Travel VLOG

The MV Soulstice crew is working its way back north to pick up new crew members in Nassau. On the way we spend a scary night at anchor in the Pipe Creek area as we weather a 35 mph wind storm overnight. We also revisit Shroud Cay, which is a crew favorite and try out our drone skills. We also spend another evening at Highbourne Cay and enjoy Xuma's culinary treats one more time. After a bumpy ride we make it to Nassau and enjoy exploring the downtown area. Eventually our crew members make it onto the boat and we head out for the Berry Islands. Along the way, we try our best to get some fresh fish. We are determined to catch fish on this trip. I hope you enjoy the video!

The MV Soulstice Crew continues to cruise south on the Exumas Island Chain stopping at Farmer's Cay to pick up fresh conch salad and look for sea turtles. The crew also stops at the quaint Bahamian settlement of Black Point to explore the area and have yummy conch fritters. There is also a stop at the lovely Emerald Bay area, this is a crew favorite for sure. And finally a visit to Georgetown Exumas and the famous Chat 'n' Chill hangout to have more conch salad. I hope you enjoy the video.

The MV Soulstice crew had a couple of very entertaining days traveling from Compass Cay to Staniel Cay in the Exumas. There are lots of activities to do in that area of the Exumas Island Chain. We swam with nurse sharks, fed a swimming pig some Manchego cheese, ate at a very fancy restaurant and had a great time doing our laundry. All in all this is a pretty fun part of the Exumas and we highly recommend visiting these islands with family and friends. I hope you enjoy the video.

The MV Soulstice crew spends a fabulous day at Shroud Cay in the Exumas. We ride the Washing Machine current, travel the very shallow creeks on our dinghy and spot various sea turtles. Shroud Cay is a must stop in the Exumas. The crew also visited both Hawksbill and Cambridge Cays. Both cays have trails you can explore that lead to excellent oceanside beaches. In addition, the crew moors at two location within the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park. We stayed at Warderick Wells and Pirate's Lair, both are excellent and picture perfect locations. This part of the Exuma Island Chain is chock full of beautiful beaches, native sea life and pristine waters. It is so worth it to visit this part of the Bahamas. The crew finally leaves the park and ends up anchored by Compass Cay. I hope you enjoy the video!

The MV Soulstice crew is on the go because we need to pick up crew in Nassau. Then it is off to visit with the Iguanas of Allen Cay. This stop puts us officially in the Exuma island chain. We make our way South to Highbourne Marina where we meet up with family aboard SV Tereva. We spend an awesome two days enjoying Highbourne Cay's exceptional turquoise waters. We also use the free bikes the marina provides to cycle around the island. In addition we enjoy the age old game of dominoes, which is always a good time. I hope you enjoy the video!

