9/27 John's birthday and up the Tennessee to Florence, Alabama

Happy Birthday to John.  Happy Birthday to John.  We celebrated in 3 states.  We started our day at Grand Harbor Marina in Counce, TN at the end of the Tombigbee Waterway.   We turned back on to the Tennessee River.  At that point, Mississippi is on the starboard and Alabama is on port.  A little further up the river, Alabama is on both sides.

Finally, the oppressive heat dissipated.  It was bright and sunny but only in the low 80's.  It was a beautiful day to cruise up the river.  The Tennessee is very scenic on all sides.  It is a lot like the Cumberland River but much wider.

Florence, Alabama was our stop for the night.  What a lovely place this is.  It is the birthplace of Helen Keller and W. C. Haney.  The Florence Park surrounds the marina.  The entrance to the marina is marked on one side by this sculpture that they light at night.

On the other side, flags mark the channel. 

This heron was standing calmly by the water's edge.

  Everyone here is very nice.  Dragon boat races are being held this weekend.  The dragon boats were being delivered and put in the water.

The next lock which is only a few miles away was talking to a boat and said the Delta Mariner would be locking through.  It turns out that the Delta Mariner is a cargo ship that transports Atlas V and Delta rockets for United Launch Alliance from the manufacturer in Decatur, Alabama to either Cape Canaveral in FL or through the Panama Canal to Vandenberg Air Force Base in CA.  It can carry up to three 160 foot Delta Common Booster Rockets.  Interestingly, it is designed for open seas and the inland rivers. These pictures will give you an idea of how huge this boat is.

Tomorrow, we head up river with 2 locks and about 60 miles to Joe Wheeler State Park.


Lat 34 degrees 47.17 North
Long 87 degrees 40.42 West