Clifton, TN to Florence, AL

Friday, October 18

















Clifton Marina turned out to be a wonderfully quiet dockage, and we woke to Dream Chaser wrapped in soup-thick fog.  The fog remained heavy throughout the morning which delayed our departure, so Steve worked on solving the glitches with our TV coverage, Mary baked pumpkin muffins, and we took our daily hike to downtown Clifton.

                  Dream Chaser and our fellow loopers in Erben Renewal at Clifton Marina.

The town was quiet on this early Friday morning, except for some activity at a corner  parking lot.  Since the town grocery store had burned down over a year ago, we were happy to find two local elderly men selling fresh produce, honey, and molasses from their pickup truck.  During our purchase of fruits, vegetables, and honey, we learned all about molasses and how it is processed.  After sampling the sticky, sweet molasses, we completed our three mile hike hauling our “goodies” back to the boat.

About noon, Dream Chaser headed out of the Clifton Marina and into the Tennessee River with a projected five hour cruise to the Pickwick Lock and Dam.  This beautiful section of the river was accented by limestone lined banks, an increase of people fishing, a family enjoying a warm fall day at the beach, a lonely cow on the river bank, a few tows with barges, and an increase in housing (large and impressive, average, trailer houses, and creative)












 Making the most of one of the last warm
  fall days.










 Tennessee River Towboat going down river
  with 15 barges.

One of the many large, beautiful homes along
 the Tennessee River.

  This is a more creative choice in housing
   along the Tennessee River.  Eight ocean
   freight containers combined to create a
   "home"!







The Dream Chaser's engines hadn’t been opened up to full throttle since we left Bayfield,WI (1,000 gallons of fuel ago), so now that we are ten miles from the Alabama border, Steve figured that it was time.  After 30 seconds of full power, there was such a cloud of smoke behind the boat, it was obvious that it was long over due.

This map shows the Tennessee River and mile markers along our route from the Kentucky Dam to the Pickwick Dam.  Today, we motored from about MM 150 to MM 200 (just before the Pickwick Lock and Dam)-about 40 miles.






 About 13 miles from the Pickwick Lock and Dam, we motored against a two mph current.  At MM 196, one mile later, we found a quiet anchorage on the backside of Diamond Island in a channel of what experienced boaters would call “good water” (no stumps and debris).  Following dinner, Mary watched a movie, and then Steve watched the 6th game of the Los Angeles vs St. Louis playoff series.   With our anchor light on and “Drag Queen” (our anchor alarm) activated, we were rocked to sleep by the gentle current.


Saturday, October 19

Steve was already up and plotting for the day, when Mary woke up.  It had been a great night’s sleep anchored behind Diamond Island in spite of the pack of coyotes howling in the night about 2 am.  
At 7 am, the sky was cloud covered, and the moon was on its way down behind the tree line.  Just as Steve started Dream Chaser’s engines, we were startled by two guys in a high speed fishing boat with at least 200 hp motors zooming by us in the narrow channel.  Five  minutes later while Mary was pulling the anchor, another equally equipped and very impressive fishing boat broke the quiet as it zoomed by down the channel.  We left our anchorage at Diamond Island and with temps in the 50’s, entered the Tennessee River channel.  Most of the morning, it was overcast and cool.

At MM 197.8, to our starboard side, the Shiloh National Military Park began covering 4,400 acres of land containing the Shiloh Battlefield.  This is the site of the Civil War’s first major combat in the western theater.  There are 156 monuments, 217 cannons, and over 650 historic tablets (pointing out troop locations and movements) in the preserved battlefield.  This battle resulted in the death of 23,746 soldiers, mostly young men under 30 years old of which many had never experienced war.  The film at the visitors center is a must see!

 Pictured above is Pittsburg Landing which was actually the name of a small settlement with a bustling steamboat landing.  General Grant used this area as the base of operations for the Union offensive using the Tennessee River to move his troops and supplies. This “Battle of Pittsburg Landing” took place on April 6 & 7, 1862.  Because of lack of dockage at Shiloh, we planned to acquire a car and drive back from Grand Harbor, our next dockage. 
So, Dream Chaser continued to motor along with temps in the high 50’s passing large beautiful houses along the Tennessee River.  Looking at a map, you could see that at one point in Pickwick Lake, Dream Chaser went in and out of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee as the borders of these states meet in the lake.

