The Sterling Lady
on America's Great Loop
for the Second Time
10/10\09
It's a rainy day today.
Hardly anything is as hard to do as sit on a boat all day in the rain...
Guess you gotta take the good
with the bad.
We are in the center of the radar screen.
10/11/09 Oh,look, another NO SUNSHINE, cloudy day, but on a positive note, it's now 59 degrees. Warmer than yesterday.
Wouldn't wanna be the guy who cuts and trims this grass..
After 40 bone chilling miles , we arrived at Florence Marina.
My view from the aft deck, at dock. We will stay here 2 days or more. Got a rental car coming tomorrow for road trips to Graceland and Huntsville space museum.
The Sterling Lady, 2ND boat from the left, and Salvage Crew, on the Right.
The owners have a really great floating restaurant and bar at the marina.
We did happy hourz dinner at the upper bar.
<-----The view from the upper bar
The upper bar----->>
What r they doing???
In the center of the Floating Restaurant is a hole, Where George, the Catfish, and his smaller brothers feed. The Admiral is feeding Catfish, fried catfish..hmmm.
10/12/09 This time, Memphis Tennessee,,Graceland ! About 137 miles from Florence Alabama.
"E's" House
And here's some Pics of the inside....
The man defiantly had his own taste in stuff.
Mom and Dad had their own Bedroom downstairs, with <-----Poodles on the bathroom wall.
The TV room.----=>
<----Safari Room, complete with waterfall.
Elvis's house in tupelo. Miss. He lived there until he was 12. Been there,not much bigger than this---->>
Nice Pic!
Graceland has it's own Stop signs, to stop traffic while the busses take tourists to the Mansion.
The Admiral standing at the Grave of Elvis, giggling at this guy-->
Who was there almost in tears wearing BLUE SUEDE SHOES!!
Actual Blue Suede Shoes ---->
10/14/09
This is the Floating Restaurant. Today is another road trip to Huntsville, to the Space Museum.
Check out the mountains. It's about a 50 mile drive to Huntsville.
I was a little disapointed. It's more of a kids place. But still enjoyable.
Went here again. I know, but I can't get these back home
10/24/09
Decided to stay here at least a week. Kept the rental car. The America's Great Loop Rondevous is not till the 25th at Joe Wheeler State Park, a mere 20 miles from here.
The museum had a very tacky cowboy convertable. Notice the pistol door knobs, the rifle on the side,panel, the chrome horsies, and it get's worse.
All carved leather interior trimmed in pistols, and silver coins.
And of course, the mandatory bull horn Hood ornament.
I also learned today NOT to eat sushi cept in Florida.
We are Here----->
Home is here------->>
10/16/09
An update of where we are, and how much of the loop is left.
The drinking foutain where Hellen Keller first understood sign language, and the living room where she threw the food .
The Admiral INSISTED we go to this Alabama attraction, which was only @%25 miles down this hilly harrow , winding country road.
Believe it or not, we drove all those miles to visit the world's only Coon Dog Cemetary!!!
Ya think we are getting alittle bored here in Florance Alabama???
Note the bullet holes in the warning sign------->
and of course, the stone carved coon dogs treeing their pray,
surrounded by the necessary bobbed wire fence.
Got a new thing. I discoved a page that will give you a update every 10 minutes on the location of the boat when we are traveling. To see this page click:
This is a really bad picture taken in the too dark, of the spook house limo, in front of the $15 per head but worth it haunted house we all went to.. fun.
The morning of the next to our last day at Florance, Alabama marina.
10/22/09
Finally, after 10 days, we are leaving Florance , headed to Jo Wheeler for the AGLCA rondevous!!
Our last fling in Florence, a trip to the local Elks. Good food, good drinks, good people. I recommend cruisers join the Elks, The Moose, VFW, and the American Legion.
Very good spots to visit when you out of town.
Our first lock was quick and easy.
A look up the bullard tunnel. This lock will take us over 90 feet to the top.
The lockmaster put us through with a tug.
The lockmaster floods the lock to raise us, by opening valves the allow water to come up from the bottom of the lock. In this case, it also brought up thousands of small minnows.
leaving the lock looked like a scene from Alfred Hitchcocks movie " The Birds"
Twas a short days run, we arrived about noon.
10/24/09
The AGLCA is expecting over 70 boats, which will totally fill up this marina. They stuck the Sterling Lady @ the end of a dock full of SAILBOATS!! We are in Sailboat hell!!
So it was decided, on an evening on the aft deck of a boat, over drinks,to put on this event.
It was an outstanding success!!
First order of business, we had to change a few signs....
We then hung a few appropriate flags... and let the festivities begin.
We had a pin the tattoo on the Bud girl contest.
The winning entry and her score------>
Except for the "lost" quarter, the round of Butt Darts was a complete sucess.
The Conch Shell blowing contest first runner up ------------------------------------->>>>
Naturally , there was tons of very healthy
looper food...
A good time was had by all !!
