We are in Florida!

The past few days have gone by very quickly. Since the last blog we anchored out at one of the most unique environments we had been to since we started. We took a channel off the main river, called the Three Rivers, and looked like a scene from the movie African Queen! The channel was extremely narrow and shallow. Trees were hanging over the river and it was incredible! After getting our anchors set and settled in, Bob and I went for a dinghy ride to explore the area and found ourselves in the middle of a bayou! We found small rustic fishing shacks anchored out amongst gangly looking trees with most of the roots exposed. There were blue heron flying in front of us like a leader to follow thru the channel. It looked like somewhere alligators would definitely want to hang out and with binoculars in hand we searched the shoreline, only to discover one right in front of us. At first we thought it was a log but after it disappeared, and appeared, only to disappear completely, we realized we had seen our first alligator! We went back to the boat to pick up the other crew mates, Jim and Judy, and went back to further explore. It was eerie and awesome. When they had had enough we went back to the boat and the boys went out to try fishing while we made dinner. Another boat pulled in and the boys made a connection and plan to follow them the next day. The weather forecast was for a tropical storm to be moving in with high winds and rain. Not good for river travel. They had done this several times before and so their experience was worth listening to. We had a delicious grilled dinner with our traveling friends from Mystique and enjoyed our last night anchored out. The next day of our journey took us through Mobile, Alabama and an international barge harbor. The large barge lined the harbor along with ocean hauling vessels. Our boat felt very small next to all these large vessels. For the first time we were in open water and at times unable to see land. The Bouys now look like they were made for large bodies of water and we realize we are headed for the blue waters of the ocean. Our goal was to hit the International Waterways. We now had a caravan of 3 boats. We are cruising through open water. Our biggest issue is and always has been our gas usage and mileage. The boys have discussions that can fill the entire day about how fast we are going and how much gas we have and are using. Today was definitely one of those days, and as it turned out we needed to make a last minute decision to change our destination due to the fact both gas tanks were showing that we were on empty and we may not make it to land. Talk was of taking the gas from the dinghy and pouring into one of the tanks on the boat and using one of our beloved water jugs as a funnel. To say the situation was stressful is minimizing the feeling on the boat! And for a non-swimmer looking at the large body of water ahead of us and putting on a life-jacket and trying to swim to shore seems overwhelming! As we watched the gauges going down and land slowly getting closer, we decided to pull into the nearest gas pump, even though we knew it would be closed at this point til the next day. All we wanted was to get to a dock and tie up! As we pulled up to Homeport Marina at Gulf Shores, Alabama someone on the dock told us what slip to pull into and helped us tie up to the dock! We made it! A restaurant called Lulu's welcomed us with Jimmy Buffet music! It was incredible! We have pictures that we will post! As it turned out, it was a fabulous place to end the day! The crew from Mystique stayed at our original destination and wished they had ended up with us. With a full stomach, and having enjoyed great music and cocktails, it was time to end the day thankful to have found a safe and fun spot!
The next day being Tues. Oct. 18th was our last few miles to our final destination....Destin, Florida! We had made it to the Intercoastal Waterway. The water was now a beautiful blue instead of the brown of the rivers. The houses along the waterway appear much larger then what we had been seeing along our river travels. Boats and docks Made for the ocean. As we get closer we have dolphins leading us to the marina. Some right in front of and beside us. Makes us realize we are here!! What a great and yet sad feeling.
Today is Oct. 21,2011 and we have settled into San Destin! Our laundry is done, though bedding and towels will have to wait til Sun. so we can leave things clean for our return. The carpets have been shampooed, the salt washed off the outside and the upstairs cleaned. We are trying to eat up as much as we can before we go, so the fridge can be empty. With that being said, yesterday we had a delicious taco salad for breakfast! The boys are golfing today, while Judy "highlights" her hair, and then the girls will go for a much needed massage after sleeping in "boat beds" for a month. This is the weekend that started the entire process. A birthday party for a dear friend....Happy Birthday Peg! We have loved the experience and would highly suggest it to anyone that would even contemplate it.
We will be home on Mon., with memories that will last a lifetime and a friendship that has endured 30 days of being together in a tight environment! That is something that couldn't be done with many people and we are so grateful we have had the opportunity with Jim and Judy! We love you both!
We are thankful for a new friendship with the Captain's of Mystique, Collin and Irene (and yes that is their real names) that we have totally enjoyed and hope continues! For mostly good weather! For all the characters we have met along the way that helped create those
memories and mostly our safe travels! Thank you for following us on this trip and we hope you have enjoyed reading about it! Safe travels to you all, wherever you may decide to go!

and hope continues!