When Dream Chaser arrived at the Pickwick Lock and Dam, we had only about a 30 minute wait and then in we went!  As we exited the lock, we entered Pickwick Lake and motored to nearby Pickwick State Park Marina. This is a very pretty area, and the huge dining room of the Pickwick State Park lodge is known for its $8 buffet of regional dishes.  Today, the specialty was catfish and pork loin with many other buffet dishes. We were looking forward to lunch since we had only had a banana for breakfast.  The lodge was a mile away-so we had our 2 mile hike for the day and a great lunch. 

       Dream Chaser docked at Pickwick State Park Marina


As we motored down Pickwick Lake, we saw some very impressive houses!

Now that 's a retaining wall!

Grand Harbor

 Boaters back their boats into their slip,
 set up a patio on the wide docks, add trees
 and flowers, and many have a golf cart to make
 the trips down the long docks easier.
Quite the Life!







 Back on Dream Chaser, we turn onto the Tenn-Tom Waterway and headed for Grand Harbor Marina. This marina is one of the nicest full service marinas we have seen. When the lines were tied and paperwork completed, we borrowed the courtesy car and headed to Shiloh. Earlier in the day, we merely motored by Shiloh, so now we will experience the park. The visit to Shiloh was very moving and definitely worth the visit. Back at the marina, as we handed the courtesy car keys to the next loopers, we were asked to join a group of loopers going out to dinner.  So 15 minutes later, we hopped in the van to Freddy T’s, a local restaurant- a fun, wacky place with great food, funky decor, and live local, country music upstairs.  





Freddy T's was a fun place, very busy, with
crazy fun decor.  Steve was checking out all
old water skis attached to the walls, sections of boats, and just crazy stuff.

  The pirate and the hula dancer were
  standing on the bar.  This is just a sample
  of the crazy decor.

 Sunday, October 20
As we woke this morning, a mystical fog swirled around us and rose from the water surrounding us. Gradually the swirls disappeared into the sunshine, and activity picked up on the docks with a few larger boats departing.  After a breakfast of oatmeal and fruit, we planned our course for the week, and then were off in the courtesy car for church at First Baptist in Counce, TN.

  Our answer to what we would do for lunch appeared before us in the form of the Broken Spoke Restaurant.  A very cool place (rustic with quaint 1940‘s decor), and everything is homemade!  We ordered the special, Boston Butt Pork Roast, followed by  pieces of pecan pie and strawberry cake. They really know how to cook down here in Tennessee!

 
The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day as we motored east on Pickwick Lake and entered the state of Alabama.  The sky was blue and cloudless. Soooo nice to have warm sunshine even if temps only peaked at 60.  Except for a few big boats and half a dozen fishing boats, it was quiet and smooth sailing on Pickwick Lake. 

At 3:30 pm we entered the anchorage at Ross Branch or Rock Pile, at MM 229.9.  It is a small, tree lined cove with three rock piles that separates it from the main navigational channel of Pickwick Lake. It felt very safe, but even though we anchored into the wind, Dream Chaser moved around due to a shift in wind direction. Because the  cove is surrounded by high trees, the wind swirls around changing direction which moves the boat.






























While the bay initially appeared quiet, while we sat quietly on the bow of the boat and observed, there was constant activity and noises all around us.  Algae or, possibly, duck weed dominated the shallow, undisturbed portions of the bay.  There were small ripples on the water, as the boat gently adjusted itself with the wind current.   Birds were chirping, cawing, and squawking.  Thirty Canadian geese took flight and lined up as they flew over our boat honking in unison like a choir. Crickets hummed or buzzed nonstop.  A few ducks floating in the bay behind us flapped their wings.  An airplane could be heard overhead, and a truck hummed on a distant highway.  Occasionally, a large pleasure craft would motor down the navigational channel of the lake, most likely headed to Grand Harbor for the night.  It was simply a beautiful spot to sit and observe God’s creation.   This was our first night sleeping on the boat in Alabama!

