Highlights of Joe Wheeler and the AGLCA Rendezvous

As we spoke to different loopers at the end of the rendezvous Thursday, I think we all agreed it was very informative and we had a great time! We met a lot of people that are in the planning stages and we wish them luck in finding the "right" boat and getting ready to start the loop. We also met so many currently doing the loop and look forward to meeting up with them along the way.

While at Joe Wheeler State Park we celebrated my birthday, had a visit from Terry and Lola (friends we met last year on the loop), went to a Polo Match and made sure we sent in our absentee ballots.

A big thank you to Steve from Sanctuary for coordinating our departure Friday morning...with so many loopers (11 locking with us) it made it easy to lock and get to our destinations.
A little more information on the Wilson lock as we went down  95 feet...the dam was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1966. It was completed in 1924 at a cost of almost $47 million. The dam is named for former president Woodrow Wilson. It is a concrete gravity dam, meaning it holds back the water entirely by its own weight.

We are back today in Florence, Alabama which is rich in music history. It's part of the famous "shoals" area that is part of Alabama. Florence, Sheffield, Tuscumbia and Muscle Shoals makes up this community. There is so much history here but the big claim to fame is FAME Studios where Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and others recorded. Muscle Shoals Sound Studio, founded by the Swampers developed work for Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones (to name a few). While we were here we went to the Singing River Brewery and sampled a few of their brews. One of those was named Coda Chrome, which is named after Paul Simon's hit of the 70's, Kodachrome, of which the musicians were the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section. They also have a beer named The Swamper.

Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers
And they've been known to pick a song or two
Lord they get me off so much
They pick me up when I'm feeling blue
Now how bout you?
                lyrics from Lynyrd Skynyrd's Sweet Home Alabama

We celebrated my birthday...beautiful flowers from

Allison and Daniel

Terry and Lola (formerly from Sunny Days), our looping

buddies last year in Canada came to visit

"A" dock at Joe Wheeler Marina at sunrise

 

AGLCA Fall Rendezvous 2016

Seminar time

Hay ride prior to the Polo match

A visit to the stables

 

 

 

Music by Uncle Shoals after the Polo match

Jam session at the end of the rendezvous with our

looper musicians

Convoy of 11 looper boats heading towards the lock

 

Singing River Brewery...Coda Chrome