Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour...Winter Home

• Whatever you want to do in the Bahamas, you must first check the tides and the waves. There's a very tricky passage, Whale Passage. This is the most challenging and notorious passage in the Abacos. Lucky for us it was a nice calm day when we went through. The water is a beautiful crystal clear turquoise blue. The Abacos are a boomerang shaped chain of islands and cays. Our first on-sight heading is on a candy striped lighthouse in Elbow Cay; it's 100 feet tall. We make a turn and I can see the beginning of the Abaco Beach Resort & Boat Harbour, our home for the next three and a half months. It's 52 acres of lushly landscaped gardens. It has 200 protected slips used mostly by our yacht club. The view from our slip is that of an impressionist painting, with watercolors from deep azure to neon shades of aquamarine, it just does not look real. One side is a beautiful white sandy beach that's just steps away from our dock. Outside the beach are some rocks that are perfect for a quick snorkel dive. You can go kayaking or sailing; all non-motorized water sports are free. The monkey bars and childrens' play area are very inviting for adults who have not grown up. Behind the beach, where there are lots of trees, are several dozen hammocks. Whenever I lay there to read my book, I fall asleep. Heading back to the dock is a grassy area with a big square of sand and that is the volley ball pit. There's a tennis court for those more active. There's also a fitness center, I only used it to weigh myself. I have no idea why, I just made myself sick. I can't forget to tell you about the pool with a swim up bar. So far everything is perfect. The only things missing are friends and family from home.
• We pull in and as we are getting ready to dock at least 20 people are standing at the dock. Not to tell Mike how to dock, but to welcome us. Everyone is saying hi and telling us their names. I had the fenders on the port, they should have been starboard. Mike didn't have the bow thruster on so he leaned against the pole. We were very uncomfortable. We both could have done better. We felt we did not make a good first impression when it comes to docking the boat. Turns out that one of the other boaters actually has cards for rating docking. I didn't see our score, I'm probably better off not knowing.
• I tried to get airline tickets, you have to go from here to an airport in Florida. I could get to Florida, but to New York was another story. The house is completely closed up, I don't even have a can of soup in the closet. We would only stay home for 10 days and have the same trouble coming back down here. We decided not to go home for Christmas. We know we'll be sorry on Christmas Day, we'll be blue and lonely.
• We arrived here on a Friday, turns out Friday night is cocktail party night. Everyone brings what they want to drink and something to share. We met many more people. As of now, no one has a last name. There's just too many to remember, so we are "Mike and Pat Libations."
• We spent the next day checking out the town, riding our bikes and getting organized. We have cable T.V., electric and water, what more do we need. On Saturday night we went to the Jib room for dinner. You call on your radio and let them know what you want to eat. Steak or fish. We ordered 2 steaks, next time we will order 1 and split it. Just too much food. They have about 6 special drinks. I decided to start at the top and work down. Each time I go I'll have a different drink. Drink 1 was a goombay mash. Rum and some kind of juice, very good.
• On Sunday, a school bus picked us up to go to church. The church, St. Francis De Sales, is about 6 miles away. The mass is fun, most of it is sung. What we sometimes call a "jump-up-and-down church." Unlike home, everyone is all dressed up. There are several little girls in gowns that are as cute as they can be. The mass is very uplifting.
• On Monday, Manard and Marnie were leaving to go back to Canada. A cocktail party was planned to say goodbye. O.K. not only on Friday night are there cocktail parties. At home, Jo and Whitey A. have first day of spring parties, clam party, just cause it's sunny parties. Just like home, you don't need an excuse to have a party.
• We were invited to dinner aboard Rita and Robert's boat. We were very honored since we had just met them a few days ago. It was a lovely evening and we learned a lot about the area.
• It's starting to look a lot like Christmas. Many boats are decorated with bright lights. We went to town to buy something to show our spirit. Not too much left. We just put a big red bow on the sliding doors. Many other boaters are having their families arrive. Something to think about for next year.
• It's Christmas Eve...doesn't feel like it. We don't have the usual stuff to do. Cook the turkey, set the table, last minute gifts. It isn't even cold. Of course, there is a cocktail party.
• Christmas Morning, we take the school bus to church. The sun is shining and it's hot. After Mass we went to breakfast at the restaurant in the resort, Angler's.
• Our gift to each other is this trip. We are both very thankful for this opportunity to be in the Bahamas for Christmas and on our own boat.
• We were invited to another marina for a Christmas Day celebration. They had ham, pork loin and turkey with all the trimmings. We met more couples from the USA, Canada and the UK. It was dark when we got home, we called the kids and with the video camera we were able to see all of them together and having fun. Hearing them was a wonderful way to end our first Christmas away from the family and friends we love.
• The next day, the 26th is Boxing Day. It started because the staff had to work on important days like Christmas serving the master and his family. They were kept away from celebrating with their own families. The servants would have the next day off. It became a customary tradition to "box" the left over food and take it home. There was one restaurant open on Boxing Day, Snappas Bar and Grill, about 15 couples got together and celebrated.

The Bahamas

• We usually try to leave early in the morning no matter where we are going. We have everything ready. All provisions are on board. Our course is decided and our charts are laid out. Our buddy boat, "Grand Marnie" with Manard and Marnie are up in Indian Town. Due to the low water table on Lake Okeechobee the lock only opens 2 times a day. It opens at 10 A.M and 3 P.M. The plan is to go through the lock at 10 in the morning, fueling up and meeting us about 5 miles out in the ocean. So the earliest they will be there is 1 P.M.
• We got up on Dec. 8th, went to mass and are now ready to leave. Mike talked to the dock master, he felt that today would be a good day to leave. The waves are less than 3 and tomorrow they are supposed to get much higher. My stomach is in my mouth, with my heart. Eight out of ten stories I have heard about the crossing are horror. Why is that? Why do people talk more about the bad than the good. Since my bad experience in Lake Michigan, I'm prepared for the worse, I'm a nervous wreck. Mike takes both my hands, holds them and says, "We'll head out; I promise you if it is at all bad we will turn around and come right back."
• We are crossing about 55 miles, no big deal. Lake Worth to the West End Bahamas, Old Bahama Bay Marina. I have everything I need ready - sandwiches made, snacks, fruit and drinks in a bag. I even have that special bottle Nancy A. gave us so that Mike does not have to leave the bridge for anything.
• It's a little after 11, I'm anxious, we decide to leave the dock. We figured an hour to get to the inlet and an hour to get to the rendezvous spot. To my surprise the inlet was a piece of cake.
• I look at the horizon and I don't see elephants in a row. You know, when you look out from the beach and the horizon looks like a straight line, it's calm. If it's lumpy, it looks like a herd of elephants and you know it's rough. The waves were less than 3 feet, they were rolling, not breaking. I'm very happy.
• Grand Marnie took longer then we expected. We sat and waited just barely moving. I started to get that feeling. The one where you think you have to throw up. It's near 3 when they finally got to us. Mike checks with Manard..Are you sure we can get there before dark. No problem, it turns out that "No Problem" is Manard's standard answer. He's very laid back and easy going. Thank God we are moving. My stomach settles and we're on our way. Bahamas, here we come.
• We came across one cruise ship that was crawling, the passengers all gave us a big wave. You can feel the difference between the ocean and the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream was a delight; gentle ocean swells and startlingly clear blue water and the current kept pushing us north. You could even feel the difference in the temperature.
• It's getting dark and I can see the first signs of a jetty. Flashing green and red beacons clearly mark the harbor. They are the only markers. We pull in make a sharp turn to starboard and we are ready to tie up. It is now very dark and we are safe. We have to display a yellow flag. We are quarantined until customs comes aboard and checks us out. We were told that I was not to get off the boat until we cleared customs. We are in this country less than an hour and we are breaking the rules.
• We go to the main dining area. It's very upscale for the way we are dressed. On the other side of the dock there's a party going on. Rum drinks, wine and some hot and cold food. You know Mike's saying, "If it's free, it's for me." The party is a sales promotion for condos. We didn't know... We picked up a plate had a couple of drinks and met some very nice people.
• The first thing the next morning Mike took all our forms and headed to the customs office. Again we have heard so many stories that you're a little intimidated. We have a 12 gauge double barreled shot gun on the boat. They didn't care, just wanted to know how many shotgun shells we had. When you fly into a country they always give you a form to fill out, the Immigration form. You hand it in when you leave that country. I forgot to sign mine. Mike decided instead of walking all the way back to the boat to have me sign it, he would sign my name. Immigration jail, here comes Mike. We are in this country less than a day and he's going to jail. Each incoming boat pays $150. up to 35 feet in length. Over 35 feet you pay $300. We now have a permit to stay here up to 90 days. Once your vessel is cleared you replace your quarantine flag with a Bahamas courtesy flag.
• We spent the morning in the pool and checking out the marina. This is a very expensive marina, we decided to head elsewhere.
• We headed south to Freeport. This is a commercial harbor. It's dominated by container ships, cruise liners, tankers, and ferries. A quick look to say "we've been there" and we are on our way.
• Next - Xanadu Marina. This is a tourist center with all kinds of shops and restaurants. There were several cruise ships in Freeport, this means that Xanadu would be very crowded. We decided to pass this by also.
• Port Lucaya, our next stop. You have to stay at least 1 nautical mile offshore of the Grand Bahama Island to avoid the reefs that parallel the coast. A well marked bell channel leads to Port Lucaya. It is identified by a flashing red and white stripped buoy. As you sail in you pass beautiful condos. We entered the Grand Bahama Bay; you could not turn around without seeing the ongoing development. We decided to stay at the Grand Bahama Yacht Club. There's a ferry that runs every half hour to the Port Lucaya Marketplace. You name it, they have it here. You can spend the day kayaking, parasailing, horseback riding, hiking, biking, fishing or just relaxing. Unfortunately they have a casino. We spent the mornings at the pool, the afternoons at the marketplace and the evening at the casino. I wish that I could say we were big winners. Once again I broke even and my friend is wearing a big "L" on the front of his head. We had to stay here an extra day because of rough water.
• A large development that was started in the late 1960s and has never materialized is the Grand Lucayan Waterway. The entire waterway is protected. It saves you about half the time it takes to go around the West End. There's no traffic along the route and one bridge that keeps the big boats out. It clears 25 feet. The depth is 6-12'. The walls on both sides are cement. You see a couple of abandoned projects, a hotel or a condominium, I'm not sure. The only signs of life are a couple of mansions. When we got to the end of the waterway it was too shallow to pass through to Dover Sound. We spent the night on the hook in the waterway.
• Next day we had a long ride to Green Turtle Cay. We are still not sure how to pronounce Cay, some say "key" and some say "kay!" We pulled into Green Turtle Club and were very impressed with the amenities. They have what is called "dock dollars." If you eat in their restaurant, you subtract the money you spend from the cost of docking. The food was excellent, I had rack of lamb. It's all white pristine beaches and crystal clear water. This Cay is small enough that you can cover a good part of the island on foot. You can't ride your bikes because the roads are too full of holes. We rented a golf cart and took a tour. Everything is on one street, it's like a circle. You have a grocery store a hardware store, three restaurants, a bakery. We went into a bar and I was introduced to a goombay (a delicious rum drink).

