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Goin' Gold - October 2, 2017 |
It’s been three weeks since we crossed our wake at Aqua
Yacht Harbor on Pickwick Lake. Time is ticking by. Several days after our crossing we rented a
car, unloaded the boat with essentials and headed home. Yes, it felt like moving from one culture to
another but after the second trip and several days of unpacking and relocating “stuff”
I think we are settled…sort of.
Before we embarked on the 49 week journey around the eastern
US, Bahamas & Ontario, Canada we had very busy career lives. So it’s been somewhat challenging to fill
that time – doctor, dental, optical visits have been completed. LOTS of visiting with family, friends,
neighbors (past and present) and looking forward to a much-needed Thanksgiving
reunion have given us the opportunity to really reflect upon the past year. So…
We have decided that we are NOT DONE cruising!!
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A few shirts I collected along the way - very therapeutic walk down memory lane |
The Lower Place has been pulled out of the water and is
currently receiving the required maintenance (bottom paint, strut, shaft,
bearing, prop, etc.) inspections. We
have renewed our DTOPS inspection (customs fee) sticker. Once the boat work is completed and The Lower
Place is back in the water we will cruise to Columbus Marina, Columbus MS for
staging!!
That’s right, after Thanksgiving (or the boat work is
completed, which ever comes last) we will head south on the Tenn-Tom once
again, heading to the west coast of Florida.
Only this time we will have leisurely cruising on the itinerary, planning
to be north of the Demopolis AL before June 1, 2018 (hurricane season). Several have asked if we plan to do the loop
again and my standard answer is “not on purpose”.
The Loop was a trip of a lifetime and we are so blessed to
have started AND finished without interruption (boat or health issues) so now
we are looking forward to doing more exploration within a smaller geographic
area. But never rule out another side trip
to the Bahamas or the Chesapeake Bay…it could happen!! Have you met my captain?!!?
In closing…THANK YOU!!!
Thank you for riding along with us during this crazy adventure, I hope
you enjoyed it – even if you didn’t quite understand it. Thank you for your prayers and words of
encouragement – even if you thought it was the craziest thing you ever
heard. Thank you for taking care of our
parents, adult kids and grandchildren during our absence – I felt better knowing
that. And thank you for making this blog required reading – it pushed me to
create a lasting memory. Not every event
has been documented (you can thank me later) but I tried very hard to hit the
highlights.
This is the final entry for our Loop Adventure and while I’m
not sure how we will document future random cruising fun, I can promise you
America’s Great Loop is close to the top of the greatest trip I’ve ever had.
Step outside your comfort zone, look beyond yourself, life
is worth living – don’t just exist.
God Bless
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The future is out there... |
So glad you will be cruising again soon! We understand about the slowing down for sure. Safe travels and we hope to see you guys sometime in the future! Kim and David on Overtime
ReplyDeletethank u blogger
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