Slo Pace and her crew, Captain Dave, First Mate Brenda, and Safety Officer Murphy “crossed their wake” at Cocoa Village Marina on Thursday, December 2, 2021; 8 months and 1 week from their departure on March 23, 2021. Traveling 6,459 miles, stopping at 158 unique locations in the United States, crossing 19 state lines, and traversing through 86 locks, it was more than just a memorable experience. We are now considered “Gold” loopers, having finished a complete loop.
What makes looping more than memorable? It’s the people, places, and food!
People: Of course, coming in first are our fellow loopers. We have made some great friends along the loop and the camaraderie and fellowship are hard to beat. Closely following our fellow loopers is the America’s Great Loop Cruisers’ Association (AGLCA). Thanks to the exceptional efforts of AGLCA’s director, Kim Russo and her team and their never-ending support, including an updated website, forums, and much more, the looping experience would not be the same. And then there is the marina staff. We stayed 182 days in marinas on the loop (72% of the time) and the courtesy showed by the harbormasters and their staff was top notch. And of course, the communities themselves. The people we encountered along the way were always gracious and welcoming to their little slice of heaven.
Places: Of the 158 places we visited, there really is none that stand out as the “best”. Each had its own unique characteristics and charm. However, what was most enjoyable was learning about our country’s history in each of the areas. I must have fallen asleep during my history classes, as I don’t remember many of the details about our country’s history. From the mapping of the Chesapeake Bay by Captain John Smith and the publication of his map in 1612, visiting battle sites of the Revolutionary and Civil wars, including Yorktown where the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War was fought, and really learning what the War of 1812 was all about, our east coast is steeped in rich history. Museums are plentiful on the loop sharing our waterway, rail, and automobile histories plus much more.
Food: One of the many fun aspects of being on the loop is the ability to try such a variety of food at our stops. I did keep a “best of” list, which includes the best casual dinner at Indigo Shanty in Brunswick, GA, the best chocolate croissant at the Evergreen Grain Company in Chestertown, MD, the best oysters in Urbanna, VA, the best donuts at Madsen Donuts in Geneva-on-the-Lake, OH, the best tacos at Epic Tacos, in Chattanooga, TN, and our best fine dining experience at The Bocuse Restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.
To complete our weekly blog travelogue, before crossing our wake, this week we stopped at the Franklin Lock Campground & Marina, Roland Martin Marina (yes, home of the famous Roland Martin professional fisherman), Sunset Bay marina in Stuart, and the Vero Beach Municipal Marina, before crossing our wake at Cocoa Village Marina, Cocoa, FL.
What’s next?
We are staying at Cocoa Village Marina for the months of December and January to work on boat projects and catch up with friends & family (and doctor appointments too). If all goes well, we hope to head south to the Bahamas for the months of February and March. Next…perhaps take Slo Pace up to Canada as we missed visiting her waterways in 2021 due to COVID. And then what? How about a tour of our National Parks in an RV? Retirement is most definitely fun!
Thanks for following along on our adventure of a lifetime,
Brenda with Captain Dave and the magnificent Murphy