Across Mobile Bay to Florida Panhandle

November 1 - November 10
Mobile Bay
Lazy Suzan and Blue Moon had smooth waters across Mobile Bay.  Dolphins were there to greet us.

Suzan shopping in the quaint town of Fairhope, AL.

The Wharf Marina, Orange Beach, AL is unique with shopping, restaurants and palm trees decked out in glittering lights. We enjoyed dinner at a sidewalk cafe.  It was too cold for me, so I ran into the t-shirt shop and bought a sweatshirt. We rated this a 5 star marina, especially considering the discounted Looper rate of $1.00/ft.

The ICW is mostly a narrow cut, with occasional lakes and a section called the Little Grand Canyon. The trees are small and the salt air is approaching.  Welcome to Florida!!!!

A surprise - the Navy Blue Angels were practicing maneuvers at Pensacola Air Station.  It was quite a surprise as they zipped right in front of Blue Moon.

We anchored at Navarre Cove for the night.  We rode the dinghy to Lazy Suzan and shared dinner on their boat.  Yummy!

We arrived the next day at Destin, FL and anchored in the town bay.  We dinghyed to shore and enjoyed shopping and dinner.  This is a fun touristy area, complete with Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

King and Max

A beautiful sunset from the deck of Margaritaville.

Next morning we departed at 8:20 and arrived Panama City Marina at 4:30, another very nice marina. Weather was not predicted to be good, so we stayed an extra day and had a wonderful time touring the area.

Many Loopers were here.  This picture perfect sunset was taken from Blue Moon.

A fishing competition, the Emerald Coast Redfish Series, was holding an event and filming the competition for an upcoming TV broadcast.

A fun night in Panama City - bands, a car show and dinner with friends.

Crews from Lazy Suzan, Jill Kristy, Wye Tug and Blue Moon enjoyed dinner at a downtown Panama City Mexican restaurant.  We first met Dick and Phyllis from Wye Tug the summer of 2014 on the Trent Severn.  It was great to meet up with them again in Florida.

Lee and Suzan rented a car and invited us along for a fun filled day exploring.  We visited the quaint and manicured and upscale town of Seaside Beach.  The movie Truman, with Jim Carey, was filmed here.  This is a very pretty area.  We also drove through nearby Grayton Beach State Park and we plan to return there in our RV.

An outdoor shopping area.  Sharon and Suzan took in the shops.

King and Lee - shopping online??

Looking at the Seaside homes with picturesque landscaping.

Next stop Port St. Joe City Marina.  We arrived early at 3:00 and enjoyed walking around the town. Lots of interesting shops, boutiques, Piggly Wiggly and Goodwill.  We ate breakfast the next morning at a traditional, historic Inn.  We met up with Captain Jack and Jane again, friends we first met in Columbus, MS. Many people in the shops were discussing the presidential election.  Seems everyone had a definite opinion.  We voted early by mail since we knew we would not be in Texas on election day.

Port St. Joe City Marina

We arrived in Carrabelle, FL at C-Quarters Marina.  This is the departing spot to cross the Florida panhandle.  We were ready to go with 18 other boats, but things sometimes don't go as planned.

Antebellum Mobile Daughters

October 31, 2016

I am a member of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), so meeting the members and touring this historic home in Mobile, AL was very special to me.  The DAR is a women's service organization dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education, patriotism and honoring the patriots of the Revolutionary War.  

Lavish iron lace decorates the Richards House DAR Museum. This beautiful town house of the Italianate style tells the story of Mobile during its antebellum period.  

Steamboat Captain Charles G. Richards and his wife, Caroline Elizabeth Steele, built their dream home in 1860.  The Ideal Cement Company purchased the house from Richards' descendants in 1946. After being turned over to the city of Mobile in 1973, the five local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution leased the home.  The organization is responsible for furnishing and administering it as a period museum.

Susan Tomlinson,  DAR executive board President, graciously described the home as she led us on a personal tour.    The day we visited the home, graduate students from California were also touring the home.  A special reception and tour was in progress for this group.  We were privileged to be invited into the dining room and also posed with the DAR ladies for photos.

DAR members, dressed in antebellum dresses, prepare for the tea.

Suzan listening to descriptions of the room decor

Sharon with Susan Tomlinson, Board President.

Panes of ruby Bohemian glass decorate the home.

Stained glass window "Daughters of the American Revolution" in reception area.

An ornate upstairs bedroom.

This was a very special day for me.  

We are GOLDEN

October 22, 2016
GOLD LOOPERS

A new gold Looper burgee on the front of Blue Moon indicates that we have traveled one complete Loop of about 6,000 miles.  Our white burgee was replaced with this new gold one.

In our case we have completed nearly two times the Loop, about 10,000 miles, and what a trip it has been!! So many special places and so many new friends.  It has been said by some that the Loop is like a book, each page gives a new experience to remember and each friend is a special memory.

Our new friends. Captain Jack and Jane, from Dixie, a beautiful trawler that they have lovingly restored, celebrated with us. Captain Jack is a retired boat captain and Jane, from Ireland, told about living in Ecuador, Ireland and Florida.

We rented a car for the week and visited local sights and restaurants.  One of our favorite restaurants in all of the loop - Cafe on Main.

We visited the Tennessee Williams boyhood home and museum.

Six boats travel together as we leave the marina at Columbus, MS, and head for an early morning lock through at Stennis Lock.

Cook's Bend Anchorage - one of our favorite foggy mornings.  We anchored with six other boats.

Today's trip on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway was another circuitous, winding route with a surprising number of tows and barges headed both up-bound and down-bound.

King, Max and Lee, from Lazy Suzan, out for a look around in the dinghy at Rattlesnake Bend Anchorage.

The White Cliffs of Epps, an attractive stretch of chalk cliffs near the town of Epps, AL and geologically similar to the White Cliffs of Dover in England, was a favorite spot the first time through with its pretty fall colors.  The weather was much warmer this trip, no frost on the boat this time.

Lazy Suzan under a railroad bridge by the White Cliffs of Epps.

It seems so strange to be in a mostly remote wilderness full of birds, deer, alligators and quiet, then turn a bend in the river and be in Mobile, AL.  An interesting Wikipedia note about Mobile; the red imported fire ant was first introduced into the United States via the Port of Mobile sometime in the 1930s.  The ants came ashore off cargo ships arriving from South America.  

We enjoy the folks at Turner Marine, always friendly and a good place to rest before starting the segment from Mobile, AL to Carrabelle, FL.