Onward to Chattanooga

After Joe Wheeler Marina on the Tennessee River

We pulled out of Joe Wheeler State Park Marina mid Sunday morning under cloudy skies, but it was finally not raining. We were both tired of “standing still” especially since the rain kept us confined to the boat. The day before, Adrian finally started his book since all the “chores” inside the boat had been done (temporarily).

The current was mild so going against it, heading east, was not difficult. We didn’t go far however, as we dropped anchor at Goldfield’s Branch, the sun began to peak from behind the clouds. The food pantry was looking sparse, but I’d saved some stew meat in the freezer, which only required using the stovetop. After an enjoyable phone conversation with Tammy and all the kids, I made the stew, and we had a delicious, warm, late dinner. While I was cooking, Adrian called his “kids” and chatted with them for a bit.

It was a relief not to have critters knocking or chewing on the boat and we had a good night’s sleep. As usual, I didn’t want to get up at 7:00 a.m., but the captain started the motor, and I reluctantly pulled myself out of bed and helped to bring up the anchor. I then steered us out of the anchorage, into the wide and very choppy waters of Wheeler Lake. The boat bumped up against the chop, sending spray, rocking us to and fro, making it difficult to stand or move about. We intended to sail for about five hours and stop at another anchorage. Our ultimate destination was Chattanooga in a few days’ time, including stops along the way. We were getting low on groceries and needed a marina with a courtesy car so we could stock up on provisions. Most concerning was that we were growing short on coffee!

Almost two hours into our travels that morning, we passed a large tower and a series of industrial buildings. It took some research before I could identify the tower as part of the TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) Brown’s Ferry Nuclear Plant. A bit further on, we were approached by what we

first thought was a coast guard boat, but it turned out to be a small skiff owned by the TVA. The guys on the skiff told us that the TVA had closed the river ahead of us to work on the powerlines that draped across the river and that they would be working until 6:00 p.m. that day, and every day through the rest of the week. They advised us to stay put, and if the helicopters that were stringing the wires had to go refuel, they would let us know. If there was a break in the work, we could get through. Adrian maneuvered the boat toward what looked like a more protected area off to the south of the lake, thinking we’d drop anchor there and wait, but the water became too shallow to go very far toward shore. So, we bobbed in the water for quite a while, staying about two miles away from the powerlines. The water was rough, and I began to wonder if this would be the catalyst to bring on sea sickness for me, but, other than some degreed of struggle to stay upright, I was fine.

After three hours, we were given the chance to pass under the power lines. A couple of other pleasure boats had come to a stop near us as well. After the “all clear” one of them called "No Schedule” started up after we did, but with more horsepower, they soon passed us and were well ahead when they came up to the Southern Railroad Bridge near Decatur, Alabama. It was a suspension bridge that only had a few feet of clearance from the surface of the water. We radioed the bridge that we were coming but were still about two miles away – going as fast as we could in the current, which meant about 5.5 knots. “No Schedule” probably could have gone under had they raised the bridge without waiting on us, but apparently there was a train coming so they had to wait until it passed. It took about 15 minutes for the train to reach the bridge and another 15 for it to clear the bridge. We came up just as the bridge started to open. I told Adrian not to come up alongside “No Schedule” in case they thought we had delayed them from entering. I didn’t want to engage in “river rage.”

Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant TVA Power Lines Railroad Bridge

As we headed further east on Wheeler Lake, the wind died down somewhat, and the water was less choppy – a more comfortable ride. The scenery was beautiful: trees on both sides, blue skies with scattered clouds, and moderate temperatures. We pushed on for a few more hours and stopped to anchor at the Triana Recreational Area - a clearing off the lake with a sandy beach and a boat ramp. We were alone at first, but then a family came to play in the water, then two lone trucks – one with a guy who came to the water’s edge to fish and another guy who laid in the sun and chatted on the phone. I couldn’t help wondering what their stories were.

Views of Triana Recreational Area at Noon and at Dusk Under a Carpet of Clouds

The sun was in full force, and it became warm enough that we considered going for a swim but decided against it. We put up the shades on the aft deck to block the sun and celebrated our day’s journey with our customary glass of wine. Around sunset, after the few swimmers had left, we noticed a white dog walking around on the beach looking lost, as if he expected someone to be there, but they weren’t. We surmised that the dog had been abandoned; maybe by people that were there that day. We weren’t sure, but I told Adrian that if the dog was there the next day, we should rescue it. My remark met with a, “humph.” I laid awake that night wondering about the dog and how we would go about “rescuing” it since it would require us to bring it on the boat and take it to the next marina which was three days away.

