Alabama: Guntersville to Goose Pond Marina

Day 121
NM Today: 18
NM Total: 2364
Locks Today: 0
Locks Total: 86

We had a late start today due to some fog that came rolling in.

Fog at the Docks in Guntersville, AL

The fog lifted and we got underway around 10:30.  Fortunately we did not have a long trip today to Goose Pond Marina, so the delayed start presented no problems.

I looked in the guide book but did not find any revelations there regarding sites to be seen on our way to Goose Pond.  One unusual site that met our eyes along the way was houses along the shore for a relatively short distance.  I am used to seeing only trees and water along the Tennessee River.

Houses on the Tennessee River

After a pleasant cruise, we pulled into the marina around 2:00.  The trip on the river was actually chilly, but as soon as we turned off towards the marina, the sun beat down on the boat and we had to start opening panels on the full enclosure and stripping off jackets in a hurry.  Since it was quite hot in the sun, I decided to wait until 4:00 to go for a bike ride.  When I mentioned the bike to Clark, he said he planned to wash down the boat today.  I definitely did not feel like being trapped inside the boat while he washed it, so I decided I would go on my bike ride by myself.

When rPAD and Sea Moss arrived at the marina, we were the only two transient boats at the docks.  During the afternoon the transient docks filled up nicely with a mix of looper and non-looper boats.  I met Jan from Mitzvah today who is looping from Minnesota and had a chance to talk with Gwen from Chimera who I met ages ago and have not seen in a while.  We learned that Bucket List whom we passed, and waved to, on the waterway coming to Goose Pond had stayed here last night.  Most loopers have already been to Chattanooga if they are going, so we are going up as they are coming down the river.

Around 4:00, as planned, I set out on my bike.  Since my photographer stayed back to wash the boat, I was on my own with the camera to capture pictures of my bike travels.  The trip to Scottsboro is a long one, so I just stayed on the marina properties.  Goose Pond Colony consists of 360 acres of recreational facilities owned and operated by the city of Scottsboro, Alabama, so I had plenty of grounds to explore.  The complex includes a camp ground, cabins, a golf course, a pool (closed for the season), a restaurant, and of course the marina.

Goose Pond Marina
including the transient slips in the distance
where Sea Moss is docked for the night

The Beach at Goose Pond Resort

Fishing is very popular on the Tennessee River.  Frequently two men can be seen in their fishing boat hauling in their catch for the day.

The Golf Course at Goose Pond Resort

Cabins for Rent at Goose Pond

As I toured the grounds, I kept crossing paths with a man from the local area who was jogging the trails.  We passed each other three times.  The first time I saw him, he invited me to ride my bike with him as he jogged.  I did not take him up on that offer since I was busy with my camera duty.  The second time we waved as we passed each other.  The last time he spied me stopped, catching my breath and sipping from my water bottle, so he came over to chat.  He was done with his run for the day and heading for his car to drive home.

Since he was done for the day, he had plenty of time to chat, so we stood and talked for quite a while. He was very interested in my fold-able bike.  I demonstrated how it collapsed and reassembled for him so he could understand the design.  He told me how he built bikes from parts as a teenager and sold them for the great price of $8 to $12 each.  He considered himself rich with the proceeds from his sales.  After I demonstrated my bike, he decided that he could build himself a fold-able bike from parts to take with him when he goes to antique car shows.  That led to a discussion on Studebaker cars and other older models.

By the time we parted ways, the sun was getting quite low in the sky.  He recommended I take one more trail around the campsite for another 2.1 miles added to my bike ride.  After saying goodbye, I headed off in that direction.  I no sooner got on the trail than my cellphone rang.  My son Chris was calling me as he drove home from work.  I decided to abort my campsite trip and head back to the boat as I talked to him on the phone.  I took the direct, road path instead of the circuitous bike path and got back to the boat relatively quickly.  We enjoyed a nice long talk.

Even though I had been gone for almost two hours, Clark was still busy washing the boat when I got back.  I left my bike by the boat and found a seat to sit down and talk to Chris while I waited for the boat to be available to board.  Even though it was not a full moon tonight, it was very bright in the sky.  After I finished my chat with Chris, I took a picture to capture the evening sky.  That bright dot in the sky is the moon!

Evening Sky at Goose Pond Marina

After dinner, as I started to work on my blog, we heard a knock on the side of the boat and a "Hello Clark.  Are you home?"  Linda and Jess from A Bama Dream stopped by to say hello as this is their home port.  They know Mitzvah, so they said it took them an hour to make their way down the dock from that boat to ours.  They have been Gold Loopers for a full two weeks now and said they are struggling with the loopers moving on without them.  It must feel very strange to be on the move from port-to-port for months and then be done.  Several months from now I guess I will know how they feel.