Chattanooga, TN to Huntsville, AL July 24-30, 2013

It happened! The motor came back (more about that later….)

and we left Chickamauga Marina!  Rode the lock down (all alone this time, unlike the ride up with 15 other boats) and on Wednesday, the 24^th of July, we had a short run to downtown Chattanooga.

Ross Marine, or MarineMax Marina is located right in front of the Aquarium, a fine location.  Bart, the MarineMax  ‘guy with a golf cart’ gave us a lift to the bus stop, and we rode the [free] trolley to the Chattanooga Choo Choo where we picked up a souvenir coffee mug for my brother.  The choo choo on the mug he bought 40 or so years ago has been lost to the dishwasher.

Happily, the trolley brought us back to 212 Market---my favorite restaurant, the one with the gluten free menu.  Delovely.  Walked ‘home’ and at 7:30 we watched with curiosity as a Stand Up Paddle Boarderwent back and forth across the Tennessee---maintaining a straight course next to the bridge, despite a 2-1/2 mph current!  Of course we went out to chat.

Ben Friberg’s story can be found at www.CubaSUP.com.  His intention is to be the first person to ride a StandUpPaddleboard across the Gulf of Mexico from Cuba to Key West!  Really.   He has governmental permissions, and a crew of 11 on a sailing catamaran to ride near him.  His plan is to complete the 90 mile trip in less than 24 hours.    That is as soon as he has a weather window.  (I just checked, he is waiting in Cuba for good weather.)  Ben has paddled over 248 miles on the Yukon River in Alaska, and up and down every river, creek and stream on this part of the Tennessee so this isn’t such a long trip, but I know what we go through with the weather on the Gulf, and we are inside a great big boat.  It does give one pause, doesn’t it?

Another type of paddler, the antique Paddlewheeler DELTA QUEEN is now a hotel, and is permanently docked just across the Tennessee from us.  Sadly, they don’t serve dinner.  We made a last minute decision not to walk across the bridge for the 7am breakfast buffet.  Next time.

By 7:15 Thursday morning we were underway, and at 9 am it became 8 am again as we passed into Central Standard Time.  Long day!   One interesting thing we saw was the Coast Guard repairing buoys.  Actually, they were

replacing some that have gone missing.  Fun to watch---and stay out of the way.

Lock, Marina, Lock and suddenly we’re back in Huntsville, AL where  YOUNG AMERICA got in line with SEA DREAM and LONE WOLF, creating a GH display that turned heads and brought out many cameras. 

On Saturday, Mike and Linda Borum (and Louis the Sea Dog) returned from Nashville, and Sunday evening Kathy and Jim McQuade arrived from Bluffton, SC.  With cars! 

So off we went with the Borum’s.  What a great weekend!  We toured the historic part of Huntsville, where the old train depot is filled with Civil War memorabilia.  The railroad here was taken by the Union forces, breaking a major east-west Confederate supply line.  The building became a prison housing hundreds  of Confederate captives.  Graffiti from 150+ years ago can still be seen on the walls.

 Outside we were delighted with the ‘climb aboard’ train and the fire truck whose engine startled kids large and small when they pushed the ‘start’ button!  A fun display.

Another neat part was the roundhouse.  A 440 steam engine sat on the turntable, patiently awaiting service. Approximately 25,000 of those wood, coal or oil fired steam engines were built in America. 

The railway was THE way, back then.

Saturday evening we were incredibly lucky to be able to attend a Drum Corps International show.  Every November, DCI auditions kids age 13-21, and the lucky ones who make the cut have the opportunity to learn music, marching, precision, teamwork, stamina, and self-confidence as a member of a competing drum corps. 

In the spring there are two weeks of camp to get acquainted with each other and to learn ridiculously intricate and difficult music and marching programs. Then comes a six-week tour (this was Huntsville’s first time as a venue) for tweaking the routine into a world class performance.   

Each Corps becomes a ‘mobile village’, traveling in a convoy of 6-8 vehicles with up to 150  members, plus staff, volunteers, equipment and supplies.  This year’s tour visited 36 states with 100 performance sites.  The tour will end in Indianapolis, IN Aug. 6-8 for the final competition.

