GL: Exporing TN River

[Bodie6413 at aol.com]

Colonel's Lady has completed her  exploration of the TN River for this year, 
extending it into the Tellico and  Little TN Rivers.  For those Loopers  
coming this direction we highly recommend going all the way to Knoxville.  The 
foliage will be breath-taking in  late October and all of November if you can 
weather the cool mornings, and we  found very little to no traffic on the river.  
All of the marinas and yacht clubs gave  us our choice where we wanted to 
stay.   
In my humble opinion Chattanooga is the most  progressive, far planning city 
that I have ever seen.  It is just amazing the art deco in the  city planning 
that has been incorporated into the design, building, and  decoration of the 
city.  If you stay  at the Floating Docks,(Ross's Landing) the fountain end 
leads you up  to the two aquariums and restaurants - the east end takes you up to 
the three  museums and art section called Bluff View but you have to navigate 
18 sets of 16  steps.  All posts have 30 amp but  only posts 1,3 and 5, 
starting at the fountain end have 50 amp.  We spent a week there and did not get to 
 see all of the city nor the North Shore, even though they have the free  
electric shuttles.  Many restaurants  of good quality and a mystery theatre with 
average city talent are within  walking distance.  The fountains and  the 
stairs symbolize the TRAIL OF TEARS, and bikers in the thousands gather here  
every September 19 to 22 to ride from here to Florence AL.  Friday nights in the 
center of town the city sponsors Night Fall  (Memorial Day thru Sept),  a six  
square block gathering of bikers and bikes and western entertainment from 8 pm 
 to 10:30.  Very entertaining looking  at all of the fantastic bikes on 
display. 
Knoxville has nothing other than the campus  worth seeing we thought, and 
then found out that a new museum has just opened on  Gay street, downtown.  
Beware of  Volunteer Landing.  After getting  all tied up and settled, we then 
found they charge $2 per foot.  This after spending $8 a night at Ft  Loudoun 
Yacht Club including electricity, and $o.50 per foot including  electricity at 
Lake Guntersville Yacht Club.  Ft Loudoun is where you want to stay if  you plan 
on exploring Knoxville. 
Little  TN and Tellico Rivers are a total delight, and watching the  Smoky  
Mountains slowly appear is  an added attraction.  No towns or  industry on 
either river results in clean water and the snow runoff from the  mountains makes 
it cold and crystal clear.  I want to come back and spend two months here next 
year just enjoying the  views and fishing.
 
With  the limited number of boaters, and almost no commercial traffic, this 
year was  wonderful for our explorations.  We highly recommend it to all.  

Ron and Molly  on Colonel's Lady, 1986 43' Heritage East, MTOA #2950, AGLCA 
#3460, San Diego,  619 994 0061, bodie6413 at aol.com 

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