Back to the Gulf

It's been quite an experience to travel down the rivers from Lake Michigan to the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile. We have driven through Mobile on I-10 many times, but it looks quite different from the water. It is a very busy port, which was such a contrast from the river. These last few nights have been spent out in the middle of nowhere Alabama. Because of the few places to anchor and almost no marinas, the Loopers tend to end up at the same places.

Above right is a place called Bobby's Fish Camp, basically one 100 ft. dock. So when 11 boats show up, the only choice is to raft together. So we did, and it works fine. But it took 7 days to go from the Tennessee River at Pickwick Lake to the Gulf. It really was a beautiful trip. One of the tow captains asked us where we were headed when we were up in the Tennessee, and we told him over the radio we were headed down the Tenn-Tom. "Ah.. the Tombigbee," he said, "its crookeder than a politician" So true.

Now we are back in salt water, and warm temperatures. Put up the sweaters and blankets, and out comes the shorts. That is what I love about boating. Just keep moving until you find better weather. But first we need to come back to Austin for a Holiday break. So we are going to mothball Rock Chalk for a couple of months and leave her here in Mobile to fly home Wednesday. It has been quite a trip since April in Ft Myers, Florida, and we have another 660 miles to cross our wake there. But thus far we have run 4900 miles, 100 locks, 16 states, and two countries in the last 8 months. Whew, time for a breather. Marc