On The Way To Nashville

We are often asked what is the most surprising thing about the Loop. One of the things that surprises us is how many people will stop and talk. Strangers who, in any other situation, would walk by without a word. It is actually nice to have them stop and ask questions, comment on the boat, ask where we are from and where we are going. Flattering really.

An encounter like this happened on the way to Nashville at our first stop. We pulled up to the fuel dock at Eddy Creek Resort and Marina for a pump-out and diesel. A woman in a pontoon boat waiting for service immediately started chatting. Within five minutes we had discussed our flowers, her boat, how busy the lake was, her grandchildren, the prison nearby, her experience in the tornado in 2021 – which passed within a few hundred metres of her house.

As we were making ready to leave the fuel dock and head to our slip another woman came running down from the restaurant. She had just seen the Canadian flag on our stern and the looper flag on our bow and hasten down to catch us. Obviously, quite excited.

Her name was Ginny. She and her husband Bob completed the loop in 2003-4. They have owned this resort for a long time. When they returned from the loop, they used the lessons learned about the cruising life and what cruising boaters enjoy to improve their place on the water. It is a family operation with daughter and grandchildren much in evidence and has a wonderful vibe.

Ginny and Bob were happy to swap loop stories and share tips for enjoying Barkley Lake and the Cumberland River to Nashville. Both are well into their 70s – Bob is 79. But still talk about their trip as though it was yesterday.

It made us appreciate how addictive this lifestyle can become.