On the Road - by Bob Van Leer

Tennessee Rivers 6-16-96 Gold Beach to Chattanooga TN

A "Huck Finn" Journey With Grandsons

By Bob Van Leer

  In June and July, grandsons Rob and Chris Johnson, 19 and 17, respectively, and I set off on a Tom Sawyer-Huckleberry Finn-type trip but with the use of modern technology.

Take Off Day, Chickamauga Dam and the first lock 06-23-96

TAKE OFF DAY
Sunday morning was take off day. Sam took us out to the marina and we fired up the engine for the start of the trip. We had never been through a lock in a dam and our introduction was early.

  Just a few hundred yards below the marina was Chickamauga Dam with the busiest lock on the whole river system. This was the first of seven dams we would go through.

Three more dams - Nicka Jack, Guntersville, Wheeler Rob & Chris learn to water ski

  The second day we ran 96 miles. Six miles below the marina we locked through Nickajack dam, a 39 feet drop, and another eight miles downstream we crossed from Tennessee into Alabama.

  In another 16 miles we passed by the Bellefonte nuclear power plant.  Construction started in 1974 but was never finished. This is TVA country (Tennessee Valley Authority), similar to Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in the northwest. And TVA is in trouble also, some of it caused by a failed nuclear power program similar to BPA.

Pickwick Lake & Dam Our only stop in Mississippi

RIVER TURNS NORTH

  We continued west on the Tennessee river to Pickwick Lake. Here is where the Tennessee-Tombigbee waterway joins the Tennessee. We stopped at a marina in Iuka, Mississippi for fuel, our only stop in that state.

  From where we started, east of Chattanooga, the Tennessee River river runs southwest to Gunterville Dam in Alabama. From there, the river runs almost due west across northern Alabama to Mississippi. There the river changes course and runs almost due north across Tennessee and across Kentucky to the Ohio River, the border with Illinois.

Shiloh National Military Park & Battlefield 35-40 White Bass caught on Kentucky Lake

   Below Pickwick Dam we stopped at Shiloh National Military Park. The battle of Shiloh was fought April 6-7, 1862. More than 103,000 Union and Confederate soldiers fought in the battle. Casualties were almost 24,000 killed, wounded and missing. A total of 3482 were listed as killed and 16,420 wounded. This was almost 22% of the men present for duty both days.

  Shiloh was the key battle in the drive by Gen. U. S. Grant that continued down the Mississippi River and cut the south in half.  Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River was key to getting reinforcements to Grant the night of the battle. The reinforcements turned the tide giving victory to Grant. Curiously, the landing site, which is in the park, no longer exists. We landed there, but had to
scramble up rock rip-rap to get to the park.

Cumberland River and Bumpus Mills TN Final day on the river - 578.1 total river miles

  The Cumberland course is south and then southeast from the Ohio. The two rivers parallel each other for about 40 miles south and are up to eight miles apart making a huge recreation area called Land Between the Lakes.

  We headed across the five-mile long Barkley Canal and turned south across Kentucky on the Cumberland. Our run from that day will be about 50 miles, an easy day.

  Eight miles upstream from the canal is the Kentucky State Penitentiary, locally known as "The Castle on the Cumberland". It is built in the style of an English castle and was completed in 1888. It is the only Kentucky maximum security prison and more than 160 inmates have died in its electric chair.

St Louis MO to Gold Beach OR July 9, 1996

ON TO ST. LOUIS
  We headed northwest to St. Louis where we spent a couple of days visiting my sisters and families, Bud and June Pallardy and Lou and Ruth Chiodini. We spent the Fourth of July with them and the next day headed for home.

  On the return trip we stayed on I-70 to Reno. Our first night out we stopped at Russell, Kansas, former Sen. Bob Dole's home town. Local residents said he still has a house in Russell which he stays in when campaigning in Kansas. But none of them expected him to move back if he loses his bid for the presidency.

Arrive in Taiwan - Sightsee and Meet with Public officials May 21, 2002

By Bob Van Leer

(TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Tuesday, May 21, 2002) – We spent our first full day in Taiwan sightseeing and meeting with public officials.

We arrived in Taipei yesterday evening after a 12 hour, 35 minute flight from San Francisco aboard a United Airlines Boeing 777. The plane took the great circle route and went directly over Medford where I started. We continued on towards Alaska and then across Japan to Taipei.

The tour was organized by the National Newspaper Association and 32 persons, including myself, are on the trip. It is sort of an old home week. Of the 31 others along, I was already acquainted with 22. The group is from across the United States – North Carolina, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oregon and points in between.

Taiwan has the Rodney Dangerfield Syndrome May 22, 2002

TAIWAN GETS NO RESPECT

By Bob Van Leer
(TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Tuesday, May 22, 2002) – Taiwan has the Rodney Dangerfield syndrome – it gets no respect.

Dr. Michael Kan, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (ROC), Taiwan, told us, “We are a major economic entity”. He said ROC is 13th or 14th in international trade, and number 7 in outbound trade. He said 70% of the laptop computers in the world are produced in ROC. Yet ROC has formal diplomatic relations with only 28 countries including such heavyweights as Republic of Nauru and Burkino Faso. No major nation recognizes ROC as a separate state.

Yet Dr. Kau told us, “As far as we are concerned, we are a sovereign state”. He said ROC dates to 1912, but after 1949 lost control over mainland China. He said mainland China, the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), refers to us as a province of China. He said we resist this, the PRC has never exercised any authority over this territory.

Meet the President of the Republic of China May 23, 2002

By Bob Van Leer

(TAIPEI, TAIWAN – Tuesday, May 23, 2002) – The highlight of today’s activities was a meeting with Chen Shui-bian, president of the Republic of China.

Pres. Chen reiterated that Taiwan doesn’t get any respect. He said the Republic of China (ROC) is the 14th largest trading nation in the world but has not enjoyed the dignity it deserves. Taiwan was admitted to the World Trade Organization but denied participation in the World Health Organization.

He said Taiwan participation in the U.N. would recognize Taiwan’s accomplishments contributing to peace and justice. He said we will continue our efforts.