Gold Burgee, T Shirt Quilt, Next Chapter

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!!

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

The future is out there...