After a restful night at Ditto Landing Marina, near Huntsville, AL, we awoke to frost on the sides of the boat and fog rising around us into the air from the warmer lake water. It's Saturday morning and nearby some fishing boats were already being launched for a day on the river. The fishermen were warmly dressed as it was a cold morning, around 30 degrees. This was our third day of adventures with Scott and Sandy on the boat. As we ate our breakfast of sunny side up eggs, bacon, iced blueberry scones, and coffee or tea, we discussed the schedule for the day.
Notorious, the yacht I mentioned in the previous blog post, was still moored at her dock, sitting like a lonely lady at the far end of the marina. Originally christened the Sereno in 1953 and then later the Exuberance, she is an old wooden boat with quite a history. Charlton Heston supposedly lived on her during the filming of "Planet of the Apes". The owner plans to restore the vessel to its prior glory. The historic lady is said to have a pure marble dining room table and other interesting furnishings. One of the mechanics involved in the restoration said that he though it would be easier to rebuild the Empire State Building that to restore this boat. We had to agree that she looked pretty rough when we gazed upon her this morning as the sun lit up her sides.
At 9:15 am, we pulled the dock lines and motored out of the marina heading into Wheeler Lake. As we motored along, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery with the fall colors increasing, bluffs appearing, and thick forests lining the shore.
At MM 344.8, Painted Bluff rose over 350 ft high at the end of Merrill Mtn. This bluff of yellow and brown rock is one of highest bluffs in the area, and as we passed, we noticed a woman repelling quickly down the face of the bluff. Unfortunately, she was moving so quickly that none of us could get a picture.
In another four miles, we arrived at Guntersville Dam which is 94 ft high and 3,979 ft long. Today, I had help with the fenders, and Scott is learning the art of locking through.
As we left Guntersville Dam, we entered Guntersville Lake which is the second largest lake in Tennessee. It is a hydroelectric dam built in the 1930's by the Tennessee Valley Authority as part of the New Deal project. Prior to the dam's construction, the water was too low for navigation and the area was devastated by periodic flooding This dam construction prompted the largest archaeological project in Alabama's history. Cherokee Indian sites were excavated resulting in human remains and artifacts being collected prior to the formation of the lake. With extra hands, locking through was a snap! We are often "watched" as we lock through!
The Bat Cave is at MM 350.1 just above the waterline and provides a sanctuary for the gray bat. The wire fencing in the picture indicated the location of the cave.
As we motor up the Tennessee River, we enjoyed our lunch of chicken salad on pitas with potato chips and coffee. We stayed in the navigation channel as hydrilla and water milfoil are thick and give false depth readings.
Our choice for overnight dockage was Alred Marina in Guntersville, LA. Our good friend, Jeff, we met in Paducah had mentioned that it would be a good choice, and that the area is very pretty. This marina has great shower and laundry facilities. We use our washer/dryer on the boat quite often, but it's nice to get large loads done all at one time.
Guntersville, formerly known as Gunter's Ferry and Gunter's Landing, was founded by Will Roger's great-grandfather. It has always been an important river town, playing a main role during the Civil War. Called the "chicken feed capital of the South", Guntersville's main industry is grain and animal feed processing.
We motored to slip #13, tied the lines, and checked out the marina. The courtesy car was available, so a trip to the Cathedral Caverns in Cathedral Caverns State Park was on the schedule. These caverns provided cave settings for the Disney Studios film "Tom and Huck".
When dinnertime arrived, we set out to find a unique restaurant in Guntersville which turned out to be the
Stone House Eatery, a Southern gourmet restaurant. We ordered the mahi-mahi special. Everything was fresh, homemade, and delicious!
After returning to Dream Chaser at the quiet marina, we watched the third game of the World Series. It was a great night to snuggle up under our warm quilts.
Sunday, October 27
We woke up under the covered dock in the snug Alred Marina on the edge of Guntersville, AL. After grabbing bananas for breakfast, we headed for the 8:15 am service at First Baptist Church in Guntersville. Inspiring sermon, great music, friendly folk!
After a quick trip to the Piggly Wiggly (only 2 left in MN) for provisions, we headed back to the boat. Mary popped a Boston Pork Butt (popular down here) in the crockpot to cook for the day. Lunch was rotisserie lemon pepper chicken, a green salad, and Hawaiian rolls.