Oops....I lost a day.....day 20.....SUNDAY 16th!

Somehow yesterday I had it in my mind it was Fri. Until I talked to daughter Darci and she cleared my head! We had a low key river day. This isn't as pretty a cruise as we have had in the past but then we have seen lots of very beautful and different sceneries. We had 3 locks but things went very smooth and the weathernyas been clear skies and around 80. We don't see much as far as TV with news and weather but we try and stay aware of any storms that might be coming. We ended the day at Bobbies Fish Camp! It has a dock with a fuel pump, though you need to walk up the hill to the office/restaurant to have them turn it on. They had room on the dock for us and a 70 foot yacht. Our friends in Mystique had to tie up with us and another 60 foot yacht tied up to the 70 foot. Quite a site when you stood on land and looked at the 4 boats all anchored to each other and using the swim decks as walkways from boat to boat. Our 40 footer is starting to look like other people's dinghy's. We hear it will just be the beginning, with 200+ foot boats in the slips in Florida. Oh well, we still love our Nauti Escape! We went up to the "restaurant" for a cold beer with the crew from The Chair (the 70 footer) and Mystique. Once there we noticed a party starting to set up and of course I needed to find out what kind. I had already mentioned that I thought It was time to be wedding crashers! Turned out we were class reunion crashers! We were going to play the part of long lost classmates until we saw a picture of the class and it was apparent we weren't quite the right color. We are in the south. And we are in Alabama! So instead I started a question game with the party planner...the most athletic girl in the class and the cheerleader! We met the boy who changed the most....the guy that was "a string bean" and now needs to wear bib overalls. The girl who was best singer and the "white" Homecoming queen! The football captain and now preacher at the local church....which made it a dry party! How does anyone have a dry class reunion, was what we wondered! Later in the night we met the "black" Homecoming Queen who also happened to be the Choctaw County pig calling champion, and YES, for $10 she gave us her best call! By that time the party was over, we had exactly the night I had hoped for, and lots of great memories! Back to our boats for a good night's....or so I thought! Unfortunately, all night I dreamt I was with my classmates and they each told me I really needed a shower! I got up and immediately jumped in our shower and washed away the horrors of my dreams! This morning when we got up we were surrounded by what we thought were bloomimg Lily Pads but after reading some of our cruising books found out they are actually floating hyacinths. Regardless they were beautiful and Judy, Mopping Molly (air force Annies latest name) and I wondered how the boys..First Mate Jim, Captain Bob, and Captain Collar managed such a beautiful surprise! Today we are going about 60+ miles and will be anchoring out for what should be our last time! Sad to think we are that close to the end! We do have some leftover food from last night that we are hoping to use for alligator bait! Gotta at least get a pic of one! Wish us luck! Could be another dinghy night! We are hoping for a bug free, full moon, last anchor night!

Friday October 15- day 19!

Is anyone else out there confused by our location? As I read the blog the next day, it becomes clear that we seldom end the day where we planned. River life needs to be very flexible depending on weather conditions, river current, our gas needs, and the time it takes to go thru the locks, which is dependent on the barge traffic. They have precedence over pleasure crafts and are definitely bigger then us! We ended up yesterday in Demopolis, Alabama and stayed at the Demopolis Marina. Judy and I walked into town to mail a card at the local post office and along the way we saw 2 armadillo road kill. Not the same as a live one but at least saw the shell. After we got back we heard that the ditches we were walking next to are full of rattlesnakes! Probably better we didn't know that before! When we got back we took the "courtesy" car into town for groceries. I think the courtesy cars are the ones people donate to charities. They are very basic and you are never sure if the tires will actually stay on and the engine work. So far so good, we get to where we need to go and back! We got the laundry done which is always a good feeling. Our sheets will have to go for another week but at least our clothes and towels smell fresh again! Our hygiene habits may need tweaking when we get back but we are getting use to each others smells....kind of like animals. We know who walked into the room without actually seeing them! We had a great meal of gumbo and blackened catfish and Jambalia! DELICIOUS! Early to bed last night for an early departure this morning. We have 5-6 boats heading to the same location today so it will be the amazing river race! I'm not even telling you where we are ending today because we aren't really sure ourselves yet! As far as the pictures we are still trying to figure out how to post them. I write and take the pics but can't post them so I send them to Bob and he posts so thingsmdon't always come out the way we planned. I will try and edit them if I can today so they make more sense to you as you see them. Stay turned for more tales of the Nauti Escape and crew! Good news, so far, none of us has been forced off, or volunteered to go HOME!