Biscayne Bay to North Palm Beach

• We anchored by the Rickenbacker Bridge just north of Biscayne Bay. We had a excellent view of Miami. There was a parade of cruise ships, each one spectacular. The marinas in Miami do not cater to transients so we decided to just tour from the ICW. It's still a major city and has lots of opportunity for entertainment. It's also called "the new capital of Latin America". It's more than 60% Spanish.
• The Port of Miami has a security zone established by the Coast Guard. Just like New York Harbor, a private vessel may not approach within 100 yards of any ship. In Miami the ICW opens up with deep water, it's a real pleasant change from the narrow confines.
• We spent the day weaving up the ICW. Once again the homes are unbelievable. They're mostly mansions without any sign of life. We had a long slow ride because it's almost all a "no wake" zone. Most of the bridges open on the hour and half-hour. We were able to time them so that we didn't have to wait too long. By late afternoon we had had enough. We decided to spend some time in Hollywood. We were less than a block away from the bridge that gave us access to the beach. As usual we tied up and headed to the nearest restaurant. Over the bridge and down the road we found a place highly recommended by Oprah. It is said to have the best hamburger in Florida - "The Tub." You walk in and you see a tub with plants in it. Throughout the restaurant are toilet bowls that are used as planters. What can I tell you. I thought I had trouble decorating. I could have saved a lot of money had I known you could use old toilet bowls and they could be considered art. We sat at a table right on the edge of the water. There were bright lights shining in the water drawing the fish to the surface. They had to be 4ft long. They did not eat the french fries but they did love the beef. When we left the restaurant we went a block to the boardwalk. You could walk for miles. Lots of restaurants and T shirt stores, coffee houses and ice cream shoppes. The sound of the ocean, the dark beach with the warm breeze made the end of the day perfect.
• The next morning we took our bikes into the main part of town to do some shopping. We were very surprised to see so many homeless people. I guess, if you have to be homeless, FL beats NYC in the winter. We locked our bikes and walked the mini mall to see what stores were there. We did our grocery shopping and Mike left me to put the packages in our baskets while he went to another store. I turned my back and a homeless woman started taking my bags of groceries. I was shocked. I said, "You're taking my groceries while I'm standing here?!" She looked at me like I was nuts, she put the bags down and walked away.
• We spent the afternoon at the beach reading our books and swimming. At night we went back to the boardwalk for dinner. We found a little place and had a 16" pizza and a 60 oz. pitcher of beer for $13.99, it was pretty good. Not Carmines, but good.
• We decided to stay in Hollywood for 4 days. The place was nice, the beach was great and we could ride our bikes all over. When we did tour on our bikes we found a lot of homes for sale, just like in Seaford. On Sunday we rode our bikes to a beautiful church. We think we were one of the youngest couples there. Again, it's a small world. The couple in the boat next to us were from Wantagh. The wife, June G. is related to Eddie R., the owner of Hemmingways.
• I read somewhere that 300 miles of canals, channels and waterways make up the Fort Lauderdale area. It's called the Miracle Mile on the ICW. We are still going slow because much of it is a 5 mile zone or no wake. This is the "Yachting Capital of the World". We never realized that there could be that many 60, 75 and 100 foot boats in the world. In this stretch of ICW we went through at least 15 to 20 bridges.
• We anchored in a small cove and were surrounded by beautiful homes. It was near 3 P.M. and we don't like to run later in case we cannot find a place to anchor. We left around 11 A.M. and during that period we did not see one person.
• Our next stop was North Palm Beach, the Old Port Cove Marina. This is our last stop before going over to the Bahamas. The plan is to get all our supplies, food, paper products, booze, beer, soda and water. All we hear is how expensive water is in the Bahamas. We also had to go to West Marine and get another book and more charts. Mike is sure the boat is going to sink, it's below the water line now. We went to the liquor store by bike. The trick now is to get all the booze in plastic bottles. The good thing is the liquor store and West Marine are in the same mall, as is a women's store called Anthony's (nice clothing). We each had our basket full.
• While sitting in the cockpit of the boat we heard a helicopter. We noticed it was very close to our boat. We were wondering if there was some kind of rescue practice going on. The next thing we see is another helicopter, this one is red and has a man hanging out of it filming the 1st helicopter. Turns out that there was a 150 ft. boat in the bay that was for sale. The red helicopter was filming some of the features of this boat. The helicopter landed on the boat and a man got out and went below, got into a submarine that was in the back of the boat and went for a ride. If I was younger, I think I would want to be part of a crew on one of these private ships.
• Manard and Marnie called us to let us know they were in FL and would come over to take us to Costco. I loaded up on meat and chicken and condiments. We went to Duffy's for dinner and talked about the weather window. I can't stress enough the importance of the weather. We know couples that waited weeks to cross because the waves were too high and the wind too strong. It looks like Sat., Dec. 8th will be OK, the plan is to leave then.

Thanksgivng in the Florida Keys

• We left Marco Island and headed right to Marathon. The weather was good, the Florida Bay had a moderate chop. What's amazing when you are out about 20 miles is that you can't see land in any direction and the depth of the water is only 5 feet. The crab traps are scatted all over the place. It's as if the trappers just through them in the air and let them land were they may. Between the low water and the traps you have to pay attention every minute of the trip, very stressful.
• We found a marina, Sombrero Resort, right next door to Lee and George V. We arrived, secured the boat and took the 5 minute walk to see Lee and George. They knew we were coming but they didn't know when. We got a real warm reception.
• A tradition we started a few years ago was to take the grandchildren out to a movie and dinner the night before Thanksgiving. This gave their parents free time before the hectic Thanksgiving day. We have not seen our babies since September and we're missing them. This year the night before Thanksgiving was our anniversary. Thanks to Lee and George we had a wonderful celebration at a very nice restaurant. The next morning we started a new tradition, we changed the oil in the engines. This took about 4 hours. We spent Thanksgiving Day with Lee and George and two other couples from their complex. We didn't have time for the blues.
• The world once again is small. When I was little, on occasion, my parents would take us to Seabright, N.J. It was a boat that my mother's uncle pulled up on shore and made into his home. The place was between the Shrewsbury River and the Atlantic Ocean; great location. I can remember watching some local kids jump off a pier, they would be having a ball and I wished they would invite me to play with them. Talking to Cathy and Jack A., friends of Lee and George, we found out that Jack was one of those kids. His family owned the house right next door to my great uncle.
• Mike went fishing with George several times. He had a good time catching some of the local fish. Some gave a good fight. I spent time shopping with Lee, we also had time to sit around the pool and exchange stories about our husbands and children.
• We, of course, spent a day at Key West. No matter how many times I've been there, I still enjoy seeing the sights. Ten years ago I bought sandals at Kinos, they're made in Key West and you know how I love to buy stuff made in the USA. The first time I paid $5; the second time I paid $8 and this time they were $11. Not bad. We had lunch at Caroline's and sat at an outside table and just watched the characters pass by. We know that others were watching us and thinking what characters we were.
• Walking down Duval Street there was a homeless man laying on the ground. I had to turn my head the other way, it's so sad. At one time he was probably a hard working man, I wonder what broke him. Anyhow, Mike walked over to him and gave him a couple of dollars, we have been so fortunate. I thought to myself, that will go to the first liquor store. When we passed back that way later on, the man was sitting on a bench eating a bowl of something. I guess I should be ashamed for what I was thinking. I wonder if Mike's few dollars did help this poor man have a nice meal.
• We went to the Southernmost Point in the continental United States. It's also the most photographed spot in the country, the line was up the block. All you see is a huge red, white, green and yellow buoy on the tip of Whitehead Street at the intersection of Sound Street, it's a must see in Key West.
• Mallory Square is where all the Sunset Celebrations take place. Everyone clusters on the beach and watches the big red ball dip below the ocean's horizon and see an unforgettable view of the setting sun. There are street performers and entertainers ranging from animal acts to fire-tossing jugglers and sword-swallowers to real, talented musicians. We had a an artist draw us. I had to laugh, I think Mike looks like one of his "favorite" people in the picture. Can you figure it out? Take a look at the picture.
• After a week at Marathon it was time to move on. Our first stop was Islamorada. We pulled into a cove and dropped the anchor. On this key is the San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park, the final resting place of one of the 21 Spanish galleons that sank in a 1733 hurricane.
• Around 2 or 3 in the morning the moon the size of a dinner plate was propped up on the top of our hatch. The light falling across our faces was almost bright enough to read by. It was very quiet and there was no breeze at all not even a ripple in the water. My honey suggested we take a swim. I kept watch while he splashed and did everything he could to pull me in. I was soaked and did feel a lot better. I spook myself; I guess it goes back to Jaws. That movie really ruined my night swimming. By the time we went back to bed we slept like babies.
• On to Key Largo, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. John Pennekamp was a journalist who wrote articles urging preservation of the reefs. We were here in 1970 with John N. and Bill M. We talked about taking the glass bottom boat ride but both wanted to be on shore for a while. Instead we took the dinghy along the twisting water trails with the overhanging mangroves. The African Queen was filmed here.
• Next, we headed up the coast to Biscayne Bay. As we were pulling in from Hawk Channel, a boat with 3 men waved to us. We were actually in the inlet. They appeared to be having boat problems. Again, Mike was ready to stop and do whatever he had to do to help these men. I, of course, was a little uncomfortable. What if they just wanted our boat, what if they were bad guys. I swear I have to stop reading evil into everything we do. They were out of gas. We towed them to the nearest gas dock. Maybe this put extra points into our black box.

