The Next Adventure

Bill's last day at work.  Can
you tell who is the outgoing
superintendent and who is
 the incoming one?

Molly and Hospice House co-workers.

Molly here.  Big emotions as we begin retirement and then our big journey doing the Great Loop.  Before writing about the Great Loop, I first offer some thoughts about retirement.  I have been working almost steadily for 47 years and I think it has been 48 for Bill. Now we’re done.  We have both had some major career changes over the years. My happiest time has been the last 7, working as a hospice nurse. I think Bill has loved most everything he has done from corporate finance to candy making to school superintendent. We have raised 2 great, and very different, daughters, and now have a son-in-law, a soon to be son-in-law and an adorable 3 year-old granddaughter. 

Our home in paradise.

We have moved multiple times, but have always been anchored by and now live permanently in our Georgetown cottage by the sea.  I think I can be content living here, but have agreed to helping Bill fulfill his dream.  Life is about to change… in a big way for the next year as we will cruise The Great Loop.

The Great Loop

 The Great Loop is a circumnavigation of the Eastern United States as shown on the picture here.  Our major waterways include the Hudson River, Erie Canal, Oswego Canal, Lake Ontario, 1000 Islands in the St. Lawrence, Trent-Severn Waterway, Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Illinois River, Mississippi River, Ohio River, Cumberland River, Tenn-Tom Waterway, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.  Major stops will include Chicago, Nashville, Mobile, Al, Key West, Bahamas and more. 

Bahamas 2017

After working most of the fall and winter to get our cottage winter ready, Bill has turned his attentions to getting our boat ready for the Loop.  We learned a lot in our 3 month voyage 2 ½ years ago down the ICW (Intracoastal Waterway) and over to the Bahamas.  Improvements include a new stove, expanded water tanks, enlarged sleeping berth, upgraded electronics and more. 

Waxed the hull prior to 6/21/19 launch.

Bill has worked on the planning of this trip for the better part of 2 years. He has mapped out the trip and has a draft itinerary into next winter.  Everything is subject to change, of course, as I think he heard me when I stated (rather loudly) that we WILL NOT be going out in crazy stuff even if it means waiting out the weather for a day or two (or three!).   I think back to 2017 when we almost didn’t make it (check out our blog entry, Drama at Sea, January 7, 2017).

Bill sets off on July 7 from Georgetown Maine with his brother Bob and nephew Danny. They will travel for a week down to NYC and I will meet them on July 13 at the 79th St. Boat Basin in Manhattan on the Hudson River.   Just as we saw a Broadway show (Hamilton) on our previous boat trip, we will see Dear Evan Hansen on the 14th and then start up the Hudson on the 15th.  More to come!