DAY 31 - November 1, 2023

 We have a device installed on our boat called a NEBOlink. It automatically senses when our boat begins to move and stop. It creates a map of our route as we travel. At the end of the day it emails the map, miles covered, top speed and other specs. As we're moving we can see an icon of our boat moving on a Google map AND we can also see all the hundreds of other NEBO boats in the US. The map below is of the Florence Harbor Marina where we are now. At the bottom you can see the name Cheers. The dot indicates where they are "parked". The little flag displayed next to their name is an AGLCA flag, which indicates they are a looper boat. The next name/flag up from the bottom is mvDenny, which is where we're parked. Above us are a bunch of other looper boats. Most of us are here waiting to go through two locks to get to the AGLCA Fall Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park. This event begins this coming Monday and lasts through Friday.

This map is from the month-end report generated by NEBO. I added the notes and bubbles. The first 438 miles of our trip, ending in Paducah, are not a part of the Great American Loop. So we've actually only traveled about 195 miles of the 6,000 miles which make up the loop.

Despite the cold weather, I took my bicycle out to explore the area around the marina. This strange looking structure seen through the porch swing is called the McFarland Lighthouse. 

Near the center of downtown Florence is a statue of W. C. Handy, who is considered the "Father of the Blues". While blues type music was being played before Handy, he was the first to take the form of music seriously and record it on paper. He was born in Florence and lived much of his life here.

The marina has a courtesy car which can be borrowed for two hour time slots. We were signed up and ready to go when I got a call from a Canadian couple who had just pulled in and tied up near us. They asked if they could go to Walmart with us, so I told them to come along. The couple's names are Colin and Wendy from the boat Detour (Colin will be a presenter at the rendezvous we are going to next week). They just completed their loop in September and are now on their second loop. The white flag Colin is holding in the photo is the one loopers fly on their first loop. Those on their second loop fly a gold flag.