Birds, Manatees and Dolphins

We have become bird watchers. Along the mud flats there are endless birding opportunities. On the top of my Christmas list this year will be a book on birds. At our club on Long Island we are used to seeing Cormorants, Egrets, Blue Herons and Osprey. Here in Florida the birds are a little more exotic - Roseate Spoonbill, Anhinga, all kinds of Pelicans, White Ibis, Moorhen and Red Shouldered Hawks. Every one of them is beautiful. I'm still looking for the Manatees. Every other sign along the way tells you to be careful and slow down because of the manatees. I read that newborn calves can weigh 60 pounds or more at birth. They hold their breath while nursing and stay with mama for 2 years. When you do get to see one the first thing is a ripple in the water and then the whiskered lips of the half ton to one ton creature. They eat over a hundred pounds of vegetation each day. They are still listed as endangered and there is something about them that makes them lovable. Can you believe ancient sailors thought they were mermaids? I guess being out at sea for long periods of time can affect your mind... While I'm at it, I must mention my favorite creature, the bottle-nosed dolphin. When they surface for air they slice the water, they glide, it looks like they're rolling. I'm told that each dorsal or back fin is shaped differently, like fingerprints, you can distinguish individuals. They are also big eaters, about 40 pounds of fish a day. They are 8 to 10 feet long and weigh 800 to 1000 pounds. They have excellent eyesight and good hearing. I still scream and bang on the side of the boat every time I see them. I swear they can see me, they lay on their side and look up at you.

Warm Weather, Cool Breeze

• We pulled into a brand new marina; we were the first to ever tie up to the new pier. Many years ago we took a trip to Puerto Rico and there was a donkey with a beautiful spray of flowers on its head. I stopped to take a picture and a man came up to me and said, "That would be $1.00." I, of course, paid. What a way to make a couple of bucks. The big deal about this marina was the birds! I have never seen this many parrots in my whole life - at least 300. They flew from inside the marina over to a private house. The owner told me that every year the birds come back around November. He didn't know where they went once they left him in the spring. He spends a fortune on birdseed and cleaning materials. I told him about my experience in Puerto Rico and suggested he put up a donation box (there were several of us taking pictures at this time) to help fray the cost of the food and cleaners.
• We traveled to Clearwater, Tampa Bay, St. Petersburg, Anna Maria Island and Brandenton, where my parents once lived, to Sarasota. As Sarasota appears in the distance, it looks like a big city with lots of office buildings. As you get closer you realize all these buildings are high-rise condominiums. We pulled into a place called Marina Jack, an elegant marina. I'd say a little up-scale with a huge fountain with water spraying out of several dolphins' mouths; very interesting. We docked and one slip away from us a 110 foot boat pulled in. So much for any sun for us. Every morning the newspaper is delivered to your boat. If you want, you can also have a continental breakfast. We took a nice walk through the town and surrounding area and checked out the real estate prices and the restaurants. We can afford the restaurants, I'm not sure about the real estate. We checked out the Ringling legacy. A museum of the Circus with memorabilia from Ancient Roman relics to contemporary carnival props are on display. We saw the coral colored mansion that belonged to John Ringling.
• We were looking for a little night life and found it right in the marina. I was only going to have 1 drink so I ordered a Black Russian (my favorite). The couple we were with called it a night. We wanted to stay; they had an oldies band and we were having a good time dancing. Mike was amazed at how all the old people around us knew all the words to all the songs. He's having trouble realizing that we are in the old people category. As the night went on a young couple sitting next to us bought us a round of drinks. Black Russian #2. We, of course, sent them over a round. The next thing I knew they were sitting at our table and Black Russian #3 was in front of me. Then the shooters started. By this time it didn't make any difference, I was gone. I looked at Mike and suddenly he became a twin, two Mikes. How lucky am I? Somewhere along the evening, someone must have given me some Cape Cod Potato Chips (years ago I got sick on them while drinking Mudslides). Yes, I was intimate with the porcelain god. For years now, at least 40, Mike has been telling me he's a trained professional, drinking is not for amateurs, I think he's right.
• The next morning Mike was on his own. I looked and felt like death warmed over. I slept until 3 in the afternoon. When I woke up we were entering a new marina, Palm Island Marina. We had a very nice sunset dinner and I went back to bed.
• Upon entering Fort Myers, we said goodbye to our buddy boaters. Ruth and Dennis live in Cape Coral and crossed their wake. They started the loop last May and completed what they wanted to see in seven months. We had a lot of laughs with them and their dog Tango. We will miss them.
• We spent almost a week in Fort Myers Beach; with the first 3 days spent at a boat yard having the repair work done to our anchor and fiberglass. The insurance paid for it. Bob and Carmela M. recently moved to Fort Myers. They gave us a call and came to the marina and picked us up.
• We went to their new condo, had a wonderful home cooked dinner, meatballs, sausage and pasta, one of Mike's favorites. Their new home is spacious and open, 3 bedrooms and 2 baths with lots of closet space. Carmela seemed very happy and adjusted; we think Bob is a little homesick for L.I. We know he'll be just fine once he meets new people and he hears about the cold weather in N.Y.
• We moved across Estero Bay to another marina. It was like being in Times Square, N.Y., lots to do. We were right in the heart of Fort Myers Beach. We would go to the beach in the morning and Ruth and Dennis would pick us up in the afternoon to shop and go sightseeing. We went to Sanibel Island and Captiva Island. The only way to explore the islands is by bike. There's only one main thoroughfare, Periwinkle Way. I can't imagine the traffic on the weekends. We went to "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge, it takes up much of the 12 mile island. During the nesting season you are asked not to go on these rookery islands. If pelicans are frightened off their nests by human intruders, they leave their eggs exposed to fish crows.
• We ate at a restaurant called the Green Flash. The one thing I will always remember is walking into the Ladies' room and standing facing the wall is a man. You stop and do a double take - what is this man doing? You then realize it's a statue; they got me. I think I blushed. Not to leave the men out...in the Mens' room when you stand in front of the thing, okay, the urinal, you look up and you can see all the people sitting at the bar. You think they can see you, but it's a two-way mirror. Mike said he just waved until he realized that no one could see him.

