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.



Friday, December 16, 2011

Columbus, Mississippi




Columbus celebrates its favorite son, Tennessee Williams, in a colorful manner.  The head of the tourist bureau received a lot of grief about the colors chosen for the restoration of Tennessee Williams' first home, now serving as the Columbus visitors' center.  She claims research revealed that the colors used were original to this house.  It is not hard to find.





The house has been beautifully restored with period furniture and a few pieces that were an original part of the home and or Tennessee Williams history.



















Houses are a big part of the attraction of Columbus.  During the Civil War, none of the buildings in the town were destroyed, leaving many examples of early southern architecture.  Unfortunately, on the day these images were captured, gray skies and low light robbed them of the brightness of color and the fineness of detail.







Even more modest homes are replete with fine detail.











Columbus claims the beginning of Memorial Day, initiated when a group of women met at the House of 5 Gables, c. 1838, to walk to the cemetery together to lay flowers on Confederate soldiers' graves.  One woman stated that the Union soldiers in the graveyard were also sons, husbands, fathers, and brothers; their loss, too, should be recognized.  Thus, began the day of recognition of those who have given their lives in times of war.




An aside - Why are so many towns and places named after Columbus, a man who never set foot on the continent we now refer to as North America, and who did not even know of its existence?









Columbus was the only marina stop along the TennTom for the Last Dance crew.  There are only two towns on the waterway and the natural setting of an anchorage is preferred.  Columbus was a good choice - a nice marina with a good staff, a historic town, and good restaurants.









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