9/21 - 9/30/22 Green Turtle Bay to Pickwick Lake
We were excited to see Rick & Christy's (Inked Mermaid) new Endeavor docked next to us! It was great catching up with them. They just finished their 3rd Loop - Platinum Loopers - and we appreciate their knowledge of do's and don'ts along the way. Lots of Loopers at GTB:
After our race to complete the Mississippi River leg, we
have been savoring our time on Kentucky and Pickwick Lakes.
We’ve spent a lot of time on these lakes the past couple of years, and
we just love it. Many times, we've commented, "I could live here".
KY Lake is a manmade (TVA) reservoir with over 2,000 miles of shoreline between Kentucky Dam in Gilbertsville, KY to Pickwick Dam in Hardin County, TN. The boating is spectacular and there are many anchorages. KY Lake is a well-kept secret, as we find ourselves alone most of the time (evidently, the Asian Carp invasion has crippled the fishing).
It is another area where we like the boating. It is more inhabited than KY Lake, but there's plenty of room for everyone!
Thurs, Sept 22 – Temp dropped from 100 to high 70’s –
thank God! Made the trip to Paducah to return our rental car to Enterprise. Brian had some maintenance to do, so we decided to stay another night, necessitating a move to
another slip to accommodate sold out GTB.
Brian did some maintenance, and Loral cleaned the boat. Marty & Brenda came for dinner on the
boat.
Fri, Sept. 23 – GTB to Duncan Bay (mm34) (10.5nm). A short cruise on a cool day. Set the hook and enjoyed the serenity listening to the Cubbies defeat the Buccos (6-5) while grilling hamburgers.
Sat, Sept 24 - Duncan Bay to Clay Bay (mm 54) (18.4nm) Savoring Duncan for the final time this season, we got a late start for another short cruising day. After brunch, we pulled the anchor and made our
way to Clay Creek, a gorgeous anchorage near Blood River. Set the hook, went for a swim, and had deli sandwiches for dinner. We noticed several campers at shore - they are able to drive their cars down to the camp sites. Pirates beat up
on Cubs (6-0).
Sun, Sept 25 – Clay Creek to Paris Landing (mm66) (11.4nm) Another short cruise - WE'RE SAVORING IT!!! Paris offers Looper discount .85/foot, but $11 for pump
out! There are a few Loopers in the marina. We tied up to the dock and listened to Bears barely squeak out a win over Lovey Smith’s Texans.
Mon, Sept 26 – I went for a run around the property. It was easy to find 3 miles in this vast landscape, although these river towns are sure hilly! Paris Landing State Park has it all on its 841 acre-property: Cabins, Golf
Course, Brand New Lodge, Nature Center (only open on the weekend). Marty, Brenda, Marsha, Phillip, Joe &
Teresa drove up from Paducah to have lunch with us at the Lodge.
The Looper Rendezvous will be hosted on this property
beginning 10/10, attendees should be very happy with the venue.
After lunch, I did some laundry, and Brian got us an invite for Docktails with the crews of Last Item and Gypsy Soul. It was very interesting listening to these seasoned boaters' tales of their travels to other countries. Sidonia (Last Item) gifted us with book the that she wrote detailing their bold “Adventures on Shearwater” - I have been reading it aloud to Brian under the stars while at anchorage - it's fascinating!
Tues, Sept 27 – Paris Landing to Rockport (mm107) (35.6 nm). Yet another late start (we're retired!) leaving Paris Landing. Rockport anchorage is behind an island off the channel, but super deep – we saw 60' and anchored in 40’. It was gorgeous – one of the best so far. A cacophony of birds kept us guessing how many species surrounded us.
Jupiter passed the earth closer than it has since the year I was born – 1963! It was easy to identify in the eastern sky. Brian grilled chicken breast.
Wed, Sept 28 – Rockport to Beech Creek Island anchorage (mm155) – (42.4 nm). Nice anchorage behind an island off the channel – there were a few homes on shore.
Lots of nice homes along this part of the lake. Bunker Hill (mm127) did a wonderful job of blending their landscape into the natural rock formations.
We had Chicken salad from breasts grilled the night before. It got pretty cool overnight, glad we had extra blankets!
 |
| Beech Creek Anchorage (MM155) |
HURRICANE IAN - We monitored the weather channel on Sirius XM all day, for news of Hurricane Ian. We were saddened to learn of the devastation caused in many of our favorite spots. Legacy and Gasparilla marinas were on the list to visit this winter.
Ft. Myers Beach, Sanibel and Pine Islands will take a while to recover, and we hope to visit them again soon. Our dear friends, Ron & Libby, live in Burnt Store, and thankfully escaped with very little damage. The marina, however, did sustain considerable damage when all of the water left Charlotte Harbor and then hurricane winds battered the area.
Mother Nature remodels Florida every year, and it always comes back better than before. It also has destroyed businesses, homes, boats and even lives that can never be replaced.
Thurs, Sept 29 – Beech Creek to Pickwick Lake (mm210) (55 miles). Cell service has been spotty, but we’ve been trying to stay abreast of Hurricane Ian as best we can. Unfortunately, it's been more and more news of loss.
Caught up with Riverbend to lock through Pickwick Lock up 55
feet. We continued a short distance to
drop the hook in Dry Creek (despite the name, it has water!) Riverbend took a right to tie up at Grand
Harbor Marina. Brian grilled pork chops.
Fri, Sept 30 – Woke to a beautiful morning in Dry Creek. Only 1 other boat was in the anchorage for 2 relaxing days. Tomorrow, we'll continue on the Tennessee River for a Mini-side trip to Florence, AL
Miles: 173.3 Nautical Miles 10.5, 18.4, 11.4, 35.6, 42.4, 55
Locks: Pickwick
Marinas: Green Turtle Bay (2 nights), Paris Landing (2 nights)
Anchorages: Duncan Bay, Clay Creek, Rockport, Beech Creek Island, Dry Creek (2 nights)
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