The "Tote and Float" and Other Adventures on the Tenessee Tom Bigbee River

Trying to get these pictures while my toddler toddled around on a dock was neither a safe nor a wise undertaking. But the light and water were so irresistalbe! Imagine what I'll be able to do (and risk) when I get my new camera!

That's our R.V. set-up in the background. (Have I mentioned I like camping Jacobsen style? Roughing it is for the birds. . . )

my little sun-bathing beauty

Ah yes, we've been exploring the Tenessee Tom Bigbee River. And doing some camping, Jacobsen style, which means that we set up the RV on a campsite with full hook-ups, down by the river (yes, "down by the river") and we fill it with food and drink, and then we don't actually sleep there, we just drive over to the state park whenever we want to spend some time out on the river, and we bring either the boat or some jet ski's and Matt and his dad Ernie (a.k.a. Paw Paw) launch them into the river. On our first day out, we were out in the boat when we ran across a patch of mud and silt, and the impeller sucked in the mud and then the mud got into the engine block and settled in like concrete. The engine overheated almost immediatly, and we ended up stranded. Lucky for us, we were right around the bend from "The Tote and Float".
The Tote and Float

We docked at the Tote and Float and enjoyed a cool beverage while a very sweet couple gave Matt a ride over to the state park on the other side of the river, where the truck and boat trailer were parked, so we could get the boat loaded up.
Maya enjoyed many aspects of "The Tikki Bar" . . .

If you're gonna get stranded, this was a great place to do it! I was embarrassed that I didn't even have a tshirt on the boat to cover up in, but this was clearly a "No shirt, no shoes, no problem" kind of place!