Chattanooga, TN is along the Tennessee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. A fun place with an eclectic feel but a little more of a city than we had envisioned. When we were navigating to our hotel, we were confused by all the roads being closed.
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We made a last minute decision to leave a day early for our road trip and stop in Nashville for an evening of live music and fun. Initially, we decided against visiting Nashville because we have been. But, when the time came to pack and leave, we thought why not stop, even for one night. So, we found a hotel and off we went!
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We had planned on a side trip to Chattanooga via cruising the Tennessee River. Well, in boating we say you have intentions, not really plans. Even though the side trip was our intention, it was not in the cards, so we needed to readjust.
Read More »Grand Rapids, KY — Road Trip!
Pulling up the anchor from our beautiful spot was a bit unnerving knowing we had one engine and a lock. We had a good plan, a back up plan and an ‘oh shit’ plan, so once we untied from Ship Faced and Sweet Equity, we said a prayer and off we went.
Read More »Paduca, KY
Turning off the Illinois River, we enter the Upper Mississippi River. The mighty, murky, barge filled, few places to stop Mississippi but it has a strong current going our way, The Mississippi Push! We traveled 188 Nautical Miles over 4 days to move down the Mississippi to the Ohio River.
Read More »The Mississippi River
Alton, IL is a bit of a milestone since it means we have completed travel on the Illinois River and entered the Upper Mississippi River.
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Some loopers like them, some tolerate them, and a few say they are the worst part of the loop. Our next leg is the the inland rivers running from Chicago to Mobile covering 1,300 miles of rivers and canals.
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September 17, 2024
One year ago, we left Westport, MA to start America’s Great Loop! Three Hundred and Sixty Six (yes a leap year) days later and 5,658 Nautical Miles later, we are still talking to each other! We have made 167 stops with an average speed of 7.1 knots.
Read More »One Year!
What fun! Three Sons docked at DuSable Marina for 6 days in downtown Chicago. It was a perfect location to take in all the sights. But the best, most wonderful part is Zach flew in and toured the city with us!
Read More »Chicago, IL
Quick stops in small towns and they each had live music and a brewery!
Read More »Racine, WI & Waukegan, IL
Leaving Door County, we were excited to get to our next big stop, Milwaukee! Since it is best know for breweries, beer and Laverne and Shirley, this stop was made for us. Milwaukee is a 117 Nautical Mile cruise from Sturgeon Bay. Since Three Sons cruises at 7 knots, it took us 3 days, stopping at Manitowoc for a night and then Port Washington for a night.
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Door County is a region in the ‘left thumb’ of Wisconsin. The skinny peninsula’s west shore abuts Green Bay and the eastern shore is runs into Lake Michigan. Door County stretches from the southern point of Sturgeon Bay to Washington Island in the north. The area’s name is from the rough water that can erupt quicky during a storm, in the strait south of Washington Island where Green Bay and Lake Michigan meet. Early explorers referred to this piece of water as “Death’s Door” and it is still know by that name today.
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We switched sides! Once on Lake Michigan, boaters have two options to get to Chicago. One route takes the east side of Lake Michigan, exploring the west shore of Michigan; the other is the west side of the lake, exploring the east short of Wisconsin. Both sides have much to offer, but they are different in flavor. Michigan is more touristy with safe harbors and cute little towns every 30 or so miles. Wisconsin has a mix or remote stops in park like settings, big cities and some cute little towns.
Read More »Fayette, MI
We only stayed one day in this quaint, little town but we hit it hard!
Read More »Charlevoix, MI
We had a great four days playing tourist in Upper Michigan!
Read More »Petosky, MI
Mackinac Island will rank high on our favorite stops list, if for the only reason being it’s uniqueness. Beautiful, historic Mackinac Island sits on Lake Huron between Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas and is world famous for its homemade fudge and poop smell. Mackinac Island State Park is filled with trails, woods and limestone covering most of the island. The island combines natural beauty, rich history, top notch architecture, award-winning gardens, and very good restaurants and shops. But, the most interesting feature is NO cars are allowed on the island. The only transportation is horse drawn carriages/wagon (hence the poop smell) and bikes.
Read More »Mackinac Island, MI
Canada far exceeded any of our thoughts and expectations! After 8 weeks of cruising in Canada, we are back in the USA! Three Sons managed 94 locks and 900 Nautical Miles in Canada while visiting 37 different places in both Ontario and Quebec!
Read More »Back in the USA
WOW! It was a chilly 62 degrees when we woke up and left Little Current but we were more than happy to wear warm clothing and get out of dodge, or should I say current! We traveled 16 miles in about 2 1/2 hours arriving at the Benjamin Islands around 9:20.
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In boating a saying we hear often is “sometimes you watch the show, sometimes you are the show.” Well, we were the show!
Read More »Little Current
It was with a heavy heart we pulled up the anchor at Covered Portage. It really was a beautiful spot. Since windy weather was expected we headed for Killarney Mountain Lodge. Truly, one of the top places we have docked on this trip. The fact that we have stayed in two vastly different venues in the last 48 hours is one aspect that makes this trip exciting.
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