Ditto Landing to Guntersville, AL

We’re on the move—there is a nice stretch of good weather, and we have a bit of a schedule to keep—something of a no-no when cruising. We plan to spend next weekend in Chattanooga, then head back down the Tennessee River to a Great Loop cruiser’s convention in Rogersville, AL the first week of November. We’re on track so far and have shorter travel days planned in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. We traveled 24 miles today, well below our average of 35. The last section of Wheeler Lake was incredibly beautiful, and we are beginning to catch glimpses of the southern Appalachian Mountains.

This ominous sign greeted us as we approached Guntersville Lock & Dam. We didn’t see any danger, and the 48-foot lift was actually one of the gentler lock-throughs that we’ve had.

We saw two UFOs (unidentified floating objects) today. The first was drifting in our slip at Ditto Landing Marina. The second was a moored platform, just outside the river channel.  We’ve seen several of these on the Tennessee, but still don’t know what they’re for.

Guntersville Lake—the largest in Alabama—is another gem in the TVA lineup, and Guntersville has made major investments to attract boaters. We’re at the City Harbor, a very nice free marina surrounded by restaurants, shops and a small hotel. There are no water, electricity, showers or laundry facilities, but we don’t need those at every stop. 

Fun facts about Guntersville: It was founded by John Gunter, a salt mine owner and the great-grandfather of American humorist Will Rogers; it is located at the southernmost point on the Tennessee River, and; it was the last place where singer Ricky Nelson performed. His private plane crashed in Texas on New Year’s Eve, 1985, after departing Guntersville. 

This cute Halloween decoration is outside the brew pub where we ate dinner. If you didn’t already know, Kathleen is a huge Minions fan!