Fifteen Corps of the twenty two groups performed in Huntsville and as luck would have it, the winner of the evening was

the Madison Scouts—the Corps  my nephew and godson, Tracy, marched with when he was a young man.  A very wonderful evening.

Next day we went to the Marshall Space Center Museum and Rocket Center.  Spent a full day there, seeing movies about the Junk in Space and Astrology work being done to discover more and more about the Universe.   It was fascinating, and a bit overwhelming.  My mind boggled at the enormity of the projects, the time, money and expertise invested and most profoundly, the discovery of how little we know about so much.

I was very happy to learn that Werner Von Braun lived to see the success of the Apollo moon program, even though John Kennedy did not.

Monday Fred spent aloft, working on the afore-mentioned Dinghy motor.  We know that when it is finally fully fixed we’re going to love it.  It is definitely a process. There were many small malfunctions inside the case of that puppy, and as of today, they all seem to have been corrected.  Ask Fred.

Monday evening, the six of us went to Rosie’s Cantina for a yummy Mexican dinner. 

And then we are off.  The Borums went home to Nashville to wait out the hurricane season, the McQuades are heading for Chattanooga, and we’re on our way to Minneapolis!

Will keep you posted!  In the meantime, be well, and remember to breathe!

Locked in at Fort Loudon; Little TN, Tellico and back to Chickamauga July 7-19.

Once again there was no letup in the rain when we reached the Telllico River Marina and it poured while we attempted to find a slot that would house our boat.  We’re like the Three Bears.  First slip was too narrow, second was covered, and the roof was too low. Finally we were steered to a slip with a portion of the roof cut away to accommodate a 65’ fishing boat.  Happily for us, that boat is in Key West.  So the slip was Just Right!  The pounding rain didn’t stop until Sunday around 6 p.m.  It poured on our roof all night and all day! 

Fred spent Sunday playing with the fabulous pump out system at the Marina.  Individual connections at each slip, and he was finally able to flush our holding tank.   Filled it with 125 gal. of water and then removed it all.  That’s been on a to-do list for many moons!  I spent the day feeling crummy, keeping warm and drinking broth.  Yuk.

Monday we headed out in sunshine---imagine that, sunshine!!! to the  Tellico River and Sequoiah Memorial Museum. 

Sequoiah was a Cherokee, for whom the forest in California was named.  (Who knew?)  As an enlisted soldier during the War of 1812, Sequoiah saw other soldiers writing letters and military orders---making marks on paper.  It occurred to him that he and other members of his tribe were only able to speak their language, and were therefore shortchanged.  He spent the next many years translating the spoken sounds of the Cherokee into written symbols, thus creating a path to literacy for his people.  Within a generation, the Cherokee Nation could read and write.  Amazing.  In the museum we saw a beautiful stick with all 84 characters carved into it.  All in one piece.

Also on the grounds of the museum, which encompasses 47.5 acres and is owned by the Eastern Branch of the Cherokee Nation, are an amphitheater, and the Cherokee Memorial.  Here lie the remains of 18^th century Cherokee men and women who were moved during archeological work done as part of the creation of Tellico Lake when the dam was built.

The rain returned as we left the Museum.  We followed the Tellico River to the Little Tennessee, and then were tossed about as the Little Tennessee swirled into the Tennessee.  Logs and lumber and debris of all sorts were riding the current toward the dam.

Fort Loudoun Marina is upriver of the dam so we crossed the River and returned to the transient dock.  And there we stayed, unplanned, until Friday.  We were “locked in”. 

Here is how it works (for those of you, who, like me, were clueless to the TVA system).  We knew from the Ohio last year that the dams and locks created lakes.  Under normal conditions, water is released from one or two of the several spillways on the upper dams to prevent flooding upstream.  Fort Louden is the uppermost dam on the Tennessee, and after all the rain people were crowding to the overlook site to see water pouring out of nearly all spillways. “Never saw that before” was often heard! 

The River Management folks (TVA) measure the water going over the dam in cubic feet per second.  60cfs is a pretty high number.  Above that, we’re told, they consider closing the locks because of the dangerous, roiling water boats meet when exiting the lock.  Fort Louden was spilling 112 cfs. And that is NOT why the lock was closed.  There was so much debris they were unable to open the gates.  

