Cruising on Last Dance


This blog archives the adventures of Glen and Jill Moore and provides a means of communication for friends and family. Exploration and adventure have been synonymous with boats and water for centuries. The joy of adventures shared while exploring new places and meeting new people has built a strong bond for Glen and Jill. Last Dance is the platform for the exploration.

"The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page." St. Augustine, 354 - 430

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain, 1835 - 1910

"There is nothing -- absolutely nothing -- half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats." The Wind in the Willows, 1908, Kenneth Grahame, 1859 - 1932

"I've never believed speed and ease are conductive to living fully, becoming aware, or deepening memory, a tripod of urges to stabilize and lend meaning to life." River Horse: a log book of a boat across America, 1999, William Least Heat-Moon,1939 -

The Great Loop -- The current adventure is a circumnavigation of the Eastern United States, cruising north up the east coast through New York into Canada, across the Great Lakes to Chicago, navigating multiple river systems south to Mobile, along the Gulf coast to the Florida Keys and back to St. Augustine. This trip by boat is commonly referred to as the Great Loop. Progress and current location are indicated by the red line on the map to the right. It was titled the Traceless Path in recognition of a German sailor we met in St. Augustine who published booklets of his travels with hand-drawn, detailed maps describing his travels across the water as the Traceless Path.



Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Cumberland River - Green Turtle Bay

For cruising boaters who have been to the Abaco Islands in the Bahamas, Green Turtle is a cay (island) with the town of New Plymouth.  For mid-country river cruisers, it is a bay on Barkley Lake/Cumberland River.  Yes, there are turtles there -- they are not green turtles, they are red-eared sliders, an invasive species, but cute anyway.

The Green Turtle Bay Marina is very popular among cruisers for many reasons, one being that it is the first marina south of Alton, Illinois worthy of the title marina.  It is a long way from Alton, IL, to Grand Rivers, Kentucky.  Everyone needed a break, made the marina an extended stay, and the number of Loopers kept growing.

Bob and Kemba DeGroot completed the Great Loop at Green Turtle and replaced their tattered white burgee with a new gold one.  They actually began the Loop a few years ago in Texas, but had made a side trip up the rivers to Green Turtle.  So, when they turned into Green Turtle Bay, they "crossed their wake," joining ends of the circle.  Bob and Kemba are aboard Spirit Dancer, a 49' DeFever cockpit motor yacht.





The acquaintance with this couple began at a DeFever Rendezvous at Cabbage Key, Florida.  Always interesting how paths of cruisers keep crossing.  Such an occasion brought about numerous celebrations, one which included cigars on the aft deck and two-fisted drinkers.






















A dinner at the Yacht Club had Bob entertaining everyone on the guitar, including his newly-penned song, "The Great Loop."





























The small (tiny, minuscule) town of Grand Rivers has a hidden gem that Lynda (Erika Lin) and Jill found on a bike ride through town -- Sugar and Spice.  Thinking it was a bakery they stopped as the guys continued back to the marina.  They didn't find a bakery inside the older home.  It held a teaching kitchen and restaurant operated by an accomplished chef, Marilyn Kunz.  She operates the restaurant in the evenings, when and if she has reservations.  The menu changes monthly, with German food theme for Octoberfest.








A group of ten piled into the Green Turtle shock-less courtesy car -- Bob and Lynda (Erika Lin), Bob and Kemba (Spirit Dancer), Steve and Beth (Gemini), Mark and Terri (TerrMar), and the Last Dance crew.

















The back room of the home was both the dining area and demonstration kitchen, bringing the entire dining experience close and personal.












A culinary delight, an amazing experience, an adventure through foods.













Dinner ended with Marilyn's stories of operating a restaurant in an old mansion and her publishing experiences as a cookbook author.  Jill has another dessert cookbook in her collection.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Beautiful pictures of the Cumberland River. We live in Clarksville and just purchased land by the Bumpus Mills Marina so I was searching for information on it and found this nice blog. Thank you for posting.