Day17 & 18 Pictures, I think...

Day 18

Well we docked in Smithville, Mississippi and found a very sad story. Turns out it was the town that got hit by a tornado 2 days before Joplin. The town of 800 was flattened and the owner of the Marina was buried under his house. His 76 year old wife injured seriously and remains in an assisted living unit recuperating. They had one son who is now trying to pick up the pieces. It was one of the most "rustic" marinas so far. Our plans to go to a restaurant changed and we had a leftover smorgasbord with the addition of some fresh, delicious, hamburger Mac-n-cheese. We ate on Mystique and ended with a high pressure game of R-L-C! The weather turned rainy so we went back and relaxed on the boat. We have found boaters to be very friendly and helpful. Always ready to share info. We are surprised at the number of people doing "the great American loop". And some are doing their 2nd time. One couple we met last night has been doing the river life for 5 years and loving it! It is a truly unique way to see the countryside. Today we plan on going thru 3 locks and traveling about 70 miles and ending at Pirates Cove in Pickensville, Alabama. One more state on the list. We are actually mapping out our food on board to get down to basics when we get to Destin. Can't believe we are counting down our days left! We hope to add pictures today so stay tuned.......

Day 17

OMG where are the days going! Today is a cloudy and cool day. The girls are snuggled up in blankets and doing what we do best..reading gossip magazines (Judy) and working on Christmas stockings (Dianne), and today the boys are doing the locks and dam! We went thru a lock that was an 87 foot drop!! It is enormous and eerie and for that one the girls helped(?). Our meals today are weird. We had a hamburger,cabbage, rotelle tomato, pepper jack cheese casserole for breakfast. Hard on the system but delicious in the belly. For a late lunch we had twirlers and M&M pretzels! Tonight we will be in a Marina and hope for some catfish! We will be at the Smithville Marina in Smithville, Mississippi. We are now on the Tenn-Tom waterway and Judy informed me that 2 things can be seen from space....the great wall of China and the Tenn-Tom. Wow, wonder if they can see what we are doing! Bob's plan seems to be going as hoped and we continue to enjoy the journey! We have traveled 1230 miles so far and have gone thru 8 states and our Nauti Escape has been awesome! It has lost it's new boat smell, but still looks great. We might have to stop the cabbage meals! Talk to you all tomorrow!

Lovin' Tennessee day 15 & 16

We ended up in Clifton, Tennessee last night at the Clifton Marina. A small DRY town 17 miles outside of Savannah and a liquor store! While the boys were tying up for the night Judy and I took the courtesy car to do some shopping. Putting 2 blondes behind the wheel of an old courtesy car when they haven't driven for several weeks, in a mountain area, with sea legs may not be the best idea. I was the driver and Judy the direction reader until she informed me she doesn't read directions or maps well! We found our way and got the things we "needed"! Unfortunately by the time we left it was dark, I had my sunglasses and Judy has night blindness! Between the fog in the low areas, the defogger that DIDN'T work in the "courtesy" car, and the night blindness we found our way with white knuckles! Luckily we had "medicine" in the back seat of the car! We went to the "grill" at the marina and there had dinner with of all people a barge Captain and his wife! After dinner it was time to go to Mystique, the boat of our traveling friends "Collar" and "She-Captain" for a night cap! Today we were on the Tennessee River and the views are magnificent! This has been the most beautiful part of the river so far. We are anchored out tonight in a beautiful little cove off the Tenn-Tom River. Just the 4 of us and tonight the boys went fishing while the girls made a delicious spaghetti dinner! We are all tired tonight so it will be movies in our rooms! Tomorrow is a new day with new adventures! Night all!