Mike and Beth's Adventures

We departed for Green Turtle Bay as the sun was rising Green Turtle Bay is an inflection point on our Loop Adventure.  On one hand, it is a welcome respite from the rigors of travelling with the high levels of commercial barge traffic which we encountered all the way from Chicago to this marina.  GTB, as it is affectionately known, is an oasis.  It is a resort community that makes it easy to stay and savor.  We've certainly done so.   On the other hand, we are less than a week of travel from crossing our wake and completing our Loop.  We are going to delay our completion by taking a side trip to Nashville.   We have friends to visit, a concert to attend (Thanks Gary and Anne!), and a side trip to Asheville North Carolina to see where my father was born.  Additionally, this is a spot where many of the friends we've made during our Loop are continuing on to various points south.  Many started in Florida and will finish there. ...

  Sunset on the Ohio River After enjoying a quiet night in the Cape Girardeau anchorage on the Mississippi River, we continued southbound on the Mississippi.  The current was running at a good clip, so we made rapid progress downstream.  The 4-5 mph current boost was bumping our speed up to 11-12 mph and doubled our fuel efficiency.  You have to love that! Just before the intersection with the Ohio River, Old Miss does a squiggle that adds miles to the trip. This was her affectionate way of saying "I hate to see you go...!" Ohio River - Against the Current We encountered numerous tows on the lower Mississippi, and double that amount on the Ohio.  I have never seen a larger concentration of tow boats and barges anywhere else.  Barges, both full and empty, were parked in large concentrations on both sides of the river. Our travelling companion, Titan, is being followed by a small tow boat. We were part of a multi-boat flotilla for this section of the trip....

This is a turn that you don't want to miss.  It is the entrance to the Chain of Rocks Canal.  If you go left, you live and continue on through the Chain of Rocks Lock.  If you go right, you die in the Chain of Rocks Rapids.  Go Left young man, GO LEFT! In October 2021, this sailboat went right rather than LEFT at the critical intersection. It did not end well. Here's a screen shot showing our convoy headed down the Chain of Rocks Canal Saint Louis Missouri The Saint Louis waterfront with an Amtrak train just leaving the station. The old and the new on the waterfront The first railroad bridge to span the Mississippi River in Saint Louis.  It was built in 1874, just about 150 years ago. Amy Marie is approaching the Gateway Arch It is impressive when seen in person Amy Marie at the Gateway Arch Amy Marie passing Saint Louis on it's way to Hoppies Marina, Kimmswick Missouri A river cruise boat stopped in Saint Louis Today's Goal:   Levee High Apple Pie - B...