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Author Archives: Arkansas Traveler
Sanibel Island and Grouper Sandwiches
Wednesday, January 29 Grouper sandwiches are the vision. Our journey south was punctuated with the phrase “When we get to Sanibel and the grouper sandwiches,…” Now we are just 36 miles away from Sanibel and this Wednesday morning’s weather is … Continue reading
Tampa Bay to Charlotte Harbor
Tuesday proved to be a promising travel day and we left the anchorage at Egmont Key soon after enjoying our apple and walnut-studded oatmeal. Once across the mouth of Tampa Bay, we entered the narrow channel that makes up the … Continue reading
Crossing the Gulf
Saul Creek provides peace and beauty. The sunsets are ever-changing. After five restful days at Saul Creek waiting for an auspicious weather window, we said goodbye to the serene views, weighed anchor and powered east 36 miles to Shipping Cove, … Continue reading
Saul Creek
From the Laird Bayou anchorage we crossed the short bay and traveled along the canal cuts, arriving in Port St. Joe, and stayed at the marina there for two nights. The Port St. Joe Marina is a lovely and safe … Continue reading
Fairhope, Alabama to Florida
We left Fairhope on a windy morning, heading to Florida and warmer weather. As we turned east into Bon Secour Bay, the clouds cleared and the temperature rose to 52 degrees. We entered the narrow canal that leads past Orange … Continue reading
Posted in U - 2014 Fairhope to Sanibel Island
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Fairhope, Alabama
We arrived at Fairhope on New Year’s Day, tying up at Easten Shore Marina to have some work done on the Traveler. We had visited with Ed at ESM about having the bottom painted before heading south into salt water … Continue reading
2014 – The New Year and Fairhope
From Big Bayou Canot to Mobile is more swamp than river; looking at the map, it’s difficult to tell where the navigable channel is. The rivers are close and five of them enter the Gulf almost as one and yet … Continue reading
2013 – The Year Ends
On December 30 at 0600, the sky was overcast, the winds were light and variable and the temperature was 41 degrees. Just after sunrise we raised the anchors and turned downstream. The day remained overcast as we motored toward the … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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The Current Quickens
Because of a river’s meander, one doesn’t refer to the various banks as north, south, east or west, but rather as left descending bank (LDB) or right descending bank (RDB). This cuts down on confusion as one generally knows (or … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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White Pelicans, Pickensville, and Rattlesnake Bend
It is the winter migration habit of American White Pelicans to climb to catch a thermal current to take them to warmer climates. These large birds rise in an upward spiral searching for the best altitude to carry them … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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Christmas Morning at the Amory Lock Anchorage
Christmas morning was clear and crisp. After a leisurely breakfast to temperatures in the low 30’s, we radioed the lock master to to check his schedule. He said that there would be a wait and at 10:30 we raised the … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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Three Dog Night
Morning at Anchor It was truly a three-dog-night but we only had the ship’s cat, Beulah, to boost the BTUs of the Traveler’s heater system. It was 20 degrees at daybreak and frost blanketed the boat. We waited until 0900 … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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Back Onboard Again…
An Explanation Bob and I took a three year hiatus from the Loop while we attended to work and family responsibilities. The good news is, that in the end, we are responsible adults. The bad news is that during the … Continue reading
Posted in V - 2013; Back Onboard Again
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June 22; Four-Mile Bend to Sumter Recreation Area
Trying to make up for lost time earlier in the trip, we put in a long day to gain 85 miles. We refueled at the Demopolis Yacht Basin, taking on 155 gallons of diesel, and topped off our 120-gallon water … Continue reading
June 21; Powell Landing to Four-Mile Bend
Tuesday took us through the first of twelve locks. The Coffeeville Lock and Dam would lift us over thirty feet out of tidal waters and into the fresh water of the Tombigbee River. After shaking off the cobwebs of the … Continue reading
June 19 & 20; Big Briar Creek to Bates Lake & Powell Landing
Big Briar Creek was the ideal anchorage to catch up on rest and boat work. The morning dawned peacefully and the world seemed in harmony. We had hoped to get back on the river early, but between the idyllic surroundings and … Continue reading
June 18; Eastern Shore Marina to Big Briar Creek
It is sixteen miles from the Eastern Shore Marine docks in Fairhope, Alabama to where the Highway 10 tunnel intersects the Mobile river in downtown Mobile; mile 0 on the Tenn-Tom Waterway. The waterway connects the Gulf of Mexico to … Continue reading
Stuart to Peanut Island; December 11
Just as the fog over Lake Okeechobee provided a stark contrast to the crisp, bright Florida days, our introduction to Florida’s east coast cast a distinct change from the quiet of the inland waterway. Where the day before we … Continue reading
Clewiston to Stuart; December 10
Thursday morning came with rain and a chilly wind, creating the perfect day to stay tied at the dock. We spent our time working on projects and resting. In the afternoon, the sun came out and we borrowed the marina … Continue reading
La Belle to Clewiston; December 8
Cattle ranches, orange groves, sugar cane fields and houses are the backdrop as the Caloosahatchee River works its way upstream to Lake Okeechobee. We spent the night near La Belle, tied up at a private dock at the home of … Continue reading
Caloosahatchee River; December 7, 2010
The trip from the anchorage near Owl Creek on the Caloosahatchee River was brightly punctuated with a sighting of three sandhill cranes strolling the river bank. The morning was cold and we waited until 1045 hrs for the sun to … Continue reading
Siesta Key to Cayo Costa; November 26
Blackburn Swing Bridge; note bridge tender on swinging section It is forty-eight statute miles from the Robert’s Bay anchorage at Siesta Key to the state park on Cayo Costa. Dolphins chased and leapt through our wake as “Arkansas Traveler” cut through … Continue reading
Thanksgiving Day, 2010
David and the boys took the dinghy to the pier and walked two blocks across Anna Maria Island to the beach on the Gulf of Mexico. On their trek back they picked up sandwiches and grouper bites to snack on … Continue reading
Bay Springs Lake to Amory Lock; October 22
October 22, 2010 Though we intended to travel from can to can’t, we had difficulty leaving the beauty of Bay Springs Lake. Shortly after 0815 we raised the anchor and reluctantly headed south. The day was work-filled, stepping down through … Continue reading
Tennessee River to Bay Springs Lake; October 21
As the warm waters of the Tennessee River meet the cool night air, a mist invariably forms. When the sun’s rays first glance through that mist, a prism of golds scatter across the water, giving the “Arkansas Traveler” a glowing … Continue reading
Arkansas Traveler 