5,000 Miles Logged

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd - Kemps Landing

Trip Day:	231	Latitude:	32°14.50' N	Locks Today:	1
Miles Today:	42	Longitude:	088°01.03'W	Locks Total:	107
Total Miles:	5,034	Location:	Kemps Landing, AL   MM 174

Demopolis is located at the confluence of the Tombigbee and Black Warrior rivers.  The early inhabitants were the Chickasaw Indians.  The shore near town is known as White Bluff, composed of limestone (‘Selma Chalk”) which is rich with fossils.  It was called “Ecor Blanc” by 18th century French explorers and cartographers and was the landing site of Bonapartist exiles who established the “Vine and Olive Colony” in 1817.

We took the marina courtesy car into town for breakfast and a brief tour.  Bluff Hall, once a 1,000 acre cotton plantation,  was built in 1832 by the slaves of Allen glover for his daughter, Sarah Serena.  Her husband,  Francis Strother Lyon, served in both the Confederate and the United States congresses.

 Downtown Demopolis was a typical southern  historic city built around a town square, with mid-1800s homes, and a familiar presence of the Confederate Army.  We loved this Coke ad painted on the side of a store and the old water tower. 

 

 When we returned to the marina, Bob and Madeline were ready to get underway so we casted off our lines.  Just a couple of miles down river we entered the Demopolis Lock and Ron captured a photo of this boat sticker on the lock wall reading Adventure before Dementia!

Looking back at the dam as we left the lock gave us an impressive view of the force of water. It was a quiet day on the river, enjoying the sights and fall colors. 










We anchored in a cut of an abandoned barge terminal along with four other boats.  The space was tight so all the boats had bow and stern anchors except Sundancer, a converted shrimp boat, who was tied to the old barge post and Betty L rafted off her.     We broke the 5,000 mile mark today. 

 

The perfect end of the day .  .  . we received a Skype call from the Davie family!