Under a slightly gray, cloud-filled sky, we dropped the lines and motored out of Alred Marina about 12:30 pm. On our starboard side, the thick woods are quilted with fall colors covering the rolling hills and homes are scattered along the way. Off our port side, there is a combination of small islands and shallows with hydrilla and watermilfoil in abundance providing great habitat for fish and waterfowl.
As we motored farther up river, we met several looper boats returning from their Chattanooga side trip. Fishing boats have continued to zoom by us on their way to their favorite fishing spots.
For our anchorage tonight, we chose the popular spot, Jones Creek, at MM 388. We entered the 3/4 mile channel slowly as the depth was 8-12 feet. Part way through, Dream Chaser bumped something underwater, and our captain figured that it was a deadhead (sunken log).
We anchored in the mile wide, tree lined bay and were all alone except for a few distant fishing boats and a deserted Boy Scout camp. Steve and Scott scouted out the area in the dinghy while Mary prepared the BBQ pork dinner.
Monday, October 28
The morning began cloud covered with fog hanging in the low lying areas. Jones Creek provided a quiet and restful night even though it was not a protected bay. The wind switched directions throughout the night, so the Garmin showed that we had slowly rotated in circles.
At 7:05 am, Steve started the motors, and ten minutes later, Mary pulled the anchor and sprayed off the mud layer. We were eager to get an early start on our trip to the canyon. Dream Chaser made her way through the channel, quietly passing by fishing boats patiently waiting for the fish to bite.
This morning, the first thing on the list was coffee! Mary has been using her new french press which takes little space and makes great coffee. A breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and bacon followed which was delivered to the upper helm for the captain and the first mate.
Off the starboard side, we saw Sand Mountain, a 50 mile long and 15 mile wide sandstone plateau. This area has been inhabited for at least 9,000 years and has been visited by the Cherokee, Hernando de Soto, and Civil War troops.
The landscape becomes flatter about MM 399 where we see the 1,001 foot stack of the TVA’s Widow Creek Power Plant looming into the sky. It is one of the tallest in this valley.
The railway bridge at MM 414.4 is a lift span bridge, but we will have no problem clearing. About two miles later, we enter Tennessee again.
At MM 418.5, we passed under the South Pittsburg highway bridge, a suspended arch bridge.
Two miles later, we entered a rift valley over 125 miles long and known as the “Hang Gliding Capital of the East”. We motored through a light fog or a light rain all morning.
Nickajack Dam, at MM 424.7, is the newest hydroelectric dam on river at 81 ft high and 3,767 wide. This dam brought us up 39 feet and is a little different in that the lock is almost in the middle of the dam whereas the other locks are to one side or the other.
As we left the Nickajack Lock, we entered into Nickajack Lake which is 46 miles long and water depths up to 130 feet.
About MM 430, we pass the deserted Hales Bar Hydroelectric Plant. Completed in 1913, it was the world’s second largest hydroelectric generating plant- Niagara being larger. It was replaced by Nickajack Dam because of its limited size for locking and water leakage due to its limestone foundation.
At MM431.2 we passed Nickajack Resort and Marina, which was formerly known as Hales Bar Marina. This marina is tricky to navigate with shallow depths, underwater obstructions, and a blind corner.
Channel markers are not only used for marking the channel!
After passing the marina, we began the 32 mile stretch of the river to Chattanooga known as the “Grand Canyon of the Tennessee”. Here the scenic Tennessee River twisted and turned through the mountains with depths up to 176 ft. Prior to the building of the dams, the water was treacherous with rapids, sucks, and eddies. As a result, there are places along the river called, The Skillet, Blowing Springs, The Pot, and Suck Shoals. At Daymark 445.8, the river is known as “the pan” due to unpredictable currents and boiling like movements of the water.
This area is part of the Prentice Cooper State Forest and Wildlife Management area, rich with more than 300 kinds of trees and 900 varieties of wildflowers. Ahead of us was a mountain slope of kudzu, a vine-like plant brought to the US in 1895 from China and Japan, which has aggressive growth. It was chosen for its heavy root system which was great for soil erosion.
Our anchorage for the night was behind Williams Island which is an open anchorage, but the weather cooperated with us, and it worked out fine. This quiet island was the site of an Indian village, possibly named after a resident pioneer, and was a temporary refuge for a Union spy who escaped from the confederates. History is all around us!
Rummikub was the activity of the evening followed by a very peaceful night.
