One of the pleasures we are enjoying is visiting with Loopers from the Seattle area. They provide another link to what was our home for many years and friends we hold dear. While Ken and Karen (MV "Island Girl") lived in Puyallup, WA until they retired and moved to Florida, they had good times cruising the San Juans. Ken and Karen's Washington visitor and friend, Kennedy, continues to work for Weyerhaeuser. Another couple, Roger and Kris (MV "Miss Utah"--named after their beloved pooch), calls Missouri home and yet, Roger lived on Lake Sammamish for more than 20 years. Roger was a competitive water skier. When I asked him if he ever wore a Santa suit while water skiing, he smiled and confirmed that indeed he had!
This evening starting at 5 pm, fourteen Loopers (2 couples from MN; 1 couple from MO; 1 couple from SC; 2 couples from IN; and 1 from FL) gathered on one of the city docks downtown Chattanooga for "docktails." Docktails are informal gatherings whereby each person brings whatever they wish to drink and, if you wish, an appetizer to share. Boat cards are shared and conversations are easy as we each have boats, are cruising the waterways and have backgrounds and stories to share and learn from and uncover.
As we walked to the art district of Chattanooga for dinner at the Italian restaurant "Tony's" with "Red Pearl" Steve and Kathy, we relished how this adventure is filled with social gatherings and the enjoyment of making new connections; that being a "Looper" --similar to being a Rotarian--instantly opens doors to "friends we have yet to meet." As we are learning and experiencing new places, it is the people along the way that is making it worthwhile.
Tomorrow morning, several will be leaving Chattanooga to cruise to whereever they are going next. We'll stay in Chattanooga for the next couple of weeks. We look forward to spending time with Mike's sister, JoAnn, and her husband, Scott, this weekend. Mike will fly to Seattle next week, another vibrant and stunning part of our country, for business and to reconnect again with friends and family.
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| We're docked right downtown Chattanooga. The structure in the background is the Chattanooga Aquarium, which we understand is a "must see" while we're here. We're finding this city to be very bike friendly and appreciating the beautiful riverwalk. |
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| As we approached Chattanooga on the Tennessee, the bluffs provided new contrast to the green hills and water. |
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| Mike's at the helm. The wheel is on autopilot, so he can check out emails on his phone. |
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| This is a photo of the Aquamaps program we relay on for navigating on the river. It shows the topography of the area, mileage markers, boat landings, marinas, water depth and buoys, and suggested areas to anchor. |
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| This is Baylor School, located on the west side of Chattanooga. From the water, it looked like a beautiful campus. Baylor is a boarding prep school for students in grades 6-12. It's a powerhouse in sports and has taken a ridiculous number of state championships. Tuition--including room and board--is just under $50,000 per year. The school is also heavily endowed and provides scholarships, so if you want to send your kids away from home, don't rule it out! |
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| A view along the riverwalk. |
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| This is the counter at Rembrandt's, a warm and cozy coffee roasting cafe. We enjoyed our coffee and breakfast here while catching up on the Wall Street Journal. |
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| Mike at Rembrandt's with his cup of Joe. |
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| This riverboat provides tourists a ride on the Tennessee; a lively tune coming from it as it departed its dock was what caught our attention. |
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| Velsignet was neighbor to Miss Utah, another Looper Boat. |
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