Apalachicola to Tarpon Springs

• We have been in Apalachicola, FL since Friday; it is now Wednesday afternoon. We are waiting for a weather window to cross the gulf at the "Big Bend." It is about 180 miles straight across from here to Tarpon Springs, where the Inter-Coastal starts again. All of this is open water. We have chosen not to take it all at one time, instead we will break it up into three legs; still in open water but smaller trips. It still takes good weather.
• Apalachicola is an old fishing town that is trying to attract some tourist business. They have a number of good restaurants and a couple of museums. Oysters of all types are their claim to fame. Mike ate oysters every day, lunch and dinner. I decided I needed a haircut, I now look like one of the pigeon sisters. Mike wanted to see the Dr. John Gorrie Museum. In the 19th century Dr. Gorrie believed that yellow fever, which was running rampant at the time, was caused by the oppressive heat. He then invented the first ice machine which is on display here...at least we think so. We have gone to see it three times and each time we were met by a large "closed" sign. This is typical of the town. They are trying, but can't quite get it right. Dennis and Ruth went to the local grocery store. Loaded down with groceries they decided to call a cab for the 1/2 mile ride back to the marina. Whammo, $13.00 one way! Not really tourist friendly.
• We left for Carrabelle on Thursday morning. We planned on leaving the next day for Steinhachee, but again the weather kept us here one more day (Noel gave us a problem). On Saturday we went to Steinhachee and went to a marina called Sea Hag. Sounds like a place you would really want to stay at! I was in the shower when I heard this awful sound and felt a hard jolt. I almost fell out of the shower. I wanted to run out and see what it was but I had to take the time to get the shampoo out of my hair and dry off. Turns out a boat hit the front of our boat, tore off the anchor bracket and took a piece of fiberglass off. Our buddy boater, Dennis, said the reason we have any bad luck is because we have bananas on the boat! We checked with our official old timers folklore expert, Whitey A., and he said he never heard of it. Now we have our anchor tied on the front of our new boat with ropes. Looks great! The man that hit us gave us his insurance information; we called and the work will probably be done in Fort Myers.
• Our luck continues. We went to Crystal River, FL, to which the guide book says some 30 natural streams feed it and that the river is a manatee sanctuary. We pulled into the Twin River Marina and filled up the tanks. After we tried to back in to our slip, we hit bottom, so the dock person told us to go bow in. If we go bow in, we can't get off the boat. She then directed us to another slip. When we started to back in, the boat quickly pulled to one side and came out of the water about a foot. We were just hanging there! Turns out that a boat was once on fire in that slip and her lines were hanging from the pole down into the water and under our boat. Mike had to get a knife and cut the lines. We just tied the boat up there, partially out of the slip for the night. We were exhausted from the long trip and now another problem with the boat that was not our fault. When we climbed into bed, my side was wet; the porthole was not closed tight. To finish the day, we had to sleep in a wet bed.
• The next day the owner of the marina told Mike it was his own fault we ran over the lines and we had to pay for a short haul. We can't figure out how we could have known there were lines in the water under our boat. He said if we didn't like it we could go to another marina. He had us. We could not run the boat this way; besides the next marina was many miles away. He insisted that we pay him before he pulled us out. A short haul takes about an hour and a half. We decided while the boat was out of the water we would polish it and Mike would put on the new zinks. The owner had a fit. I was told that I was not allowed to be near the boat while it was out of the water. Mike was yelled at for going on the boat to get the zinks. The lift operator was fired. This miserable little fat man said his insurance would not cover us if anything happened.
• We felt terrible when the operator was let go. In speaking to other workers, we found out that the owner was looking for a reason to fire the man. Not one of the other employees had a nice thing to say about their boss. I was proud of Mike, he didn't punch the guy. I know he would not have been happy in a Florida jail. I never did get to see the manatees.
• Tarpon Spring - we stayed for 2 nights at the Anclote Harbor Marina. On the Anclote River, the homes are just like in the Hamptons. Very impressive. We called Charlie L. and told him we were in town. He came over and took me to the grocery store and then we went to lunch. He's such a great man, we enjoyed spending the afternoon with him.
• We went to the marina in town, what a busy place! Tarpon Springs is the sponge capital of the world. We docked next to the sponge factory; it was like Disney World. Every half hour you could hear the sponge factory (like "It's a small, small world") people telling you to come and see the theater and a museum featuring sponge diving exhibitions and exhibits of authentic sponging ships. You work up an appetite from walking up and down Dodecanese Boulevard. There are many Greek Restaurants to choose from. We ate at three different restaurants; we had spanokopita, pastitso, keftedes and of course, gyros. Do you remember the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding?" At Costa's Restaurant on Athens St., the name of the waitress was Nickie and her husband's name was Nick. We had a good laugh at that one. I wonder if her husband's name really was Nick! I found two stores that sold women's clothing made in the USA. Mike told me to have a good time, I helped the local economy. The entire town was charming.

Movie and a Pizza

• We went to the Walton Beach City dock; it was free for 24 hours. You had to call the city for permission, then they notify the police. We took a walk to town and found a movie theater. Mike went to get our tickets and asked for a senior citizen discount. The young man at the counter said, "We don't have senior discounts." Mike was a little irritated and said, "Give me two tickets." The young man said that will be $2.00! No wonder they don't give discounts. Mike was really surprised when he gave them $5.00 and got $3.00 change. We enter and there's a pizza place. You go inside and there are tables and chairs. You take your seat and a waitress comes over and takes your order. We had a pitcher of beer, a pie and a box of raisinettes while we watched the movie. Guess who had the beer and who had the raisinettes? The whole night cost about $20.00, you can't beat that!
• The next day we headed for Panama City, Fla. We are in salt water, the spray on the boat does not just fall away like it had been. Now the salt sticks and streaks. We have to be careful when we tie up as we are back in tidal waters. The beaches along the shore are all beautiful and sandy, no more mud. Once again, my hair is a mop of frizz. The dolphins are playing in our wake, I love it.

LuLu's Restaurant, Jimmy Buffett's sister

• LuLu's is a casual bar and restaurant outside of the Homeport Marina. We were told that there's always a chance that Jimmy will drop in. There was entertainment the entire weekend but Jimmy never showed up. LuLu wasn't there either!
• Back in 1964 I worked for a company, United Technical Publications, in Garden City. My boss, Dorothy R., was an absolute doll. I stopped working after Sean was born but continued to keep in touch with Dorothy. We would send notes with our Christmas cards. Anyway, some years ago Dorothy moved to Alabama. I called her from the Homeport and she came down to meet me at LuLu's. There was no band playing when we got there, we were the first table next to the stage. We were talking away, 40 years worth of reminiscing, a member of the band came us to us and said, "You two look like you're having a great conversation, I'm about to start playing and the speaker is right next to you, would you like me to have your waitress move you to another table?" Of course we were moved. I know, you think I'm going to say it was Jimmy...but it was just a local band. We continued to talk for the next few hours, it was great to see her.
• Again the weather did not cooperate, we rented a car and went to the National Museum of Naval Aviation. We went to the IMAX theater and saw "Hurricane on the Bayou." It was all about Hurricane Katrina. We were right in the middle of it, I could feel the wind in my face, what devastation. The dramatic recreation of the Hoa Lo Prison, the Vietnam P.O.W. camp gave me the creeps. How can humans be so cruel? Mike went in a Blue Angel cockpit, it was a little cramped for him. The first plane to fly the Atlantic, combat planes from Midway, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq. Even I could have spent hours here.
• You'll love this...At the marina there was a Meridian dealership. Just for fun we went to look...we must really be sick in the head. We found a 45'9" cockpit motoryacht. It had a washer and dryer (you have no idea how much I spend a week on laundry), central vac system, 2 full heads I could fill this page with the extras. Two state rooms the size of a hotel room. We talked to the salesman and he invited us to a cocktail party. The next thing I know we are negotiating a deal. What a hoot it would be to come home with a new boat, 13' bigger. Anyway, we came to our senses in time. The laundry did not justify the loss we would take on our current boat.

Going to the dogs!

• We traveled 54 miles and decided to call it a day. We pulled into Bates Lake to anchor. At the opening it was only 3 feet deep, in the morning the tide should be high, so getting out will not be a problem. We went in first and then two other boats followed us. Once past the entrance we had plenty of water. The other two boats had dogs. Since it's a lot easier for us to drop our dinghy, Mike became the dog service (Buster must be turning over in his grave). Mike picks up Tango and Bootie and takes them to shore to do their thing. I really should have taken a picture of Mike and the dogs.
• We took a dinghy ride up and down the lake - a collection of beautiful homes, shanties, house barges and boat garages. As you got further up the lake it became a real swamp, with Spanish moss hanging from the trees. The cypress trees come right up out of the water. I'm still looking for alligators.
• The next morning we wanted to leave early; we had 65 miles to go to get to the next port. The weatherman is still talking about bad weather coming. Mike picked up the dogs and headed for land; he now brings doggie goodies with him. One of the other boats pulled anchor and had a tree trunk attached to it (about 8' around). They had to use a battery operated seawall to cut it lose. You never know what these guys have on their boats. What a production!
• We are now in Dog River Alabama. I got up early, 5:30 a.m. and it's still dark - I couldn't sleep. I had a cup of coffee and decided to run to the laundromat and get the wash done so we could have the day to play. It rained hard during the night and because it's high tide the water is up in the parking lot. Living on the water most of my life, floods do not bother me. I put the wash in the machine and hear on the TV that there is a tornado watch. Next thing I hear is a siren, similar to the fire whistle at home, and then it sounded like God was talking to me. Real loud he said to take cover, a tornado is coming. I run back to the boat..Mike is standing there...did you hear what I heard... I think I heard a tornado is coming..Yep that's what I heard. Now what? I asked Mike what should we do? We are on an island and surrounded by marsh...there's nothing we can do. The ducks, geese and pelicans have not left. We could see the dark clouds and feel the pellets of rain. Just relax 'til it passes. We went outside with the other boaters to see what they were doing, you guessed it, everyone was having coffee and talking about the last tornado. I was so happy that we rode the extra miles yesterday, I would not like to be stuck in this while on the river. Around 10 o'clock we got the all clear. It just rained all day.
• We took the courtesy car and went to Battleship Memorial Park to see the submarine USS Drum and the USS Alabama. We walked the decks of this 680 foot 70 million pound (under battle conditions she weighed well over 90 million pounds) battleship. Can you imagine she had a crew of 2,500 men aboard?! The ship was commissioned in 1942. The gun turrets were like small houses, yet the spot where the men running the guns was very small. The captain's quarters were much smaller than I expected. The enlisted men's mess and bunks were made so that there were 3 shifts. There was always someone in your bed. While we were taking the tour many "old guys" would say "Remember Smitty, he slept here with his feet in my face." These "old guys" were 19 and 20 when they served on the ship. This put a face to history.
• We went into a flight simulator. Then we went on a pontoon fighter taking off from the deck of a ship. What a rush! A touch of reality comes about when you can feel and touch history, not just read about it.