The next day, we enjoyed the cool morning breeze that had shifted to the NE. The dog was nowhere to be seen. I fixed chocolate pancakes with walnuts. After breakfast, Adrian fixed some leaks that were showing up around the handholds on the boat. I did some research regarding a cruise that we’d like to take on our honeymoon. We ultimately decided on a 7-day trip on the Norwegian Prima to Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. I’m looking forward to that! Later I did some research concerning, readings and songs for the wedding liturgy, and made several notes. It seems a long way off, but there is much to do. Believe me, I have several lists.

We took the dingy on shore which was about 100 feet from the boat. We waded in the water and explored the area. It was nice to stretch our legs. I followed the road out of the beach parking lot and came to a field of low-laying crops. On our trip back from Houston, and going to get provisions in Florence and elsewhere, we had seen these fields everywhere. It was hard to tell if they were soybeans or cotton. I think some of both. At this field, I went along the edge and picked – a soybean. Apparently, the fields must dry out before they harvest them. This field was replete with beans.

Toward evening four vehicles had parked at the beach area and a few people were in the water. A man and a woman were talking as they stood in the water. Later, the white dog showed up and we watched as it approached the couple and, though it would not come close to them, it came close enough to take a few food scraps, but then it would walk away. The dog hung around for a good hour or more, while it appeared the couple tried to get it to come close enough to possibly get hold of it. The dog would never let them get close. It finally wandered off and the people left. We didn’t see the dog again before we left the next morning.

After sunset and the mosquitoes had come out, I was cleaning up dinner dishes. I came out on the aft deck to see if we could see the moon rise, (it was to be the harvest moon with a 8% eclipse that

Sunset at Triana Recreational Area

night, but sadly, there were too many clouds). As I was standing there, we heard a really loud BOOM that sounded like thunder, except it didn’t fade away. The sound kept coming. More like the sound a rocket launch makes. It was coming from the north, so I went to the fore deck and saw a large pillar of white smoke coming from behind a hill far in the distance. The boom was still going and there was a slight red glow at the base of the smoke. Adrian reminded me that NASA has a facility in Huntsville and that they were probably doing some testing. I was relieved, because my mind had gone dark: “Okay, this is how it ends. Out of nowhere there is a large explosion, mushroom clouds form, and we are obliterated.” That’s what happens when you read Oppenheimer, followed by two Vietnam War novels. There was another less loud boom a few minutes later, and another an hour or so later. What they were testing was a mystery, though I tried to search for an explanation on Google. It was truly a strange experience.

That night the moon finally rose above the clouds, allowing us to see the partial eclipse. It shown brightly on the water, while I tried to capture it with my iPhone camera, knowing full well a photo

The Eclipsed Moon A Moonlit Night

would not do it justice. I came away with a very interesting shot. My photo lense may have been dirty, but it made for an interesting picture. The moon was bright enough to illuminate the surrounding shore and I was able to get a couple of nice shots.

We struck out on Wednesday morning around 7:25 and headed into calm waters. The stretch between Triana Recreational Area and the Gunter Lock and Dam was the most scenic yet. Tree covered hills that are part of the Smokey Mountain system rose around us making for a delightful trip along the Tennessee River. It was just as I’d anticipated it would be. The day was perfect: the blue sky dotted with clouds, temps in the low 80’s, and a mild breeze with smooth waters. We took turns sitting on the foredeck to gaze at the passing scenery while the other steered.

We approached the Gunter lock and dam, arriving several minutes before another pleasure craft that was heading down stream. We tied on with not issues and had a smooth ride up. On the other side, the multicolored trees and the hills beckoned us on.

