Huntsville to Second Creek, anchor

Second Creek doesn't sound very romantic, but the anchorage is lovely. We're very close to the Joe Wheeler Lock which we'll get through tomorrow. 

We've been planning the next few days to target Florence on Sunday. We can't be there sooner since they are chock full of loopers staging to get to the resort at Joe Wheeler for the big looper extravaganza called "The Rendezvous." It starts Monday, so folks will head there Sunday to get ready. They want to head up, and we want to head down.

That in and of itself is a staging problem for us. But the larger issue for everyone is Wilson Lock. Recall on our trip to Florence we heard the long wall of Wilson sunk. SUNK! As a result it takes a long time to get tows through and, well, "rec boats" are not going to make it if any commercial vessel is around. 

Dawn at Ditto Landing.

There is a loop hole. They are only locking tows down in the daylight hours. So if you show up early in the morning (as we did when we came up) or after the sun goes down, you'll probably get through without any hold ups. But... darkness.

Moreover, if we get through the lock early, there's no place to anchor near the Florence marina. None. So we have to do it on Sunday.

To recap, we have a reservation in Florence on Sunday. We'll get through the Wheeler lock tomorrow and anchor near-ish the Wilson Lock. We'll call the lock and see if there's a time we can squeak in but we may have to wait until darkness, Sunday night. Darkness...

My Dad asked for a nighttime pic, 
when the boat was all lit up.

I'm all aquiver with antici-pation!

No locks today.