Mike and Beth's Adventures

Amy Marie entering Pickwick Lock at the end of a full day of travel A single  goal guided the crew of Amy Marie as we departed Green Turtle Bay and pointed the bow south.  We had been resisting and trying to ignore it's siren call.  The attraction was becoming too strong.  We had to acknowledge it's presence. So we did so in a clear and forceful manner.  Our normal cruising mode was to amble and linger which allowed us to engage with and interact with the areas through which we travelled.  We were so close to crossing our wake, we discarded our leisurely style and instead single mindedly focused on "crossing our wake".  This is the goal for which all Loopers strive.  For 365 days our focus had been on the journey.  Thereby allowing us  to savor our interactions with the people, towns, and geographies through which we passed.  Intellectually, we did not want the experience to end.  We wanted to continue travelling with the Loope...

Morning fog at Joe Wheeler State Park   A mystic softness to start the day

Amy Marie is in the water!  We've traveled 3840 miles from Everett Washington to splash Amy Marie in the waters of the Tennessee River.  The Alabama hills are green and lush with trees down to the water.  The mornings are cool and crisp.  Days have warmed to the high 70's with winds rising in the afternoons.   The biggest treat has been southern hospitality.  Beth had contacted a gentleman named Bill, the local AGLCA Harbor Host, whose role is to be your local concierge.  He made our first day much easier.  We arrived after driving 330 miles from Little Rock Arkansas. He and his neighbor Hal met us at the launch ramp and helped us get the boat in the water.  They then drove me over to the marina so we could see our slip assignment.  This greatly simplified moving from the ramp to the dock.  We returned to the boat and motored a short distance to the marina.  Upon arrival we pumped out and then tied up in our slip.  Bi...