Final thoughts

Well, we didn't exactly do the great loop.  Our plans changed over the past 9 months a few times.  But that's the advantage of trailer boat cruising.  Our truck was never very far away and we could take off for side trips, or journey back for one more visit with the grandson, or drive ahead if storms threatened... or just plain change our mind.

Here's a picture of the great loop we attempted

And here's a picture of where we went:

A slightly different loop, but a great loop, just the same!

Once home, I will add up all the expenses with relation to this adventure and post some general guidelines..mostly so that we can plan better in the future.  Also so that we can share with anyone interested what it might cost.   Fuel, of course, is the big item.  Marina costs were high for us, mostly because we were splurging and it rained a lot.  We boated about 1200 miles and we drove about 11,000.  We made 2 plane trips home and back.  This last leg we were gone for just over 2 months... and that was a bit too long, despite the many side trips involving real beds and bathtubs.

I'm sure we will be back out boating in a few weeks and we are already planning on meeting Western states C-Brats at various gatherings next year.  We are so happy we chose a C-Dory as the boat to use for this adventure... the C-Brats are a big reason why.  And we really loved boating on the East Coast, so we may be back to do parts of the Great Loop that we missed this time... maybe in 2016.  If we do, I may be blogging here again!

I will end this blog with a quote from the famous celebrity who visited us while on the Mississippi:

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

"Tex", a fellow C-Brat.. had us in stitches with his impressions and witticisms