The first day they told us we could get into the lock if we insisted, but they couldn’t guarantee that they’d be able to open the gates to let us out.  We didn’t insist. After that the upstream gates were so jammed with debris the lockmasters spent two whole days poling logs out of the way in an effort to send them downstream.  By day 3 the gates worked, but by then the 2 dams below Ft. Loudoun were spilling over 100cfs.  Impassible, in a word.

So we used the courtesy car to shop and go to the overlook, and we visited with other boaters.  Fred had met Rand on our prior visit, now Rand’s wife Cheryl was also aboard, and we spent two evenings with them.  And with folks we’d seen at Demopolis.

Cheryl, Linda, Jill, Rand and Dana aboard CHERYL ANN

  What did I say about that small world?

 Eventually the rain slowed to one 10 minute or so cloudburst per day, and the water became passable.  So off we went, taking advantage lest more rain should follow.

At Watts Bar Lock and Dam we encountered a tow with 12 barges.  He started taking them up one at a time (due to the small size of the lock) at 7 a.m.  We rode down with him at 11:30 as he was about to pick up number 5. 

What a long day for him!  And then, perhaps, on to the next…

And now we’re back at Chickamauga, waiting for the broken motor for the dinghy to be repaired or replaced.

  

Fred’s cousin Ann drove down from Nashville Tuesday, and Fred and I, the  ‘locals’ were tour guides.  Went to the TN Aquarium,

lunched at Herron’s (where daughter Molly, bless her heart, phoned and ordered dessert for us in honor of my b’day!).  From there we went to the Incline Railway and guess what?  It rained.  The computers were down so we sat under a roof and ate ice cream while they fixed them and the cloudburst ended. 

  Turned out to be beautiful atop Lookout Mountain, and a good visit with Ann. (Rained again on the way back to the Marina, but stopped so she could go home.)

We had kinda fun (I guess you could say) Thursday, when Fred asked to have the boat hauled to tighten a propeller. (He checks them every morning and felt that one was loose). 

After 2 hours of attempts at pulling YOUNG AMERICA ashore on the big—very big—trailor they use here, we were sent back to Island Cove.  Wow. They have a 3 year old 80 ton remote controlled travel lift, and a crew of three young men who worked like a ballet.  No wasted moves, very few words spoken.  Amazing.

 We lunched in the  Mexican Restaurant we missed out on when we were here before, got our prop tightened and a rudder stuffing tube repacked.  I don’t know what it is either, but apparently it keeps water out of the boat so that is good. And back we came.

Yesterday we were invited to move from our end slip (at the end of the dock next to HOLIDAY VII—an old acquaintance from several marinas) into the depths of the dock.  Someone bought a boat and wanted that slip.  So we’re now in slip 07—boats to the left of us, boats to the right of us, boats fore and aft, and a roof keeping the daily rains off.

One day the motor will be returned, the propane tank will be replaced (they’ve been recalled by the mfr. and West Marine this week.) we’ll move on, and you’ll be the first to know!

In the meantime, be well and do remember to breathe!

Chattanooga to Knoxville---and beyond. June 29-July 6, 2013

Our first day out of Chickamauga Marina, we travelled a whopping 8 miles to the Island Cove Marina.  Hard hit by a tornado a few years ago, the marina has been nicely rebuilt with sturdy floating docks, and a swimming pool. 

Pool at Island Cove

We had an unexpected guest---Mike, the boat cleaning man lives just across the cove, and stopped by when out on his evening kayak ride.

Mike lives in the background

On Saturday we motored on to the Blue Water Campground.  Took a detour up the Hiwasee River to pass thru a waterfowl refuge.   We hoped to see the eagles that nest there, but had to ‘settle’ for osprey.  The babies are big enough to see over the top of the floppy nests atop river markers now.  They’ll be flying soon. 

We were the only boat (lots of RV’s) at the Campground, but they are preparing for boat traffic.  Have about 60 slips in place, and will add power and water soon.