Lower Black Warrior-Tombigbee Waterway

• Demopolis, Alabama...We pulled in, filled-up, pumped out and and got our slip assignment. Went to the slip, turned to stern, and started to back up and came to an abrupt stop. Oh Sugar, Honey, Ice, Tea, we hit something...Did we damage the props? We docked the boat in another slip and Mike went to the dock master to let him know something was wrong. Turns out that a house boat had just left that slip. It was there for the past two years. There was all kinds of stuff under it. Tree stumps, branches and logs. We took the boat for a ride to make sure we didn't have a vibration or any other problem. There didn't seem to be any, but we all know Lucky Eddie, next week the rudders will fall off.
• The rest of the weekend was uneventful. We took the bikes for a ride to church, did some walking and ate at the same restaurant 3 times.
• Next stop on the hook in Bashi Creek about 80 miles south of Demopolis. The entire creek is only about 12 feet wide, we had to use a bow and stern anchor (thanks to Walter K's parts store we have a second anchor) to keep us straight.
• Mike took Ruth and her dog Tango to the ramp for a walk. While at the ramp he met a family from Alabama; they were on a pontoon boat. Mike started a conversation with the young father. The guy had never met someone from N.Y. before...Mike thought he was going to touch him. Anyway the family had been fishing and offered Mike half of the fish. They didn't look like they could afford to give their dinner away. Mike explained that I would not cook the fish on the boat, it would stink for a week. We thought that was real southern hospitality.
• The man told us about the alligators in this area. He said when it got dark we should take our spotlight and shine it across the river and in the bows along the shore and we would see a pair of red eyes. Just when I thought I was safe from sharks, I have to worry about alligators. We got up at 3 in the morning, grabbed the search light and started checking along the shore. Remember this shore line is all trees and vines. We couldn't see anything, we heard fish jumping, water spilling down the side of the mountain, the call of the coyote, the buzz of the mosquito and felt the bite but no alligators. We looked up and saw more stars then you can imagine, but no alligators. Do you think that good ole boy was putting us on?
• There's a place along the river called Bobby's Fish Camp. It's early around 12 P.M. but we decided to stop for the night. Bobby has two floating docks about 100'. We called Bobby and he said " just pull up" and tie up. There's no electric or water. We waited but Bobby never came down to check on us. Remember we are in Alabama, (Mike keeps hearing banjos) we walked up a hill and at the top was a restaurant, this is one time I was glad it was not open on Mondays. There in the dark corner sat Bobby. He was chewing tobacco and spitting into a soda can. The place was really dirty. All I could think of was Bates Motel. Bobby didn't move from his seat. It was $1.00 a foot and if we used a charge card it was an extra 5%. A real character.
• As the day went on we became the dock master. Boaters would call, we could hear them on the radio. Again, Bobby would tell them to just pull in. When there was no more room and more boats were coming, he told us to work it out among ourselves. A 75', 65', 2-43', a 37' and us on a 100' dock. We started to raft off 3 deep. There were 2 "Bubba Boats" with guys in full camouflage carrying bows and arrows. We weren't sure if they were skin heads or survivalists and we didn't ask. One boat wanted fuel, Bobby said pump it yourself. It cost $900. and the owner had to bring the money up to Bobby. There were also trailors and cabins that you could rent. We kept looking for the candid camera, this just couldn't be real.
• Everyone became friends. That night we took a tour of the 75' boat. I can't begin to tell you, I'm living in a dingy.
• During the night we had wild animals crawling all over the boat. Dennis said he saw them looking in our hatch. We could hear them, the door was closed so we paid no attention.
• Everyone left at 6:30 A.M., in the dark. We all went through the last lock for this leg of the trip.
• I'll aways remember Bobby and not fondly.

Happy Birthday Mike

• There are 9 boats going through one lock. We volunteered to raft off another boat, this way we could all get through faster. I started to talk to the guy that was holding onto our boat. He owns a dolphin boat in Alabama. Three times a day he takes groups out to see dolphins. He loves his job, the kids get so excited when they spot one. I told him I would get excited if I saw one. He also told me to enjoy the next few marinas because as you get further down the river they get pretty raunchy.
• At the next lock a very nice "rollie-pollie" lock master stopped to talk to me. He told me he would call ahead to the next lock and let them know we were on our way. I tried to keep a straight face and thanked him. I think we're all the same, when you pass a car accident, you don't want to look, but you do, you get annoyed at yourself for looking. Anyway, the lock master had a booger that was going in and out as he spoke to me, I couldn't keep my eyes off it. When he finished I wanted to laugh out loud, how can something like that strike me so funny. I wonder, should I have told him...
• He wasn't kidding when he said the marinas would get bad. It's Mikes birthday, let's have a special dinner. Turns out its a dry county. A dry, dry county. You can't even bring your own bottle into the restaurant. Picture the cafeteria in the worst sense. Formica tables, hard fold up chairs and no air-conditioning. That was his special dinner. You did get free ice tea refills, the tea was served in mason jars.
• I didn't have the heart to have the waitress sing happy birthday...
• Next place we stayed was even funnier. You must remember, when you stay at a marina in Alabama it costs anywhere from $.65 a foot to $1.00 a foot, so rather than drop an anchor, you can have electric and know you won't get hit by a barge. I'm really not being fresh, but I guess I would never want to live here. The people are as nice as can be. They just live a different, a more simple life. I don't like to go in a place that's like an out-house. I turned on the faucet and orange water came out.
• We took the courtesy car to go on a little excursion. We were told that there may be a slight problem with the car, they thought they had bad gas. The car had over 240,000 miles on it. Mike said there's nothing wrong with the gas, it needs a new engine. Anyway, it wouldn't go over 10 miles an hour, when you went downhill it did go up to 35mph. We kept having to pull over to let trucks pass us. All I could think of was "Little Miss Sunshine", I'll soon have to get out and push. It would buck and jerk and buck again. It was like riding a bronco. We did have a lot of laughs, the fear was breaking down when we had no bars on our cell phone.
• We went to the Tom Bevill visitor center at Pickensville. A reproduction of the once elegant plantation houses is the first thing you see. You walk through it and can picture Scarlett coming down the stairs. Onto the Snagboat Montgomery. Both the house and the boat are museums of river folklore and history. Remember when Tammy gave the tour in "Tammy and the Bachelor", that's what it was like.
• We made it home safe, just another adventure, that we will never forget.

Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway

• More about the waterway. The idea of the waterway was introduced to Congress in the early 1800's and construction started in December 1972. I wonder how long these plans sat on someone's desk. It's 234 miles long and is 280 to 300 feet wide. There are 10 locks along the way, the largest lift is 84 feet. The average lock takes 46 million gallons of water to fill it and takes 12-15 minutes to empty and 14-16 minutes to fill. The locks are 600 feet long and 110 feet wide. Our boat looks like a toy in them. It took 12 years to complete; December 1984.
• It saves uses over 800 miles between the Tennessee River and the Gulf of Mexico. The companies that use it annually save $130,000,000. The average 8 barge tow can move as much freight as 120 rail cars or 480 tractor trailer trucks. A barge can move a ton of freight twice as far as a train and 6 times as far as a tractor trailer on the same amount of fuel.
• The best part is how mother nature decorated the bluffs and shore. Our heads are like being at a tennis match going back and forth.

Battle of Pittsburg Landing

• There are 4,200 acres overlooking the Tennessee River with 156 monuments, 217 cannons and more than 650 historic tablets marking the battlefield. We took the car and drove 14 stops along the 10 mile battlefield. Pittsburg Landing, Grant's last line, Hornets' Nest, Ruggles' Battery, Shiloh's Casualties, Confederate Retreat, Shiloh Church, Union Reconnaissance Patrol, Union Lines of Defense, Invasion of the Union Camps, Field Hospital, Death of General Johnston, The Peach Orchard and Bloody Pond.
• We asked the ranger if she ever walked the entire field. Her response was, "No, but boy scouts often spend several days here camping and walking the battlefields."
• I was very surprised at the size of the Bloody Pond. During the battle, soldiers on both sides came here to drink and bathe their wounds. Both men and horses died in the pond. There was so much blood that the water actually turned dark red.

Shiloh Battlefield

We stayed at Aqua Yacht Harbor in Iuka, Mississippi. (remember how proud you were of yourself when you learned how to spell Mississippi?) We took the courtesy car and drove to Shiloh Battlefield. We saw a 25-minute film about the war and the battle. We went with the troops through the two days of battle. April 6, 1862 and April 7, 1862. This was the bloodiest military engagement in American history. Nearly 24,000 casualties. The economic, farm production and property values reached before the civil war would not reach that level again until the 1900s. This was one of the best tours I have ever been on.