Monday, October 21

We woke up with Dream Chaser engulfed in fog which started in the night and just grew thicker until morning.  It was a strange feeling being in the dark, foggy cove with fog swirling around. 
Our plan is to reach Florence, AL today, about 5 hours of motoring, so we pulled anchor about 9 am, with fog still lingering over the water. The fog cleared about 10 am, and the sky turned cloudless, blue, with bright sunshine.  The fall colors are not strong yet, but the trees have a bit more color this morning with the bright sunshine.

About 10 am, we passed under the mile long Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge. The Trace is a 444 mile long scenic parkway from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN. The Trace was originally an Indian Trail that the French discovered, and then was later used by traders, missionaries, and soldiers over the years.  With the Natchez Trace Bridge stretched out behind us, we motor onward.

About 12, noon, we arrived at the Florence Harbor Marina in Florence, AL which is located in an area called The Shoals.  The town was named after Florence, Italy and has grown to over 36,000 residents.  
After tying the lines and finding the keys to the courtesy car, we headed to Ivy Green in Tuscumbia, AL, the birthplace of Helen Keller.  At 19 months old, Helen Keller became blind and deaf.  Helen was a half-wild, southern child  trapped in a world of quiet and darkness.  With guidance from Anne Sullivan, “the Miracle Worker”, Helen began to learn at a rapid rate, excelled in school, and became one of history’s most remarkable women.  She dedicated her life to improving the lives of the blind and deafblind around the world.  Mary’s passion to become a teacher was fueled by the books she read about Helen Keller, and the difference Anne Sullivan had made in Helen’s life.

                                         Helen Keller's original family home.

                                            The Rosenbaum House

Before we returned to the boat, we stopped at the Rosenbaum House, a home design by Frank Lloyd Wright and then to Walmart for provisions.
After dinner, we joined our friends, Meg and Jimmy, on Sanctuary for a evening of conversation and Rummikub.

On the move-Kentucky Lake to Clifton, TN

Monday, October 14
It was a gorgeous sunny day, wispy clouds, and temps projected in the 70‘s.  With our air-travel bug satisfied, the river began to call us back.  So, after several enjoyable days in the Barkley Lake area, we disconnected the power from the dock at Rottgerings Marine, threw off the lines, and pointed our boat into Barkley Lake.  This day, Dream Chaser motored five hours (40 miles) from the dock in Barkley Lake (the impounded Cumberland River), through the connecting Barkley Canal, and south through Kentucky Lake to Ginger Cove.
Kentucky Lake is actually a large reservoir created in 1944 as a result of the construction of the Kentucky Dam.  It is the largest artificial lake in the U.S. east of the Mississippi River.  As we motored south through Kentucky Lake, to our left was the Land Between the Lakes.  The LBL is a strip of land about 40 miles long and up to eight miles wide between Barkley Lake and Kentucky Lake.  Being one of the nation’s largest inland peninsulas, this recreational area is a boater’s dream with undeveloped shoreline and numerous coves.  Supposedly, there is also a herd of elk! We didn’t see the herd, but we did see miles of beautiful wide lake, mostly sandy shores, and thick, rich forests.

                                                Our anchorage in Ginger Cove

Our anchorage for the night was Ginger Cove, a secluded cove with the sound of birds, crickets, and a coyote to welcome us. There are just hints of color in the woods-nothing too dramatic yet, but the fall color is on its way.  At 5:30 pm, Mary dropped the anchor in ten feet of water and Steve programmed Drag Queen (our anchor alarm system that alerts us when the boat moves more than our chosen distance of 30 feet).  After a dinner salad, a movie, and watching Monday night football, we slept soundly as Drag Queen did its job.  Love that marine technology!

