It has been so nice to get onto this lovely river. It is flowing slowly (we are traveling upstream), no debris and very little commercial traffic. As well, the scenery is beautiful and we're enjoying some fall colours along the way. Aside from a few locks, we are in the midst of the most serene setting. The river is almost 'lake like' at many points, with lots of pleasure craft and fishing boats (remember, we cannot disturb those fishermen)! We dutifully slow right down so as not to 'wake' them and potentially insight an unpleasant confrontation (and they can certainly outrun us).
The Tennessee is down about 6 feet from normal levels, so anchorage are a bit dicey. We continue to see homes built high up on stilts, assuming that this river is also prone to flooding. You can see from this photo, the usual waterline and note the significant structure of steps / docks down to the waterfront. What you don't see in this photo, is the Confederate flag flying in the yard ... something we are seeing more than we imagined in 2016,
We pulled into Florence, AL today and will stay here for 3 nights before moving on to Joe Wheeler State Park & Marina in Rogersville, AL for our 3-day "Looper Rendezvous". Each year, about 250 boats congregate here for 3 days of seminars, social activities and meals together - everything focused on different segments of the journey ahead of us, and geared to provide helpful information and insider tips from those who have looped before. We're pretty excited about this!
We are energized for the days ahead (and not having to cook). For the time being, a nice view of the beautiful Tennessee River. What lovely sights we are enjoying on this adventure!
