And just like that...we're home!!

Headed Home...

And we’ve been here since May the 9^th!  After an overnight stop in Columbus MS we motored up the TN-Tom, transitioning 5 locks without incident until…we reached the final (Fulton MS) lock of the day.  Barge traffic takes priority and we had one ahead of us (north bound) and one heading south bound.  While we weren’t thrilled with a 2+ hour delay at the end of a long day, we really could not complain – so we didn’t.

By 6:35 we were safely docked at Midway Marina, Fulton MS ending an 11 ½ hour day.  Since we considered Midway our “home” marina while traveling America’s Great Loop, it was great to be “home”.  We visited with old friends, talked about those who had left the marina and met a few new friends.  A quick visit to town for a bite of dinner (surprisingly, very disappointing) and back to the boat for a restful nights’ sleep.

Wednesday the 9^th we were underway by 7:25 am, knowing we had to clear 3 locks in a short distance we were eager to get that behind us.  Before long we were approaching the FINAL lock!  The Jamie Whitten Lock at mm 411.9 is the tallest (or deepest, depending on your perspective) lock on the waterway with a lift of 84 feet!  It’s the 4^th highest single lift lock in the country and it’s always windy upon approach – at least that’s our experience!!  Once we locked through we were headed to Pickwick Lake aka HOME!!

The Jamie Whiten Lock - look closely at the right side of the lock wall

As we approached the lock, the lock master called us with a message of caution..."Whitten Lock to The Lower Place you may enter but watch out for the kayak.  He just locked through headed to Fort Walton FL."  WHAT?!?!  Charlie used binoculars from the fly bridge & spotted him.  I was already on the deck preparing lines but had the chance to speak with him.  He started his journey in Knoxville  TN with Fort Walton FL as the destination...in a KAYAK!!!  See, we aren't so unusual!!  He's been in my prayers!!

After some confusion about our slip assignment at Aqua Yacht we were tucked in for the summer by 4:15pm!!  Ahhhhh……

That’s right we are home for the summer.  Plans to play on Pickwick Lake with family & friends are in full swing and a few road trips are on the agenda.  We need to make the most of our time because The Lower Place will be heading south when the leaves begin to fall.

Thank you for coming along on our journey.  Make the most of every day and be a friend to a stranger!

God Bless!