Mary:
Meg, one of my looper friends asked me a couple weeks ago if I was getting homesick.  After some thought, I realized that I missed seeing family and friends, but I would be OK if I could have wheels for a day or so.  Our week break to New England and my jaunts to get provisions seemed to have done the trick. 

Tuesday, October 15
Ginger Cove turned out to be a most wonderful, peaceful refuge for our anchorage.  As we greeted the day, we noticed that the sky was gray and cloud covered (as predicted), but the cove remained still and peaceful. The only movement we saw this morning was a grey heron who appeared to be guarding his post on a point of shoreline near the entry to the cove. The bird had eyed us as we passed him on our way in to anchor, last night, and he gave us the idea that this was his territory.

We pulled the anchor, motored past “the little guard” standing at the point, and headed into a brisk wind with 1-1 1/2 foot waves on the Tennessee River.  For the next 5-6 hours, we motored south, up river with mostly tree-lined shore and periodic scatterings of homes.
Most of the day, our radio system was playing music from Steve’s I-Pad or selections from his new “Classic Rock” CD (he picked up on one of his missions to Best Buy)


 It is so peaceful and autopilot is so efficient that Steve is relaxed and periodically nods off while the music plays!

Without fanfare, we left Kentucky and entered into Tennessee!
Beginning at about MM (mile marker) 67, the next five miles of water at our starboard was a Tennessee wildlife refuge where 200,00 ducks, 25,000 geese, and 200 eagles arrive in the fall and find protection over the winter. (Does someone count each bird?!)

Periodically, we see huge osprey nests built in the tops of the navigational markers. Once nearly extinct from the use of DDT, they have been re-established and are protected by state and federal laws.

AT MM 78., we see remains of the old L & N Railroad bridge.

Just beyond the bridge is an old, abandoned, cement grain building which rises like a ghost in the river.  Most structures were removed before the area was flooded as a result of the Kentucky Dam, but this building withstood demolition attempts, so officials left it. 

Our morning bowl of oatmeal was but a memory, so Mary prepared a lunch of salad with chicken, pecans, red onion, avocado, feta cheese, and dressing.  We try to eat healthy to make up for the 2” pork chops or platefuls of deep fried seafood or catfish that lead us astray, periodically.  Most days, we sit at the upper helm for breakfast and lunch, so we are grateful that our boat has an open upper helm.  Eating lunch “up top” with a light breeze and a full view of the lake; it doesn’t get any better than that!

At MM 94, we see Pilot Knob, the highest elevation in West Tennessee, which rises over 200 ft. above the river and is part of the Nathan Bedford Forrest  Memorial State Park.  Over the next three miles we solemnly passed OVER the town of Johnsonville and the rotting remains of Union boats sunk by Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest and the confederate forces! There is a story here, and our minds flash back to the battle that took place 149 years ago (almost to the day!) in this area.
A bit of history:
First of all, who was Nathan Bedford Forrest?  At the beginning of the war, Forrest had no military training, but became a great strategist for the Confederacy and shared his wealth of frontier experience. He terrorized the Union generals and was so talented that he went from a private at the beginning of the war to a lieutenant general by the time the war ended.  Stories tell that Forrest would suddenly attack the Union forces and then just disappear which infuriated the leaders of the Union forces.  Another story tells that Forrest had 30 horses shot out from under him during the Civil War period. 
The Battle of Johnsonville was unique in that it was the only time in military history a cavalry force defeated a naval force.  The story goes like this...Johnsonville was the location that Confederate General Forrest began his mission to destroy General Sherman’s famous “March to the Sea”.  Because General Sherman shipped Union supplies down the Ohio and Mississippi and up the Tennessee to a holding complex at Johnsonville, it grew into a bustling military supply operation. General Forrest knew that if he could destroy this supply depot at Johnsonville, it would keep supplies from General Sherman and hinder the Union advance.  So, over about a 30 mile stretch from Paris Landing to Johnsonville, General Forrest stationed 3,000 men and 10 cannons.  He also placed  confederate soldiers across the river below Pilot Knob and at the right time, his forces opened fire on Johnsonville.  The Union forces had cannons and fire power, but the cannons on the ridge were too high to strike the Confederate forces and the guns on the Union boats were aimed too low. The result was 33 Union vessels sunk, two trains destroyed, $6 million of warehoused supplies burned, and 150 Union soldiers captured.  General Forrest had two men killed, nine men wounded, and two guns destroyed.  General Sherman wanted General Forrest hunted down! This Confederate victory, however, was not enough to change the outcome of the war and Sherman continued his push to Savannah. 

