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Our final Loop sunset at anchor 10/1/2017 |
Day 343 brings us to Pickwick Lake Harbor in Iuka, MS and
yes…as of 2:47PM on 10/2/2017 we officially completed America’s Great
Loop!!! The time flew by, the challenges
were conquered and our new friends are forever!
And the fun…oh, all the fun, fun, fun!!!
It will remain etched in our memories, pictures, t-shirts and social
media.
We've looked at a lot of real estate |
This has truly been a trip of a lifetime – any bad day
was minimized by the overwhelming good days.
Any mechanical issues was quickly remedied with a suggestion or hands-on
correction offered by another looper or well-positioned professional. Any
homesickness or emotional meltdown was cured with empathy, shared tears then
laughter!
The Winter Pool puts waterfront fun on the ground |
Yes, we saw a lot of the USA – 17 states and DC. We left the
country twice – Bahamas and Canada. We
took LOTS of pictures and I tried to update the blog often. We ate some
interesting food but the best meals we enjoyed were the pot luck dinners with
other loopers. We walked A LOT –
sometimes for fun, sometimes dragging a wagon to the Laundromat, grocery store
or dockside dinner! We visited with
people we would have never met, most became our friends and some feel like
family!!
Completing the Loop is bittersweet because like most things
in life – people move on and circumstances change – nothing stands still.
“What’s next?” Right
now, we will do what every responsible boat owner does…pull the boat out of the
water for a “physical”!! We know routine
maintenance (clean & paint the bottom) and a few other updates will need to
be done. In a few days we will lock in
the timeline. Then we will off-load the
vessel and head home by the middle of October!!
There’s a lot to do after a year on the water! We also have to see about routine physicals
(doctors, dentist)!!
And yes, we would like to keep cruising…there is so much
more to see!! The pressure of seeing
everything according to seasons and weather has been accomplished – now we are
ready to really take our time to explore a few areas we rushed through.
The Lower Place secured in the Pickwick lock - final lock of the loop! |
In a few days I’m sure we will post the trip stats (engine
hours, fuel consumption) but not tonight. Tonight we will rest easy, knowing
how blessed we are to have this dream become a reality. We are not promised the next hour on this
earth…make every moment matter!
Of course we give all the glory to God for taking care of us throughout this journey!! This wasn't the easiest trip to undertake and for reasons yet to be realized He watched over us and brought us safely back home!! Thank you Lord!
God Bless
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Morning breaks on our final day of America's Great Loop 10/2/2017 |
Congratulations on completing your Loop and earning that Gold!!! You two are amazing people and Tim and I are so very happy to have met you and gotten to know you. You are friends that will last a lifetime and we cannot wait to see you again!
ReplyDeleteYou are very right...we are Blessed to have been given the opportunity to make this trip of a lifetime. We thank God for watching over us and bringing such great people into our world.
Anne & Tim
Ivanhoe