We dropped anchor at Honeycomb Anchorage on Wednesday the 18th. There was a Summer Camp about a mile across from our anchorage but no sign of campers. Some fisher people were trying their luck around us. We relaxed most of the day. I continued reading “The Women” and found Part I so similar to “Home Before Morning” that I was convinced Kristin Hannah had read the book and included similar experiences. Devanter’s book was based on her own experiences which were raw and gut wrenching. Hannah’s version didn’t pack the same punch. It was much like seeing the movie after reading the book – disappointing. If I hadn’t read Devanter’s book first, I would have appreciated Hannah’s book more. She did list numerous interviews and books, including Devanter’s, in the acknowledgements. One of the main themes in both was the lack of recognition the women who were in ‘Nam received. The men were disparaged for their participation in an unpopular war, but eventually provided with mental health support. Women who were nurses, doctors, or who provided support were told, “Women weren’t in Vietnam.” They had to fight to be recognized and given mental health treatment.  A few days later I read Kristin Hannah’s “The Four Winds”, the devastating story of a family that endured the wrath of the Dust Bowl days and their efforts to find a new life in California. It brought me to tears in places. When I feel burdened by the lack of conveniences on the boat, I think about what it was like for many people during that period in history.

On Thursday we headed toward Alred Marina, which is just outside of Guntersville. Below are some of the views along the way:

We tied down at the end of a dock that was a good way away from the office, bathrooms and laundry, but we needed to get some walking in. We headed into Guntersville, looking for a Walmart, did our shopping, stowed the groceries on the boat and dressed to go to dinner. We ended up at a restaurant called Fire on the Lake, which sounded a lot more contemporary than it was – a wooden building that housed a sports bar set on the end of the long bridge on the Tennessee River. It served your standard fare, but the food was good. I’ve been using Noom since before we left on this leg of the trip, and it can be difficult to keep the calories within range and to eat more “green and yellow” food than “orange", especially when eating out. Surprisingly I have found that crab stuffed and beer are yellow, so I ate and drank guilt free. It’s been slow, with lots of ups and downs and more ups regarding weight gain (we brought a bathroom scale with us on the trip), but I’ve slowly lost 5.5 lbs. with five more to go.

As we drove through Guntersville that first day, I was enchanted by the quaint shops and eateries along the main street and talked Adrian into staying one more night so we could explore the town a bit. While I perused a few boutiques and antique stores, Adrian look for places to sit and wait for me. I did find a couple of “must have” items and felt satisfied that I’d gotten to explore at least one other “port” since The French Quarter in NOLA. We had lunch at a slightly more upscale restaurant and headed back to the boat to do laundry.

We continued our journey along Guntersville Lake on Saturday morning, traveling only an hour or so to find the next anchorage. This one was called “Short Creek”. Since it was a weekend, and the weather was warm with temps in the low 90’s, there were quite a few small craft boats: speed boat with skiers and rafters, pontoons and a few fisher people. The “creek” was busy until around 3:00 on Sunday, when folks had to go back to their routines. It was an enjoyable anchorage for the

most part with one exception: the bugs. During the day there were biting flies, during the evenings there were flies and mosquitoes, and the entire time we were there we had an infestation of fruit flies. Of course, the biters preferred to snack on me, despite insect repellant. They even bite through denim! I found the fly swatter and yielded it like a bludgeon on the flies and captured dozens of fruit flies with my vinegar, honey and soap concoction.

On Monday, we enjoyed mostly blue skies with a few hazy clouds and a nice breeze. We passed the Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant just before noon. The hills were still in the distance, but there were trees turning colors, though none were very brilliant.

Shots of the same sunset. I just couldn't choose which one I liked the most.

We woke to a beautiful sunrise on Tuesday morning and to make the day even more special, we found ourselves in the Tennessee River Gorge, surrounded by “mountains”, the trees a multi-colored patchwork of various shades of green, and brown, with a touch of yellow or red here and there. The temperatures were getting cooler (at last!). Google tells us that The Gorge spans 27,000 acres, was carved through the Cumberland Mountains by the Tennessee River and is the fourth largest river canyon east of the Mississippi.  It flows 46 miles, from Chattanooga to the Nickajack Dam. It is dotted with summer homes, cabins, retirement homes and boat docks, bought or built by people with a dream of living on the lake. I certainly can see why.

I have a number of pictures of the Tennessee River Gorge that I want to share. However, we have a weak WiFi connection at the marina we are at and as a result, many of the pictures I took of the Gorge will not download from my phone. I will have to wait until there is a stronger connection.

The next blog will begin a day or so before we arrived at Chattanooga and will include a number of photos of the gorge and the sights as we entered our destination city and while we were there.

Stay tunned!