About 2 pm, we arrived at Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, TN, our dockage for the night.  After getting Dream Chaser situated, we caught a ride to the Park Visitor Center which provided a film and exhibits on the area.   We found that Johnsonville  was rebuilt after the destruction from the Civil War and flourished until 1944, at which point, the Kentucky Dam was constructed and Johnsonville disappeared under the flooded river. Originally just a sleepy river landing prior to the Civil War, the growing town of Johnsonville had been named for Andrew Johnson a military governor during the Civil War and the 17th President of the United States following Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. New Johnsonville, about 2 miles from it’s flooded neighbor, was created by residents who wanted to remain in the area. 

Wednesday, October 16
Rain began about 11 pm and continued throughout the night.  We woke to an overcast sky and drizzling rain. About 7 am, as the skies lightened, Steve grabbed the hose and gave the boat a good scrubbing trying to rid the deck and walls of nasty, gooshy bugs.  Boating is not a totally laid back experience!
At 8 am, we dodged raindrops on our way to the marina office for warm cinnamon rolls and coffee.  Yum!  While enjoying our carb filled breakfast, we chatted with one of the marina owners who filled us in on the local happenings.  The courtesy van was available so, we grabbed the keys and headed to New Johnsonville and Camden for provisions and the post office.  On the return trip, we took a quick drive through the Johnsonville Historic State Park with its Civil War fortifications, entrenchments, and cemeteries.
Dream Chaser was VERY thirsty, so after filling her tanks (gulp, gulp, gulp!), we headed upstream on the Tennessee River.  Very soon the river narrowed and rolling hills joined the scenery.  A variety of homes appeared on the rocky cliffs, some impressive two and three story homes, some on pilings, and some RV’s with metal roofs.




At 2:30 pm, Dream Chaser turned up Lick Creek, motored a half mile to a wide part of the creek, and dropped anchor alone in the quiet bay.  After dinner, we watched the movie “Remember the  Titans", and slept well under a full October moon.

Thursday, October 17
At 7 am, as the sun was rising behind the cloud cover and a mist started to fall, our day began.  The boat engines came to life with a rumble.  As Steve prepared for the boat’s departure, Mary followed her normal anchor duties of switching on power for the sea water pump and the windlass (the motor that pulls the anchor chain), checking on power to the windlass, raising the anchor with the “up” foot control at the bow,  spraying off the chain and anchor which removes the caked mud accumulated from the mucky bottom of the bay, and setting the anchor safety clip.  With the anchor stowed, Dream Chaser motored out of Lick Creek winding through a narrow channel about 7 ft. deep and headed to the Tennessee River.  Other than a squawking duck, there wasn’t a hint of light or activity as we looked toward the large, beautiful houses that graced the edge of the bay.

Mist rose from the river and off the tree covered hills while water drizzled down our upper helm topper.   We watched two sand and gravel company dredgers anchored in the river filling their barges with sand from the river bottom.  Near Perryville, TN, we passed under the Albin York Bridge, US 412.  As we passed by the Perryville Marina on our starboard side, we noticed the VERY narrow entrance to the marina and were glad that we had anchored out last night.
As the drizzle turned to rain and temps hovered in the low 50’s, we moved below to the warm lower helm of the boat, and had our breakfast of eggs, toast, and steamed greens.





Auto pilot has been an awesome tool for marine navigation, but do we put too much faith in it at times? Who's driving?

At MM 140,  we passed an unusual  sign signaling the entrance to the Mermaid Marina in Decaturville, TN.  Their office is on a floating barge.

 We are noticing more fall colors popping out
  each day!







