We headed out early about 7am. It was a long day with one lock. Before we got to the lock we went by Cherry Mansion, where General Grant learned that the battle at Shiloh had begun. Cherry Mansion is just down river from the Shiloh Battle ground. Thousands of men died here in the Civil War. We decided to come back and visit by car, there is no access from the river.
After we passed through the Pickwick Lock we were in beautiful Pickwick Lake .Lots of beautiful homes on this big lake. This is where we would turn south down the Tombigbee if we were not going up river to Chattanooga.
Just before the next lock we stopped at the Florence Harbor Marina. We joined some other loopers on Craig and Barbara boat, “Alacrity” for drinks. Craig and Barbara are from Colorado Springs. I meet them in Chicago when I was with Danny Hinson.
The Marina Manager, Fay said one of their tenants Skip Binkley had just purchased a Krogen Express. She sent him a picture of our boat. I talked to Skip later on the phone and hope to see him over Christmas in Jacksonville. They pick up their boat “Easy Water” in a couple of weeks in Fort Lauderdale and will be cruising the Saint Johns River for a shakedown cruise.