Tennessee River

• The Tennessee River flowing south and southwest to its confluence (I read that somewhere) with the Ohio River at Paducah, Ky. and flows through 4 states; Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky.
• We went from Barkley Lake through the Barkley Canal to the Kentucky Lake and Tennessee River. It's really beautiful. Our first night we spent in Paris Landing (I always wanted to see Paris). We watched paratroopers drop from a huey helicopter, twin bladed, into the river. They were Screaming Eagles 101st Airborne. They were to be deployed in the next week or two to Iraq. They were all babies and all we can do is say a prayer for their safety.
• The next night we spent at Pebble Isle Marina in New Johnsonville, TN. It seems that the first Johnsonville, Old Johnsonville, is underwater, part of the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Lucky for us the Army Corps of Engineers grabbed their shovels and made the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. By connecting the Tennessee River in Mississippi and the Black Warrior River in Alabama, a direct water route from Tennessee River to the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico at Mobile Bay was made. This means we can go from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast without having to go on the Mississippi.
• We saw Bald Eagles, I learned that bald means white not hairless. These bald eagles are blackish-brown on their back and breast with white heads, necks and tails their bill and feet are yellow. The female is bigger than the male and they weigh 10 to 14 lbs and can fly 35 miles an hour.
• This marina, Pebble Isle is one of our favorites. We were there for the end of the summer bash. They had a live band "Syndicate of Soul" about 10 pieces. We love to dance and had a wonderful time dancing, singing and drinking to real music. Our legs, feet, back and throats were sore the next day. What's gonna happen when we really get old?
• Next stop Clifton Marina still in Tennessee. In the guide it said 4 restaurants. The town was so desolate that there was only 1. It can be upsetting at times when you see so much poverty. Anyway at Ray's restaurant Mike had chicken and dumplings, white beans, mashed potatoes, creamed broccoli with cheese, corn bread and ice tea for $5.00. Good thing he doesn't mind a little starch for lunch.
• For 10 or so days Mike has been complaining about his ear. There was a walk in clinic in town and he decided to check it out. There was no doctor and he couldn't make a appointment for the next day. When he said he would go to the next town to the hospital, I knew he was getting concerned about the ear. We went to the emergency room and 5 hours later found out that he had done the right thing in taking the Amoxicillin. The doctor (a baby) said it would take time, it would heal, just leave it alone and don't get any water in it. I did not say a word about never getting the 5 hours back that I wasted sitting in the emergency room.

Grand Rivers, Kentucky

• The buzz at Grand Rivers is that it's a dry county. But let's face it, Mike has enough booze on board to open another Mumbles (a bar he owned). We are in a hand clappin, toe tappin, country, gospel, bluegrass, red neck county. Lots of "Y'all". We asked directions; this I will never forget. We were told to go about a mile to where the big tree used to be and make a left. I walked away and started to laugh. I couldn't even tell Mike what I was laughing at for a good 5 minutes.
• At this marina there were lots of loopers. We all got together at 5:00 for cocktail hour and all our war stories were shared. Later several couples got together for dinner. We went to Patti's 1880 Restaurant. The place is known for its 2" pork chops. They give you an ice cold glass for $1.00 and everyone has their bottle in a brown paper bag on the floor next to their chair. Remember it's a dry county.
• We needed some supplies, Mike had to break down and go to a Wal*Mart, (it's all non-union and he hates it), but it's the only store around. This is Paducah, Kentucky. The only thing he saw made in the USA was Budweiser. Anyhow, if you know Mike you understand what I had to go through the entire afternoon.

Muddy River, Ohio River, Clumberland River

• We traveled 44 miles down the Mississippi to the town of Kimmswick, MO, and a place called Hoppie's. On the Mississippi the places to spend the night and get fuel are few and far between. You can not just pull over and anchor because the barges travel 24 hours a day and they can not just stop if you're in the way. We were told to be very careful when we anchored because a barge can break loose and because of the speed of the current you could get hit and God help you if this happens. It's a silent threat because there are no motors and you can not hear it coming.
• Hoppie's is several barges tied together. A wonderful and interesting woman runs the marina. You can not help but like her, she's a little bit mother and a lot Tugboat Annie. From the moment you pull up you know who's the boss. She tells you where to tie up and how she wants you tied up. The next thing she does is tell you to meet her at whatever time she picks because she wants to go over some information with you. At first you say to yourself, who is this woman? You do as you are told and attend the meeting. The information she gives you is invaluable and worth every minute it takes . As I mentioned you have to be very careful where you anchor. This woman gives you her knowledge of the Mississippi and what is happening at that time. She told us that a heavy rain storm was coming and not to take any chances. She said that you can not just anchor in a narrow opening because with the heavy rain a "wall" of water will come down from the little tributaries and you will be swept away and a lot of damage is caused...if you survive. She went over a list of common places to stay and told us which ones to stay away from.
• We left the next morning with our tanks full and ready to get ahead of the heavy rain storms that were due. We rode 110 miles, this makes for a very long day. Between watching for the debris (tree trunks) and the many barges you are totally exhausted after traveling 10 hours. We anchored at Little Diversion Channel. This narrow channel gives you plenty of protection from the current and passing traffic. We were in a valley and it was a very hot spot. We ate and fell asleep early.
• We left at the crack of dawn the next morning and decided to go all the way to the next marina - Green Turtle Bay Marina. We continued down the Mississippi with the current giving us an extra 4 knots. As I mentioned earlier, we had to be careful of our fuel because there's no place to stop. Forty miles down river there's a popular anchorage called Angelo Towhead. Fern, the lady from Hoppie's, told us not to stay there because when the Army Corps of Engineers cleared this land they cut down the trees and left the stumps, with the water low, you can damage your props.
• We made our way to the Ohio River, we not only lost the 4 extra knots but because we were now going upstream we had the current against us and now were losing 2 knots. This river is so much cleaner than the Big Muddy, it's more like the color of the canals at home. There are lots of tows working in this area and you must keep alert. We will have to go at least 60 miles to the Cumberland River. On the Mississippi the green markers were on our starboard and red on our port, we are now back to the red on our starboard because we are going upstream.
• Now the trouble begins. At the locks the barges are taken first. Pleasure crafts don't count. We had less then a 30 minute wait. You pull in and the lockmaster drops down a hook to you, you put your line on it and she (this time the lockmaster was a female) loops your line around a fixed buoy and then passes it back to you. No big deal, we're on our way again. We have now traveled 68 miles. Next lock... we had to wait 3 1/2 hours. Just circling around, against the current using fuel. I'm getting anxious. It's getting late and the fuel gauge is on 1/2. We get through and decide to speed it up a little because it gets dark around 7-7:30.
• We still had 60 miles to go. We had a talk with Dennis and Ruth and decided to just keep trucking, we started to speed up. Mike felt we had enough fuel, what we wouldn't have is daylight to travel unknown waters with barges around bends that we can't see. At home we often drive the boat at night, it's our way of getting every last minute at the club, even there it can be nerve racking because it's hard to see.
• Today we have traveled the Mississippi River, the Ohio River and now the Cumberland River. We were in Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky.
• We are on the Cumberland River; it twists and turns and at some points is very narrow. We only passed 2 barges. We are going quite fast, the moon is shining bright. I thought this would be a good thing, instead it created a shadow that made it hard to tell what was a real tree and what was a reflection. We had to slow down, it was just too hard to see cause it's really dark and right off our port was a huge tree sticking out of the water. If we had hit it we would have put a hole in the boat. We came to our last lock for the day, we called the lockmaster and he said come right in, no wait. We pull up but could not see the green light. The lockmaster called us and said "What are you waiting for, come on in." We told him we could not see the opening, he then directed us in, we were able to go right through. When we got out of the lock we were in Grand River, Kentucky.
• We had to go 1 mile to our final destination. It's very dark, we had the search lights out looking for any marker, these markers are private for the marina, we see one and follow it in. Now it is 9 P.M. We pull into the marina, the place is very quiet, no one around. We got lucky, our slips were not in a tricky spot, we were able to just pull in. Another long day, around 13 hours. A hot shower and we slept like babies.
• The next morning we saw a couple we knew. Their boat was on the hard. They did not stop at Hoppie's and went to Angelo Towhead. They needed new props...

Grafton and Alton

Grafton Marina - our last stop on the Illinois River.

