Pickwick State Park Marina

Hello everybody. It’s been awhile since we’ve last checked in with you guys. Currently we are in Counce, Tennessee at the Pickwick Landing State Park Marina. It is so beautiful here the leaves are starting to change color for fall and we are surrounded on all four sides by the forest that makes up the state park. We have been fortunate enough to stay in two of the incredible state parks here in Tennessee. The first was Paris Landing State Park Marina and now this one. The parks have cabins and campers, vast wilderness, hiking trails and hotel that will pick you up at the marina if you want to come to their restaurant. This along with all of the southern hospitality and charm you would expect when in the south have made these state parks two of my favorite marinas to be in.

A tow with freight passing by

View from our anchorage

A deer onshore getting a drink

Sunset on the Tennessee River

House on stilts on the Tennessee

Tidings of Joy at dawn taken by another looper at anchorage with us

A few days back we were at an anchorage and meet another couple on the loop who invited us over for drinks. After dingying over and chatting for a while they mentioned that when we go to Pickwick we need to take some time and visit Shiloh Military State Park. It is the site of the Civil War battle of Shiloh and is rich in history. We made a note of this and when we arrived yesterday asked the park ranger who checked us in if he knew how we could get to Shiloh. Have gave us a man’s name who he said gave tours and to told us to give him a call. Larry DeBerry is the man’s name and he picked us up here at the marina for our three-hour tour (wink wink, Gilligan’s island). We were greeted with a handshake and our own individual folders that were filled with information outlining the tour, battle history, history of the generals, important locations, monuments, historical letters, a quiz and a certificate. I was impressed already. I kind of pictured a guy from around the corner who would just pick us up and give a general overview. Not the case at all. Larry told us upfront he was a security officer at the local hospital and was just getting off of his 12 hour 7pm to 7am shift so if he said anything funny it was only because he was sleep deprived. Again I was amazed he could pull this off. As he drove us to Shiloh he offered some background information leading up to the battle, filled us in on key military people involved in the battle – Grant, Beauregard and Johnston just to recall a few. As we entered the park at Shiloh he told us how his grandparents lived on the land as caretakers and their house until recently still existed on the land. We didn’t stop at every single monument or site to see but were given this complete historic story of what happened from the beginning to the end of the battle – strategies, flaws in plans and ultimately how the union won the battle. For me, a non-history buff who has a hard time paying attention for any lengthy amount of time was fascinated from beginning to end. Larry knew how to tell this tale in such an interesting manor and with such influx in his voice that you felt like a child listing to an old tale by your grandparents. After our three hours were up he asked us if we wanted to see his museum. We said, “of course.” So he drove us to his Shiloh Battlefield Museum. The only one in the area and filled to the brim with artifacts such as bullets, cannon balls, old uniforms and ruminants from Vietnam and also WWII which he served in. We were given cokes and walked around the museum while he told us the story behind the artifacts. As we were about to leave he asked us if we would like some bullets from the battle at Shiloh. We said yes and thanked him. He opened one of his display cases and pulled out four different kind of bullets, some from the union and some from the confederacy. He also gave us a shell of some sort. I think it was from a cannon ball. We were very grateful that he gave this to us and was such a wonderful tour guide and interesting person.

Larry DeBerry Tour Guide

Ohio Monument at Shiloh 

Jeff, Joy and Larry in Shiloh Museum

Back at the boat we are planning our next few days which will take us to an anchorage on the Tennessee River, to Florence Alabama and then to our Great Loop Cruisers Association Rendezvous in Rogersville, Alabama where were will spend five days attending seminars and lectures about places to come on the loop and also catch up with other loopers. Should be a fun and informative week to come.