Tuesday, October 29
On day six with our company aboard, we slept in until 8:45 am and had a light breakfast. We pulled anchor from the sandy river bottom and motored towards Chattanooga.
We enjoyed the beautiful scenery and spotted Lookout Mountain looming 2,000 ft above the river. This mountain extends 100 miles into Georgia and Alabama. It is known for the last battle of the American Revolution and, also, for one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, the “Battle Above the Clouds”.
Our dockage for the next two days was at the bluff dock in Chattanooga on the riverfront between Walnut Street Bridge and Market Street Bridge. We tied lines, plugged in the power, and paid for dockage at the marina. Within the hour, this young guy paddled by the boat just after we docked. Our dockage was near the Passage, a cascading river or waterfall which runs down steps from Front Street to a pool near the river. It is an art memorial to the Trail of Tears, the time when the Native Americans living in the area were forced out of their homes.
Chattanooga, originally named Ross’s Landing, was a booming commercial waterfront where huge amounts of cotton, corn, and lumber were moved between the river and the railroad. Ross’s Landing was, also, a strategic rail center during the Civil War which Union forces tried repeatedly to capture through shelling and attacks. On September 9, 1863, Union forces finally took the city when the confederate forces deciphered an upcoming Union plan of attack and evacuated the city. During the Civil War much of Chattanooga was destroyed and fires and floods followed over the years.
Today, we took the river walk up from the Riverfront Parkway to the metropolitan diner, Blue Plate, for a salad lunch. Exploring the area, we enjoyed the historic spots, fountains, waterfalls, works of art, and walkways. The afternoon consisted of watching the interesting film, “Rocky Mountain Express” at the I-Max, a walk through the River Gallery Sculpture Garden, and a walk through Historic Chattanooga. Mary visited the Tennessee Aquarium (the roof has six magnificent glass peaks) which emphasized following the waterways of Tennessee as they empty into the Gulf. The expanded exhibit called Ocean Journey featured creatures of the sea. Mary had the thrill of petting a Bonnethead Shark, a Cownose Ray, a Bignose Unicorn Fish, an Atlantic Stingray, a Yellow Tang, and a Horseshoe Crab. Other highlights were the penguin, seahorse, and jellyfish exhibits.
In the early evening, our group walked across the Walnut Street (pedestrian) Bridge past the Coolidge Riverside Park and the colorful carousel to Terra Nostra, a great tapas and wine restaurant.
There is a huge rowing competition the first weekend in November, and some teams were practicing.
Sandy on top of bridge in Riverplace plaza.
Wednesday, October 30
Our sunny morning began with plans to visit new venues which we missed in October 2012. In the process of getting information on the local bus schedule, we met Chuck at the Riverplace information booth, and he volunteered to give the four of us a ride to the incline railway.
So, our first stop was riding the incline railway up “America’s Most Amazing Mile” to the top of Lookout Mountain for a panoramic view of Chattanooga and the area. Since 1895, people have been riding this railway, one of the steepest in the world. We walked to Point Park which contained memorials to the Civil War soldiers, provided great views, and commemorated the “Battle Above the Clouds”. This Civil War battle took place on the mountain sides enveloped in the clouds.
Our second stop was at Rock City, a massive rock formations high atop Lookout Mountain. As we walked winding our way through massive rock formations, we viewed seven states from Lover’s Leap (a jutting overlook), walked through a magical fairyland cavern, and enjoyed the beautiful fall colors.
We finished the afternoon at Ruby Falls by walking deep below Lookout Mountain for a caving experience
observing stalactites, stalagmites, and a 145 foot waterfall.
For dinner, the six of us stopped at Southern Star Restaurant in Chattanooga and happened run into Chuck our information man who gave us a ride earlier in the day. The eight of us had a wonderful dinner with great conversation. We love making new friends! They are so interesting!
After dinner, we walked to the famous Chattanooga Choo Choo, the Cincinnati-to-Chattanooga train, at the historic railroad depot now a hotel. The magnificent building made it easy to get a glimpse back in time to understand the prominence of the railroads and glory of its time.
The electric bus took us back to the Tennessee Aquarium near where we were docked and we readied Dream Chaser for an evening cruise with our new friends.
Sam and Lynnea, our friends from Ruby Falls and dinner, joined us on our night cruise on the Tennessee River through Chattanooga. The city lights on the river were fantastic, and we enjoyed getting to know our new friends from Asheville, NC.
