Sundays is supposed to be great so .... guess we will find out.

Tomorrow we hit the water again for the next 8 days or so just marina hopping our way up the Tennessee River. Our planned first stop will only be 30 plus miles to KenLake Marina.

This place is really great and if Ricki gets our pictures downloaded we will sent them out.

I have also updated our position on the Looper Map (http://greatloop.org/mod/aglcalocator/membermap.php?id=1213)