• We were delighted to see this marina, it's new, well protected and has beautiful accommodations. Funny, when we go to a marina Mike looks for a good restaurant and I look for clean showers. We went to a restaurant in town called "Fins". In the wall at each table they have a fish tank. Each tank is a little different, a mini aquarium. It's a fish place more than any other food. So while you eat a fish, a fish watches you!
• In the ad for Grafton Marina is a "pool, hot tub, restaurant on site and lots more." The ad was in a 2 year old book. On the property is a fiberglass pool waiting to be installed as is the hot tub. The owner said he was waiting for the town to approve his plans. The forms are sitting on someone's desk. Karen and Rich, sound familiar? The restaurant is only open on weekends; today is Monday.
• Heading down the river there is a 50' shrine called Our Lady of the Rivers. In 1951, a disastrous flood stopped just short of flooding the village of Portage des Sioux. The shrine was built in gratitude and each year the blessing of the fleet is held here.
• Next stop - Alton, Ill. This is a good marina to stop at if you want to go to St Louis, Missouri. There is not one place to anchor or dock for us in St Louis. We decided to rent a car and spend 3 days seeing it all. We're gonna breathe it ALL in. Too often we fly through an area and miss most of the sights.
• The first restaurant we went to is called Fast Eddies. At one time it was an Anheuser-Bush brewery that was also a saloon. The law was changed and a brewery could no longer be a saloon. So Fast Eddie opened a restaurant. The first thing I noticed was a sign that said "No children"; we all got a kick out of that. The waitress only serves the alcohol, if you want food you have to go get it yourself. Steak on a stick with peppers, hamburgers, shrimp by the piece ($.25) and french fries. A very limited menu and very inexpensive. Picture an old time saloon in the cowboy movies you saw as a child, that's Fast Eddies. There were about 10 couples and we had a real good time. This place has the largest consumption of beer in the state of Illinois and we helped.
• After eating, it was just too early to go back to the boat. Within walking distance is the Argosy Casino Boat, we were just going to look around. I am now as bad a Mike when it comes to going to the casino; I really enjoy it. I took my $30 (the amount I was willing to lose) and lost it in 2 hours. I scouted around for Mike and found him with a nice pile in front of him. He immediately gave me $200 and I took off with it. About 1 hour later I made the mistake of going to check him out and he asked for the $200 back. To make a short story shorter, we lost.
• Up early the next morning to do some laundry and get some groceries. Now we're off to St. Louis. Only a half-hour ride and you can see the Arch. What a sight!! After always seeing it on TV when the St Louis Rams play, this is the real thing. We put the car in a garage; just like N.Y. it's very difficult to find a parking spot. We walked to a beautiful park to the arch. You look up so far and you start to topple over, your neck hurts, the sun is shinning, the arch gleams so much you have to squint. You have to go a little below ground to get in, but first you have to go through security. Just like at the airports, shoes, belts and bags are put in a bin.
• The ride to the top is only 4 minutes. The arch is 630 feet. You climb through a porthole, like the ones in a submarine, into a little cage. Similar to the ones in an amusement park ride, only you can't see out of this one, it's all enclosed. Five people sit with their feet on top of one another's and your knees are touching. The car starts to move and you rock; you hear all kinds of squeaks. The noise makes you think it's about to come apart. Finally you're at the top. The little porthole opens and you crawl out. You're on a narrow staircase with people standing to one side of it waiting to go down. You go single file up the staircase to a room that is long and narrow. Maybe 15 feet wide and 40 feet long with 6 little windows on each side. On one side you have the city and the other is the Mississippi River. I start to sweat and get real clammy, my face turns pure white...Mike says, "Is something wrong?" Are you kidding?! I'm about to pass out, I swear this thing is coming down; I can feel it swaying, I know it's going back and forth.....get me out of here...We had to wait our turn on the narrow staircase for the next group of little cars to come up. Crawl back into this little cubbyhole that a mouse wouldn't be happy in and listen to the god awful squawk of the chains bringing me down to safety. When we get to the bottom, Mike says, "Well that's an hour and a half of my life I won't get back." It's all about him!!!!
• A tour of the lower part of the arch was wonderful. With my feet planted on the ground I enjoyed the museum and the history of Lewis and Clark.
• It's now dark and time for us to go back to the den of degradation. The casino was once again calling us. We went with a positive approach. In Missouri you have to buy your own drinks, unlike Atlantic City where it's free as long as you are playing. I won back the $30 I lost last night plus $10 more. I was happy. I will not talk about my honey, "Chris Money Maker."
• Our next trip to St. Louis starts at a little sidewalk bistro for lunch. Then a walk to the Cathedral Basilica. Unbelievable, it's amazing, 83,000 square feet of mosaic artwork. It's a lesson in faith and history. The mosaic tells the story of the Catholic faith from Creation to the Last Judgment. It has scenes from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. The eyes follow you in a lot of the scenes.
• If you believe in ghosts, Alton is the place to visit. If you don't believe--you might by the time you leave Alton. It's considered the most haunted town in America. There are still tunnels beneath the streets as Alton was a major stop along the underground railroad. Slaves hid in caves, barns and basements. You can hear the slaves' tales and feel their fear. (It's like being at the top of the arch all over again.)

IVY - Illinois Valley Yacht Club

• While we were home two weeks ago, there was all kinds of flooding in Illinois. Now the problem is it's shallow everywhere. We pulled into IVY and had just about 4', we stirred up all kinds of mud. The building had a water mark on the side of it, at least 9' high. They were still cleaning up the mud from all around the clubhouse. The ladies room was as big as our entire mansion, the clubhouse was about the size of the SHYC property. We just had a relaxing afternoon, one of us washed the boat and the other washed the clothing. We were only spending 1 night there so we decided to eat in the dining room. So glad we did, there were 6 of us - Linda and Ray, Ruth and Dennis and the two of us. The food was great; Mike had a whole catfish. We left early the next morning.
• Many of you who have known Mike for a while are used to saying "What'd he say?" Well he has met his match. The tugboat captains are all very nice. They have a lingo of their own. Here's the kicker, they understand Mike and he understands them!!!! We also learned that when they don't respond, you let a woman speak and they answer immediately. Also we went from saying "Eh", in Canada, to saying "Y'all" along the rivers. Jo, every restaurant at breakfast says "Y'all want biscuits and gravy with that?"
• Every time I'm getting dressed to go out I have to iron my clothes. There just isn't enough closet space. Do you remember the movie Overboard? When we pulled into the marina, Tall Timbers, my Dean Proffett, Mike, went into town to see what he could do about giving me more space to hang my clothes. He really is happiest when he's building. Since I can't have him put an extention on the boat, I can have him make the extra room into a closet. He put another pole up and now I have to buy more clothes and hangers.
• We just heard from some couples behind us the IVY is closed. No boats can get in or out because the water is so low. Glad we left when we did.
• This is the best yet. We had to dock at a barge. No water, no electric, no showers; just a barge. We paid $1.00 a foot to just tie up. Now I know we're nuts. We are at Beardstown, Ill. We tied up to a Logdon Barge because there is plenty of turbulence from passing traffic. We were already tied up when we found out how much it cost. We felt we were safe. The best is they would only take cash. I hope it really was the barge owner!
• We walked into town and found a nice bar. The football game was on; not the Jets, but a football game - Colts and Titans. Dennis is a big Colt fan. The 4 of us sat at a table, drank beer, had some ribs, pulled pork, meatballs and spaghetti. Just what we would be doing if we were at home.

DOWN THE RIVER

• It is a relief to be out of Lake Michigan and on our way down the river to the Gulf of Mexico. The rivers all flow down, so we should be able to gain some time and save a little money on fuel. From Chicago we had a choice of two routes to go down the river. First choice is to go right through the heart of the city. The only problem is that the bridge height is less than 17'. So the decision was made for us. We will go the Calumet Sag Canal. It's a little longer and much more commercial, but has more clearance.
• We went through a dozen bascule bridges and our first lock is the Thomas S. O'Brien lock. When we approached the lock we saw a boat tied up to the outside lock wall. We pulled up behind the boat and they took our lines for us. We called the lock and found out we had to wait while a barge came out. We started talking to Ruth and Dennis, they were also loopers. We told them we were hoping to get to Joliet by the end of the day. It was their plan also. About an hour later a tow pushing 9 barges came out of the lock and it was our turn. After the Welland Canal this was a piece of cake.
• We passed a sign that said "Caution, no fishing, no swimming, no contact with the human body." Really makes you think. We are on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. The reason it's called the Sanitary canal is they raised the river so that all the sewage from Chicago can not enter the Great Lakes. It forces all the waste to go down the river to the Gulf. How ironic is that...we spend $5. to $10. to pump out our 40 gallon holding tank.
• In the Des Plaines River it was so narrow that you had to pay attention every minute. Mike gave Dennis plenty of room in case he needed extra space to move around. On the side there were barges tied up, this made the narrow passage even more tricky. There was a barge in front of Dennis, he followed the barge until it was clear to pass. Now it's our turn. Mike asked permission to pass, the captain said he could pass on the two whistle, which means to overtake him on our starboard, his port. When we were almost passed we looked ahead and saw another tow and barge heading toward us. Mike raced passed the first barge and pulled in front of him. Then he changed his underwear. That's a joke, Mike doesn't wear underwear. Too much information.
• The next sign we came to said "Danger, Electric Current. Must wear a Life Jacket, No stopping, Danger, Danger." We found out it was because of the Asian Carp. The Federal Government has spent millions of dollars trying to keep the Asian Carp out of the Great Lakes. I found this in one of the books. Asian Carp that jump out of the water and can not only hit boaters but injure them is not a joke on the Illinois river. They become stimulated by an engine's vibration and leap well out of the water. The ones that end up in boats average eight to ten pounds. If you stay in the channel, they generally are not a problem. Locals say that if you venture close to shore where they gather, you will definitely find them.
• The Redneck Fishing Tournament is held in Bath, Illinois on a backwater and the winner is the boat with the most Asian Carp in the boat at the end of the three hour contest. In 2006, 78 boats brought in 1,840 fish. The only gear allowed are hand-held deep nets. Protective gear like football helmets, baseball bats and rain gear for slime protection are optional. Injuries requiring stitches from getting hit by the fish have occurred. Bow hunting for Asian Carp is also a growing sport and archers now come from all over the country. Ray, I think this beats frog whopping! If anyone would like information on this, give me a call, I get it for you.
• The wait at the locks had its toll on us. It took us 9 hours to go 44 miles. We tied up at Joliet with about 9 other loopers. Dennis said it was the toughest day he has had since he started the trip. The dock was across the river from Harrah's, we were too tired to even make a deposit.
• The next day we traveled 6 hours and did 36 miles to Hidden Cove Marina. Again the long hours are due to waiting at the locks. Very quiet until the couple next to us, Linda and Ray from Old Saybrook, Conn., had to vacate their slip because a very nasty blowhard started cursing at them to get out of his slip. It appears that the marina owner did not expect him back and rented out his slip. We had dinner on board and watched a movie.
• On to Henry Marina, this time it was 56 miles in 6 hours, that was better. We did a little shopping and a group of us ate dinner at the Henry Restaurant. The good thing about Henry was that the barmaid did not know how to make a martini. Mike told her to put 5 oz of Bombay Sapphire Gin and 1 oz of dry vermouth stir over ice and strain, add 3 large olives and serve. She only charged $4.50, the same as my rum and coke. This might seem boring, but the only way we can get to the Gulf is to go down the river.

