Heading back to the Loop

After Lookout Mountain and a week at Susan's, we returned to Sabbatical with Susan and the kids for a quick trip up the Tennessee to view the foliage. Susan and her family had to get back home so they could get ready to go to Michigan for a visit. We were glad to have these final few hours with the grandchildren and our daughter.

Although it may not be obvious in this picture, there was a bank of fog just around the corner past the bridge as we left the next morning from Hales Bar. We kept moving until it was just too thick to continue. We backpedaled a little and spent an hour on the hook. The fog lifted and we were able to get though the lock that had been hidden in the mists.

Later we found ourselves sharing the river with these guys. The sun was out and the turtles climb out on logs to warm themselves. Look closely for the bumps on the log.

Painted Bluff was a striking sight as we traveled that day. We had seen it on the way upriver and hoped to get a good view on the way back. Annette captured this perspective of the natural mineral streaks on the face of this large bluff. The river takes a strong turn here because of the blocking rock face and it narrows to about half, increasing the current significantly.