Day 17 - A Day on the Tennesee River

Sunday was overcast but not as cold as yesterday (56 degrees).  We had a hearty breakfast in the marina dining room, topped off our fuel, and left the dock at 10 am.  There is a DuPont plant just beyond Pebble Isle Marina, then an old railroad lift bridge.  The shores are heavily wooded and the trees are starting to turn.  We saw some Great Egrets, white “stork-like” birds with thin long legs.  Ahead of us, Randy spied a huge flock of large white birds with yellow beaks and black-tipped wings.  Checking the internet, we found out that these are American White Pelicans, rare in this part of the country.  As we approached they took off and flew across the river in front of the boat and I snapped pictures as fast as I could.

 We saw lots of small fishing boats near the shore and tucked into small coves throughout the day.  It was 11:20 before we saw the first barge; there were 2 northbound.  We passed Cuba Landing Marina in Waverley, TN, at Mile Marker (MM) 115 and Sugar Tree, TN at MM 127.  There are a variety of homes built along the shores/bluffs, but no sign of the towns behind them.  Next came Mousetail Landing State Park.  One of the local tanning companies caught fire years ago and the exodus of mice fleeing the tannery was so profuse that the area in proximity of the park became known as Mousetail Landing.

 

The sun finally came out at 12:45 which brightened the colors of the trees.  We passed an old tug that sat up on the shore and another couple of marinas.  Mermaid Marina, in Decaturville, has a sign with a large carved mermaid on top.  Many of the houses in this area are on stilts, with some motor homes mixed in.  One side of the river here is raised and wooded, and the other is flat and pretty barren.  There are some stilt homes on the barren side that appear very stark in comparison to those built into the trees.

 

The river is narrowing and twisting more now.  We arrive at the town of Clifton, TN, and Clifton Marina at 2:40 pm.  We tied up right next to the outside dining area, so close that we were almost in the outside dining area.  We borrowed the marina courtesy car and drove the few blocks into town.  Clifton is very small – no stoplights.  Main Street has a few very old brick buildings circa 1900.  The town started as a port on the Tennessee River, transporting crops from nearby farms.  It was all but destroyed during the Civil War, occupied first by Confederate forces and then by the Union Army.  Subsequently, Clifton was rebuilt in the early 1900’s and served as a landing for the riverboats.  After the steamboats disappeared Clifton declined until the 1990’s.  Today, it is dependent on tourists and recreational visitors, featuring fishing, boating and a Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

 

Because it was Sunday, everything in town was closed except the Dollar General Store and we wandered in.  They sell groceries, clothing, hardware, a little of everything.  We went back to the marina and had dinner there, sitting at one of two tables in the office.  We had a plate of barbecue beef, baked beans, cole slaw and garlic toast.  We chatted with Gene, the marina owner, and several other boaters.  It felt like we were at someone’s kitchen table, very homey and friendly.

There was 1 other Looper boat, Sweet Dreams, with a couple from Georgia and their friend.  Gene is a diver and he dives for prehistoric shark teeth in river waters near Savannah, GA.  These teeth are from prehistoric sharks called Megalodon and are 2 million years old.  He had I adult tooth, about 4 inches long and a baby tooth, about 2 inches long.  You can learn more about this at megateeth.com if you are interested.  You never know what you are going to run into on this trip!