All alone at the 'Campground"

  We took Chucky down and headed out to visit Dayton, TN, site of the famous Scopes Trial in 1925.   Instead, we motored back to the Tennessee, and went for a lovely evening ride for a couple of miles before turning back.

Next morning Chucky took us upstream to have breakfast in Dayton, only to learn that not only is the museum closed on Sunday, so is the only restaurant within walking  

Dayton, TN. Closed on Sundays

distance of the dock.  We walked around town a bit, and learned how revered Wm. Jennings Bryant was (there is no monument for Clarence Darrow, who defended evolution in the trial….).  The Centennial Sidewalk was a hoot—especially 1879, when ‘nothing happened’.  We were back at the boat before noon and headed out.

 

Blue Springs Marina came highly recommended by John (LITTLE WING, we met them in Huntsville and Hales Bar) and Sarah, so we pulled in Sunday afternoon, and were greeted by them, as well as by MIMI from Marathon, our neighbor at Banana Bay for 3 winters.  It is indeed a small boating world!

Monday was a rainy day, but we pushed on to Fort Loudoun, passed through the dam and turned into the Ft Loudoun Marina.  Bret, the line handler and I were drenched when the boat was tied up—and drenched is a  condition we got really familiar with over the next few days!  Tuesday as we rode along the scenic River, now

dotted with large suburban homes, squalls came up from nowhere.  10 minutes of heavy rain; then sunshine.  Repeat.

It was heavy rain when we got to the Volunteer Landing Marina in Knoxville.  Fred had to go topside and put our antennae down so we could slide into a covered slip—with an audience of about 4 folks.

They turned out to be great neighbors!  Wednesday, between rain showers, Ed took Fred to West Marine.   On Thursday, Dave, next door, invited us all for breakfast, and then Ed took us sight seeing in Knoxville.  oops no pix.

The waterfront is totally Vol country.  Everything, even cleats on the dock, is painted Orange.   The UT stadium is on the waterfront (the only other US college stadium on the water is UWash in Seattle) and on game weekends the Tennessee Volunteers fans party hearty! By land and by sea (River).   Lucky for us it isn’t football season yet. 

At the downtown Visitors Center, radio station WDVX was broadcasting, with a folk trio playing to a packed house. 

Across the street was the Mark General Store, with at least one of anything you could possibly want---including a Pearson’s Nut Goodie—my favorite candy bar from times gone waaaay by!  Knoxville has a central Market Square---complete with restaurants, shops, a stage (for Shakespeare, this week) and lots of activity!  An Elvis impersonator serenaded us at lunch, while a magician delighted the crowd with his sleight of hand tricks.

On Thursday evening, the 4^th of July, we treated us to dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steak House---an easy walk from the boat, and the outside porch was the perfect spot to see the fireworks! 

Why photograph fireworks?  And why put the photo here? Just in case you missed 'em this year!

Rained before and after the show.

Beginning of the bike path.  Most literal one we've seen!

Friday we rode the free trolley downtown and meandered.  The trolley driver looked like Tweety’s grandma, but man, when she hit the throttle that trolley took off!  Knoxville is inexplicably named for General Knox, of Revolutionary War fame.  Knox’ Headquarters---one of them, at least---is in ‘our town’, Newburgh, NY—he never made it to Tennessee. 

This “scruffy little city” (as it was described in a national newspaper back then)  was the site of the 1982 World’s Fair and is the smallest city ever to host an international expo.  11 million people visited the Fair, the theme of which was “Energy Turns the World”. (National HQ of the TVA, created by FDR in 1933 is in Knoxville.)  The first touch screen computer displays were exhibited in the US Pavillion. The Sunsphere , a dramatic gold dome. is a reminder of the event. 

The Sunsphere, in World's Fair Park

 We saw a sign in a window that said “Keep Knoxville Scruffy!”  The Knoxville sense of humor.

Saturday we headed up the Tennesee to it’s headwaters, the junction of the Holsten and the French Broad Rivers.  Neither is navigable, so we turned around and headed south.

 

3 Rivers as seen on TV (or navigation screen...)

How it really looks...See the water swirl?

And the rest of that journey will be the next post, as I play catch-up!