Chicago

• We left St. Joseph, Michigan with lots of enthusiasm because the lake is quiet. We decided to go straight across to Chicago. The view from the lake is spectacular, like all big cities it just appears and starts to get bigger and bigger. We called the Chicago Yacht Club and they had dockage for us. It's right in the heart of the city. The yacht club asked us for our burgee to fly it over their club, quite an honor. The restaurant is unbelievable, (are you getting tired of my writing about food) everything from oysters to prime rib to salmon, all kinds of fish and of course all the normal stuff.
• You walk across the street and your at Millennium Park. We went to the Jay Pritzker Pavillion and saw the Chicago Symphony. A little culture never hurt no one. To my surprise, Mike agreed to take a double decker bus tour. We started at the Navy Pier, where the first thing we did was take a ride on the ferris wheel. This is not my favorite ride, I'll take a roller coaster any day over a ferris wheel. At the pier there is a stained glass window gallery; it's amazing what these artists can do. We walked for three hours.
• Some of the other sights were The Sears Tower, Art Institute, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium. Very busy and exhausting. We saw where Oprah lives, the top two floors of a beautiful high rise in the middle of the city. Mike was disappointed we didn't get tickets for her show. Ha, Ha.
• The place I liked best in Chicago was the Millennium Park. You could spend hours there and no charge for it. The crown fountain, it consists of two 50-foot glass block towers at each end of a shallow reflecting pool. The towers project video images from Chicago citizens. It has a large fountain with gargoyles in it, they could scare any kid.
• As you can see from the picture, Mike found someone to listen to him forever. Bob Newhart was at the pier and told Mike to sit on his couch. All over the pier there are environmental globes. They illustrate the problems in the world today.

Lake Michigan

• Today is Tuesday, August 14, we want to go home for two weeks on August 28, Tuesday. The plan was to be past Chicago by Labor Day. First because the weather is supposed to change very quickly and second because we can't leave the boat in Chicago, it's just too expensive. We have 14 days to get to Alton, Illinois. The pressure is on.

Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana border Lake Michigan. It's maximum depth is 923 feet, it's 307 miles long and 118 miles wide.

We got up at 6:00 a.m. with every intention of pulling right out of Mackinac Island and heading south about 50 miles to Harbor Springs. I went on the computer to check the weather. All along it was telling me the waves were going to be 2 to 4 foot waves. After last week, I did not want to go in anything more then 3 foot waves. I checked with 4 other boats that were going in the same direction and they were leaving. (I asked the dockmaster at Mackinac Island Marina to put us on a waiting list to stay at the marina. My way of thinking, if I can't get out no boats can come in.) Gladys and Wright have a 41 foot Lagoon Catamaran, like the one we had in Tortola, only this is a sail boat. They were leaving for Beaver Island, an anchorage, which is also about 50 miles and starting out in the same direction as we were going. They decided to leave and would call us in a few minutes and let us know how good or bad it is out there. We started to put everything away, took the kids off the wall, (a 12x30 glass framed picture of our grandchildren), so it wouldn't be broken in case it was rough. When Wright called we just untied the boat and were on our way. We passed under Mackinac Bridge into the Strait of Mackinac and our journey began. As soon as we were out of the protection of land the water changed. We got another call from Wright saying he hoped we weren't mad at him. Forty-three years ago when we were married I was 118 lbs. I could understand being knocked off a seat in a rolling sea. Today, I'm a few...okay, a lot heavier - you'd think this butt would stay put. I was knocked off twice; the second time, I stayed on the floor with my life jacket on. At one point Mike was off his chair. Good thing he grabbed onto the railing or he would be down the stairs on the deck and probably hurt. We could not go to Harbor Springs, instead we went to Petoskey in Little Traverse Bay. A 3 hour ride took us 6 hours. The first thing we noticed was a steeple from the Catholic Church, tomorrow is a Holy Day, think it's a sign. We went to Mass, came home, even I had a cocktail and went to bed. The next day was clear and a little calmer, it was not windy. Since every day counts on getting to Alton by the 28th we decided to go a little extra distance . We went to Northport. A real nice town with tree lined neighborhoods, houses with white picket fences and beautiful green lawns. We have not gone to a grocery store since Little Current, I needed quite a few things, Northport had a supermarket. We ate at a pub in town and were ready to leave early the next morning. The winds were howling and the weather was bad. We could not see the Lake from Northport and again I did not want to go out in rough water. We decided to stay one more day. We took a ride to Bellows Island. The locals say a man called Ustick built a house there in the early 1900 and was driven off the island by feathered neighbors. There are thousands of gulls and black cormorants there, I wouldn't want to live there.

• Friday, August 17 and we are on our way again. We are going to Leland and its only 27 miles. We start off with 2 to 4 feet and as we get near Lighthouse Point I swear the waves went to 4 to 6 feet. We're committed just keep going. The breakwall runs straight across the beach. You have to go to the beach make a quick left and the entrance to the harbor is very narrow with a following sea. The water was so rough there were surfers at the entrance. We were very happy to be docked and safe. We watched others boats come in behind us. They looked like they were going to tip over. I know that's what we looked like, I felt if I put my hand on the side of the boat I could touch the water. I've learned that the boat handles the rough water great, I don't!

Leland is a real fun town. There are ancient ice and fish shanties that are now stores. This section is called Fish Town. You can shop till you drop. There are commercial and charter boats here also. Mike brought some smoked white fish and stunk out the refrigerator. Several good restaurants. We took the bus to church , the bus driver drove us right to the church and told us he would pick us up right after church. When we came out...he was there. There's a water fall coming from another small lake that adds to the charm of the town. We found out that you cannot take an inflatable or any fishing equipment from Lake Michigan to this small lake. The Zebra Mussels are destroying the ecological balance in the lake. The state is doing all that it can to prevent the mussels from contaminating other lakes.

• The next day, Sunday, we couldn't leave Leland. Again, it was just too rough. More boats came in and you had to raft off. The good thing about the State of Michigan is that they have ports of refuge every 20 miles providing protected harbors with anchorages and inexpensive marinas all the way to Chicago. We were in a slip, behind us were 2 boats tied off. The entire marina had boats tied 2 and 3 deep.

• The next day it was a mad exodus. Everyone was taking advantage of a more tranquil sea. Our next stop was Frankfort, it's the 19th of August. We stayed at a place called Jacobson, a private marina because it had a laundromat. After we docked we realized there were at least 10 other loopers there. We had plenty of company. This town has a 480 foot tall sand dune and is part of the Sleeping Bear National Park. We ate at a great pub call Dinghy's and had enough left over for lunch and dinner the next day. We stayed here 2 days again because the weather was bad. So far Lake Michigan has not been good to us.

• August 21, we went to Ludington. Again, all that is on our minds is to get out of Lake Michigan. We took a long walk and went to a really nice restaurant and had a very romantic dinner.
• On August 22 we went to Grand Haven and stayed at North Shore Marina. We were both getting anxious about heading home. We actually were thinking of nothing else to the point of spoiling our days in port. We wanted to see our children and our grandchildren and we promised Karen and Rich that we would be home for the Labor Day Auction at the club. Then it dawned on us...Why don't we just take our chances and go home now? Mike went to the dockmaster to find out what it would cost. It was in our budget. Then I called Enterprise Car Rental and had them deliver an American car. The only one they had was a PT Cruiser. They delivered the car at 4 on Thursday the 23rd and we left at 5:30. We drove straight through and were home in our own bed by 6:30 Friday morning. Turns out the grandchildren were going to surprise us with signs and posters, we spoiled their fun.

• While at home we did a lot of visiting. We had a wonderful time seeing our relatives and friends. We had an especially good time seeing everyone at the club. Our thanks to Gregg and Nancy for letting us stay on their boat for 3 days.

• We left home at 5:45 A.M. and arrived at the boat at 6:30 P.M. on Wednesday, Sept 5th. The electric on the boat had been turned off due to a storm. The refrigerator was off and wore down the battery. We lost all the food in the freezer and I didn't want to take a chance on the condiments so I threw them out too. We went shopping to restock, returned the car and were ready to go. Thursday, here we go again, the weather is bad, thunder storms and waves 3 to 5 feet. When is this going to stop, I HATE LAKE MICHIGAN! Friday it's even worse waves 8 to 12ft. Everyone at the marina is going crazy. We met Tom and Paula from Texas, they weren't happy either. We spent the night talking with them.

• Finally, Friday the Lake was what it should be, less than 2 feet. We fueled up and were on our way at last. We were going about 60 miles to St. Joseph, Benton Harbor. What a beautiful harbor with a brightly lit nuclear power plant at its entrance. There's a restaurant called Clementine's that's very popular and we can understand why. We stayed at Pier 33 Marina. The current on the river was very strong and docking was tricky. In town on every corner there are brightly painted carousel size little cars, any kid would have a ball here. There's a store that is like a dollar store for men. It has all kinds of weird stuff for boats, little boys like Mike think they're in a candy store. To Mass on our bikes and back to the boat to get ready for a long ride tomorrow to Chicago.