Members of the Great Loopers chat before leaving Joe Wheeler State Lodge and Marina to continue their journey.
Navigating the waterways of the United States is a unique way to travel, according to one boater.
“Coming down the Mississippi River, you just can’t help but think of Mark Twain,” said Bob Stagg, a residence of Huntsville. “And there is nothing like coming into New York Harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty.”
None of the more than 200 boaters of the America’s Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous would contradict him. They stopped this week at Joe Wheeler before continuing their journey.
“You get to see places you have only heard about — large and small” Stagg said. “What sticks with us the most is the small towns that you pull into and you get to see the uniqueness that each one has to offer. It’s an exciting way to travel and see the country.”
Kelly Ezell, manager of Joe Wheeler Lodge, said there were 225 boaters attending this year’s rendezvous that began Sunday and concluded Wednesday.
The boaters are participating in America’s Great Loop, a 5,000- to 7,500-mile journey — depending on the route taken — that wraps around the Atlantic Coast from Florida to Canada, then to the Great Lakes and through the Midwest before heading back to Florida.
Since 2004, the fall rendezvous has been held at Joe Wheeler.
“It has gotten bigger each year,” Ezell said. “We love having them here. We get to see a lot of familiar faces each year.”
Stagg said people come to the rendezvous to visit with other boaters and share stories and experiences of their travels.
“This is like a reunion. We have people from all over the U.S. and even from other countries on the loop,” Stagg said.
He said it takes about a year to do the loop.
“Some do it quicker and others take longer, it all depends how many side trips you want to take,” he said.
He said the group loves coming to Joe Wheeler.
“I think the Tennessee River is one of the greatest around,” he said.
“It’s such a beautiful time of year here,” Ezell said. “(The boaters) can’t get into the Gulf of Mexico until hurricane season is over, so some come in early and just stay with us.”
Ezell said some of the boaters have been at the state park marina for a month or longer.
On Thursday morning as the mist from the river lifted, boaters began making preparations to continue their journey. Nearly 60 boats, mostly trawlers, were being prepared to head to the Gulf.
Some left at first light, while others waited to make sure the weather was going to be OK as they continued what Stagg describes as “the adventure of a lifetime.”
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