11/28/08 to 12/1/08 Clfton, Tn. to Grand Harbor Marina (Counce, Tn.)

Friday morning we pulled out of Clifton Marina and continued North on the Tennessee River. Our day presented 2 options for distance to travel. One was to go all the way to Grand Harbor. The other to anchor half way, before Pickwick Lock and Grand Harbor. Since we have time to kill we chose option #2. We anchored outside the channel at Diamond Island which was just downriver from Shiloh Battlefield. We were amazed to see several fish surfacing and then rolling back under water all around the boat. They had yellow bellys and were about 2' long. No swimming tonight!

Saturday we travelled past Pittsburg Landing (Shiloh Battlefield) which was the Union headquarters during the battle and also the landing area for steamboats bringing in Union reinforcements. At 12:15.m. we arrived at Pickwick Lock just behind a towboat. We tied off to the long wall of the lock after the Harley Hall pushed into the 1100' chamber. Harley locked through and they lowered the water back down 55' for our lockage. You can see by the picture the force at which the water comes out of the chamber. It sends out a series of waves a mile back down river. We locked through and continued around the corner to look for the junction of the Tenn-Tom Waterway. We left the Tennessee and entered the Tenn-Tom @ 3 p.m. arriving at Grand Harbor Marina @ 3:05. Grand Harbor is a 1st class Marina with friendly staff and connected to Grand Harbor Resort. You can check them out @ http://www.gograndharbor.com/.

Sunday brought drizzle and temps in the upper 40s'. After a relaxing morning (BS'ing in the Marina with Chip Lucas the harbor master for me and checking e-mails and sleeping in for Pam) we borrowed the courtesy car and headed off to tour Shiloh Battlefield. Just to keep our priorities in order we decided to have lunch before touring. At Chips' suggestion we went to the next road past the entrance to Shiloh and turned right. We followed the road until it ended into a rock parking lot beside the river with an older looking structure set back from the water. We could see no signage but took a leap of faith and went in. What a pleasant surprise! We were at the Catfish Hotel Restaurant. Nothing fancy, but great food and Southern hospitality. You guessed it, we both had catfish. It turns out we got there at the right time because by the time we were finishing the line to get in was stretching out the door. http://www.catfishhotel.com/

With full stomachs we headed back to Shiloh.

The Battle of Shiloh. April 6 & 7th, 1862

Union forces led by Gen. U.S. Grant defeated the Confederate troops led by Gen. Johnston in a bloody 2 day battle that went back and forth with heavy losses for both sides including Gen Johnston who as it turns out was the highest ranking Southern officer to be killed in the Civil War. Because of the heat at the time the dead were buried in mass graves by the Union forces following the battle. The Union dead were later transfered to individual graves in a cemetary on a hill overlooking the Tennessee River near Pittsburg Landing while the Confederates were left in the mass graves which can still be seen today while touring. It gives you an eery feeling to travel over the same ground that claimed so many lives, so long ago.

If touring Shiloh I would reccomend seeing the movie at the visitors center (you have to stop there anyway to pay the $5.00 admission fee) before touring the site. You can get out and walk throughout the tour to see the various memorials and cannons that dot the battlefield areas. Just watch out for the deer! They're everywhere around the grounds.

Monday dawned with a mix of rain & snow and temps in the 30s'. Since we are still in slow motion we decided to spend another night at Grand Harbor where we have internet access and cable tv. Could be a Monday Night Football night!