At last, Green Turtle Bay Marina

Leaving Cumberland Towhead Island Anchorage, we traveled 31 miles to Barkley Lock and Dam. After being on the mighty, muddy, fast moving, debris filled Mississippi and then the Ohio, it was a pleasure to travel down the narrow, scenic Cumberland River.

The huge Barkley Dam comes into view.

Luckily, we only had to wait thirty minutes for the gates to open and let us enter. 

Once inside it was a speedy rise of 57' and we were in Barkley Lake.

Notice the head of the Great Blue Heron surveying his domain as we lock through.

After more time spent in Grafton and Alton, IL than we had anticipated, we finally arrive at Green Turtle Bay Marina on Lake Barkley. Arriving on Friday afternoon, we quickly prepare ITHAKA for the upcoming week of family and friend visits.

First up is Erin and Ben and Katie, who came for an overnight visit and some fun on the water!

Erin and Ben

Katie checking out the binoculars. 

Ben and Erin

Ben getting ready to take the helm.

Katie just enjoying the ride.

The Captain keeping a watchful eye out.

Ben at the helm with a little instruction.

Let's go FASTER!!! 

Mom taking it all in.

Ben is becoming a real natural, even using the Auto Pilot.

Katie gets her turn.

Katie thinks this is not that hard!

Ben thinks it's his turn again, enough of little sister. 

You want me to do what!?!?!

Mom can't handle all the excitement, so it's time to retire to the sundeck and just enjoy the ride.

Ben and Katie.

Every girl needs a pink tractor!

Like Nana ... Like Granddaughter...

Bring on the pie!!! 

And you only thought Patti's was known for their two inch porkchops.

Outside Pattie's after another great dinner.

One evening, we were invited to attend a "boat naming ceremony" by one of the local boat owners at the marina. They had just purchased a new boat. Since he was a Cajun from Louisiana and his wife was from the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, they named their boat "Smoky Gumbeaux". 

Their slip space was outfitted with a complete kitchen, to include a chandelier over their table.They even had a door bell installed for people to ring, when they wanted to come aboard!

One of our regrets this week is that with the non-stop run of family and friends that came to visit us, we got so wrapped up in visiting, we took almost no pictures of some of our dearest family and friends. 

For that we are truly sorry and apologize to my cousin Cindy and her husband Mark who spent Tuesday afternoon with us and to our friends, Mike and Cynnie Hammond and Jack and Lana Barrett and Lois and Linda, all of whom spent Wednesday afternoon with us. We will do better next time!

This is our one picture of Lois, who vouluntered to ride in the back of Jack and Lana's SUV, so we could all fit in the car for the ride to Patties for lunch.

On Thursday, three of my best friends from my days flying the LifeFlight helicopter for St. Mary's Medical Center came to visit and go for a boat ride on ITHAKA. Here's Barb Young at the helm, as Jim Croce holds on. :-)

Vince Robinson, former Green Beret, former Vietnam helicopter pilot, former LifeFlight pilot, former farmer, currently enterprising "businessman".

Barb on the bow enjoying the ride.

 

The gang at Patties. SIXTY THREE YEARS of EMS experience sitting at this table!!!

Sara and I should have bought stock in Patties Restaurant for as many times we have eaten there this week, in addition to all of our visiting family and friends we have "broken bread" with at Patties.

Sara and I will never forget the hospitality and kindness that Cathryn and Bob (the previous owners of ITHAKA/NEXT TO ME) showed us when we met them at Green Turtle Bay and they invited us aboard their boat for a ride and then dinner at Patties. It was the beginning of a long, enduring friendship.

Still on the Mississippi, Kaskaskia lock to Little River Diversion Channel Anchorage

The Mighty Mississippi is NOT one of our favorite rivers!!! Still in flood stage but receding, with a significant amount of debris in the river. Many channel markers are either completely missing, or they are "submarining", which means the current is strong enough that if debris gets caught on the marker line, the current can pull the marker under water for several minutes before it pops back to the surface. Occasionally, tow boats/barges run over the markers and relocate them to new positions. In this picture the red marker is on the right descending bank, close to the bank. It is suppose to be on the opposite left descending bank, about 500 yards on the other side of the river. Only close reading of the charts and common sense will keep us in the channel.

Right out of Mark Twain's book, "Life on the Mississippi" comes the steamboat QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI, passing us as she goes upriver and we go down river.

Because we were not able to leave early this morning, due to fog on the river, we decided to anchor in the Little River Diversion Channel, south of Cape Girardeau, MO. We were the first one in the channel, so we moved all the way to the back to allow other boats inside.

This was as far inside as we could go, due to the low bridge.

In front of us, three boats rafted together. The center boat has one anchor set and the boat on the right has one anchor set in the opposite direction.

The parade of boats that were anchored in the Diversion Channel with us: SeaWolf, Andante, Blue Willow, Slipperly, Ta Ta, and Sweet Water.

The under construction Olmsted Lock and dam on the Upper Mississippi River.

Little River Diversion Channel Anchorage to the Cumberland Towhead Anchorage

After leaving our previous anchorage at Diversion Channel, it took ITHAKA about three hours to catch up with the six boats previously mentioned. They left at sunrise or before and we left around 0800. We caught them a few miles before turning up the Ohio River.

One of the amazing sights on this trip was leaving the muddy Mississippi River and turning up the Ohio River. Mark Twain said of the Mississippi "the water was too thick to drink and too thin to plow". As you can see in these two  pictures, there is a distinct dividing line between the waters of the two rivers. The dark chocolate colored water of the muddy Mississippi and the blue green colored water of the Ohio River.

As soon as we turned up the Ohio, we left our traveling companions in our wake. Our plan was to travel 108 miles to  Cumberland Towhead Island Anchorage at the junction of the Ohio and Cumberland River. They planned a shorter travel day and a stop near Metropolis for the night.

The casino and hotel at Metropolis, IL

After a long day on the water, it was nice to slide into this secluded anchorage at Cumberland Towhead Island and enjoy an "adult beverage" while watching the sun set from our sundeck.