 We continue to see tree lined banks, more frequent higher rolling hills, a few more fall colors, trailers with metal roofs, and most houses on stilts or elevated at this point in the river.  As impressive bluffs meet the river, houses are perched along the edges with awesome views.  The area reminds us of the St. Croix River in WI.

Since we left Barkley Lake on Monday morning, the river has been very quiet.  We've seen only about five barges on the river and today, we've met only 6 boats.  At MM 152.5, we entered one of the sharpest hairpin turns on the Tennessee River which was nine miles long.  If we could have cut across overland, it would have been two miles.
About noon with the misty fog still hanging over the river, we enter the passage for Clifton Marina at MM158 and motored into the harbor.  As we were tying the ropes at the dock, the sun came out as if to welcome us to town.  Oh, the sun felt so wonderful after our days of mist, clouds, and rain.  Clifton has been the first town on the river in about 150 miles since the river-town of Paducah.   In 1843, Clifton almost became the state capital of TN, but lost by one vote.  Also, Clifton is proud of being the home of the novelist, T.S. Stribling.

After docking and paying our fees, we headed for Clifton in the marina courtesy car.  We toured the town, enjoyed a catfish special for lunch, and returned to the boat.  The afternoon consisted of completing a few projects, a wonderful nap, and a great 1.4 mile walk to stretch out our legs.  We visited with fellow AGLCA loopers, Steve and Julie, from Erben Renewal who pulled in and docked next to us. 

                        We have been slowing down and taking time to smell the flowers!

Break for New England Fall Colors

Friday, October 4- Friday, October 11
We docked Dream Chaser in Paducah, KY and hopped a plane to New England for the fall colors.  We arrived in Boston and drove up the coast to Newburyport, Camden, Booth Bay Harbor, Ocean Point, Bath, Bangor, Moosehead Lake, Augusta, the Kancamangus Highway, and on to Cavendish, VT in the Okemo Valley and back to Boston via Newburyport.

 We found beautiful fall colors in Massachusettes, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
Besides visiting with family (Steve’s brother and family), we experienced many covered bridges, maple sugar farms and shops, quaint towns, unique shops, art and craft fairs, farmer’s markets, a great church service, colorful hikes, and of course lobster!

                                                       Schutys Lobster Shack-Maine

Choosing a new area of New England, we took a circular trip through the White Mountains of Vermont which included Cavendish (stayed at the Castle Hill Resort), Ludlow, Plymouth (Calvin Coolidge Historic site), Woodstock (neat old buildings and historic markers), the Quechee Gorge (Vermont’s Little Grand Canyon), and the Jenne Road Farm (most photographed farm in Vermont). Then on to Weston (home of one of the famous Vermont Country Stores), and Manchester (Hildene, the Robert Todd Lincoln family summer home).

Castle Hill Resort:  the breakfast room                                          Castle Hill Resort:  the patio







Steve loves reading the historic markers!

                                 The Jenne Road Farm-Most photographed farm in Vermont.

                                              This Vermont Country Store had everything!

                                     Hildene, the Robert Todd Lincoln family summer home.



On Saturday, we returned to Paducah, picked up provisions, and checkout the historic downtown and riverfront.  As we read the Wall to Wall murals on the flood wall, the band Solid Ground was playing 60’s and 70’s music at the riverfront.  On Sunday, we visited Heartland Worship Center and finished our provisioning-even fresh flowers for the boat!

Earlier in this blog, I mentioned a gentleman, Jeff, who overhead our marine radio conversation regarding seeking a dockage or anchorage when we entered the Paducah river area.  He is a writer for marine magazines and has a boat photography business.  Jeff also monitors marine radio conversations and assists boaters whenever possible- as he did for us.  We reconnected with him when we returned to Paducah, and he was kind enough to be our “taxi” from the airport to our boat.  He has a wealth of knowledge of the rivers and area, and we so enjoyed our time visiting with him.  We hope to reconnect with him and his wife at some point along our journey.

This sunset was taken off the stern of our boat.  What a perfect ending to the day!