Joe Wheeler State Park

It was day 2 of the bass tournament in Florence today. Four Looper boats pulled out of the harbor on the heels of the swarm of fishing boats. We cruised right into Wilson Lock with another Looper and about a dozen bass boats. We rafted alongside "Serenity"since there was no workable bollard for us- we were the last boat into the lock.   The 93-foot lift went surprisingly fast, and we were on our way again.

The shores of Wilson Lake are filled with beautiful homes. Much of the shoreline of the Tennesee is controlled by the TVA, so we haven't seen a lot of development along the water. When this dam was built in 1928-1925, 18,000 workers were involved in this project. The arches forming the spillways are based on a construction design dating back to the Roman Empire. The dam is a National Historic Land mark.

Next up, Wheeler lock, a mere 15 miles up the river. This is a much smaller lock, and we were again fortunate to move right into the chamber. We've had great luck avoiding towboats and the long waits associated with them.

Another two miles and we reached our destination, Wheeler State Park near Rogersville, Alabama, just minutes ahead of the rain. We are here to attend the Fall Rendezvous of the American Great Loop Cruisers Association, (AGLCA), which will start Monday. Many Loopers have already arrived, and there are more to come. We attended this event by car four years ago to learn about boats and the Loop, so we are excited to be here on Mara Beel! Space is at a premium, so they are putting two boats in each 32-foot slip. Two 15- foot boats is a tight squeeze, but Mark backed into the slip like the pro that he is. I am so proud of him! We are hooked up to electrical power and cable TV, and dinner is in the crockpot. Cleaning is next!