Our second day at Goose Pond Colony was spent on the resort grounds. We took our folding bikes out on a pretty wooded trail through the property, then did laundry, read, and played music, before a sunset dinner at The Docks, the marina’s restaurant. Four more boats pulled in, so the transient docks were busy after having them to ourselves the day before.
This section of Lake Guntersville is plagued with hydrilla, an invasive weed that growths thick enough to stop a boat and is difficult to eradicate. The entrance to the marina must be regularly “mowed” to keep a safe channel open. Their equipment looks very similar to the marine weed whackers that are used in Minnesota to control milfoil.
Wednesday was another alarm-clock morning, as we had a long day planned and a lock to pass through. After 48 miles, and a smooth 40-foot lift in Nickajack Lock, we tied up to yet another lovely free dock, this one at Shellmound Campground, near Jasper, TN. We grilled dinner and strolled around the park, which was occupied mostly by RVers, who had decorated their campsites for Halloween.
After a week in Alabama, we’re back in Tennessee, and are also briefly in the Eastern Time zone. Today’s 38 miles to Chattanooga was on a very curvy section of the river, and we traveled in every compass direction to make our way east.
The Tennessee River has blown us away with its natural beauty, and it got even better today as we passed through the Tennessee Gorge, a 26-mile stretch of stunning scenery as the river meanders through the Cumberland Mountains.
We arrived in Chattanooga late in the afternoon, filled our gas tanks and docked at Erwin Marina on the downtown waterfront. Our plan is to spend three nights here and explore the city, starting with an after-dinner trip to Ben & Jerry’s.
Bonus points to those who recognized that the title of this post is also the name of a 2009 country rock song by Billy Ray Cyrus.
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