Killen to Guntersville, AL and Chattanooga, TN

We were up early and ready to get through Wheeler Lock before the barges extended our wait again. Luckily, we didn't have to wait at all and locked up right away.

The rock faces and mountains started to appear. These were welcomed scenery changes by all of us. We've been waiting to see this!

Guntersville was our second lock of the day. Both locks were uneventful, thankfully, given the less-than-desirable situation at yesterday's lock.

Our anchorage was perfect. We were tucked between two islands and had a beautiful vantage point for the sunset. Moose did some fishing, but didn't catch anything. It was cute to watch Hattie by his side, watching him. 

As the sun went down, we heard the unmistakable chorus of the frogs. It sounded like there were thousands of them! This seemed to be the perfect spot for them because all of the mosquitoes sent us inside as soon as possible. They probably feast on them all night, every night, and then some.

Locks today: 2

Locks of the summer: 19

Locks of the loop: 133

----

Nickajack was our only lock today. We arrived in Chattanooga and tied up at the Bluff Dock at Erwin Marina, which is basically just a dock off to the side of the Tennessee River river, like the marina in Nashville was off to the side of the Cumberland River.

We hit waypoint 8888 on our navigational autopilot's mapping software. Counting from waypoint 1 started last summer, when we installed it, so it isn't counting our whole trip, but it is still an exciting number.

Ben did an oil change, while the kids fished off the dock. We didn't have enough time to get out and explore beyond the locked gate of the dock, but knew that would be accomplished over the next few days.

We’re officially in the Eastern Time Zone, for now, and we’re all feeling the time shift. It’s always a little weird adjusting after so many days in another time zone. The hardest part, but I think biggest advantage, is the sun sets earlier in the day. It ends our days a little earlier and gives us just a little more sleep! Everything feels a little off for the first day or two, but we always find our groove. Bonus: We head back to Central Time on our way back through here toward the Tombigbee River.

Locks today: 1

Locks of the summer: 20

Locks of the loop: 134