The beginning and ending clips to RV SeeMore Vlogs

The MV Soulstice crew is exploring the Bahamas in 2023. In our first video of the series we cruise from Tavernier to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Isles. We have great weather and a wonderful crossing to Bimini as well as, across the Bahama Banks. We enjoy exploring Alice Town in Bimini and anchoring at Chub Cay. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew continued South from St. Petersburg to end up at Marco Island. We stopped at Boca Grande and spent a night at anchor in Naples Bay. The crew enjoyed cruising Southwest Florida's ICW. The West coast of Florida always has fabulous sunsets and coastal neighborhoods. We also saw dolphins and pelicans while cruising, a regular South Florida sighting. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew is finally cruising the West Coast of Florida in this video. The crew travels from Tarpon Springs to Clearwater Beach and then to St Petersburg. We enjoy a night of delicious Greek food in Tarpon Springs. We of course pick up some olive oil based soap and body lotions (I totally recommend the food and purchases). We then cruised to Clearwater Beach and spent a wonderful day walking the beach, enjoying the music and visiting the Dolphin statues. Finally we stopped in the downtown St Petersburg marina which was close to everything in the downtown area. While in St Petersburg we visited the ebike company Jupiter Bikes. We checked out their models, took a test ride and eventually purchased two of their X7 models. We also visited a Caribbean Supermarket and walked on railroad tracks, St Petersburg really does have a lot of fun things to do. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew is finally ready to make the Gulf of Mexico crossing in this video. Initially some crew members were anxious about the crossing but after more than five months on the Loop, both Captain and First Mate are ready for the crossing. The crew spent two nights in Carrabelle before heading out to cross the Gulf of Mexico. The crossing is approximately 170 miles from Carrabelle to Tarpon Springs and it took us nineteen and a half hours to make the journey. We enjoyed the trip immensely and had perfect weather and water conditions throughout the whole voyage. We especially enjoyed the wildlife we encountered along the way. Although we did have one hiccup, in essence we had an absolutely perfect Gulf of Mexico crossing and we were fortunate to get a lot of the trip on video to give you an idea of what an ideal crossing can be like. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew gains a new team member and leaves Orange Beach, Alabama to travel to Carrabelle, Florida. The crew did travel through various stops before arriving in Carrabelle. We spent a festive evening visiting Sandestin with a stay at Baytowne Marina. We tested our docking skills by performing a night docking maneuver (we do not recommend). Our next stop was Panama City with a stay at Treasure Island Marina. We did not do any night docking but we ate at Captain Anderson's Restaurant and it was really good. Eventually we made it to Carrabelle and spent a night at anchor and another at C-Quarters Marina. The crew had time to prepare for the Gulf of Mexico crossing. We monitored the weather, talked to fellow Loopers and simply mentally got ready for the crossing. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew leaves Mobile to travel to Fairhope, Alabama. The crew thoroughly enjoyed visiting Fairhope. We then headed to Orange Beach Marina and spent a lovely evening visiting with fellow Loopers. Our next stop was Flora-Bama and we recommend a stop there if you are in the area. Eventually we made our way back to Orange Beach Marina because it was a better place to dock MV Soulstice while we flew home for Thanksgiving. We also enjoyed attending the Blue Angel's Homecoming Show - it was a very impressive flying demonstration. The crew also spent some time addressing routine engine and housekeeping duties before flying home for Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew leaves Kingfisher Bay Marina to travel the Tenn-Tom waterway. The crew travels through the two final locks of the trip, Demopolis and Coffeeville. The crew was very happy that those were the two last locks of the trip (yay). The Soulstice crew also spent the night at two awesome anchorages. The anchorages were Turkey Creek and the TennSaw River, both sites were beautiful and very peaceful. Eventually we made it to Mobile Bay and enjoyed the hustle and bustle of a big working harbor. The crew also spent a day exploring the City of Mobile's downtown. We enjoyed going to the Mobile History Museum, exploring the Colonial Fort Conde, roaming through the Spanish Plaza and generally strolling through the downtown. We were surprised to find a Cathedral Basilica in town and marveled at the majestic church. During our stay in the area, we got the opportunity to observe a Blood Moon and that was pretty cool. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew leaves Grand Harbor for a second time to travel the Tenn-Tom waterway. The waterway is bursting with Autumn colors, wrapped in a cozy Fall breeze, and blessed with a lazy current. The crew is definitely Falling down the inland waterways in traditional Looper style. We dock at various marinas along the way including Midway, Columbus and Kingfisher Bay marinas. We enjoy hanging out with other Loopers as the flotilla slowly moves South to Mobile, Alabama. We did run into some engine trouble along the way but then again it would not be the Great Loop without a mishap or two. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew spent a couple of days driving around Tennessee and Alabama doing what tourists do best, sightsee. Of course, we visited downtown Nashville. This city is always a fun stop for the Soulstice crew. We met up with the crew of Last Pairing and had a fabulous time, Nashville style! We also visited various other stops throughout the area like, the US Space & Rocket Center, Shiloh National Military Park, Natchez Trace Parkway, Davy Crockett State Park and saw the only Tennessee statue of Davy Crockett in Lawrenceburg. We also saw a small part of the Trail of Tears route and learned a little bit more about it. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew happily travels up and down the Tennessee River for a couple of days. We dock at various marinas along the way including Clifton, Grand Harbor and Florence Harbor marinas. The Soulstice crew continues to cruise by lovely Fall foliage views on the Tennessee River. We successfully lock through the Pickwick Lock & Dam. We also enjoy exploring the small town of Florence, Alabama. We were surprised to run into a Frank Lloyd Wright house in the area but that's what we love about the Loop, you never know what you will run into. We did rent a car to travel through the area to do some sightseeing but those highlights will be in the next video. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew travels the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers through Kentucky Lake. We dock at various area marinas, including the Looper favorite, Green Turtle Bay. The Soulstice crew cruises by so much Fall foliage in this part of the Great Loop, that we are mesmerized by the autumn yellow and reds we encounter. We successfully lock through the Barkley Lake Lock & Dam and reminisce on how badly we performed on the Olmsted lock. We also enjoy exploring the small town of Grand Rivers, Kentucky. We ate at the town's famous restaurant, Patti's 1880's Settlement and enjoyed looking at all the Christmas decorations the restaurant puts up. The Soulstice crew also enjoyed spending time at Paris Landing and Cuba Landing. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew travels the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in this video. We dock at the famous Hoppies barge and anchor along the way to Paducah, Kentucky. The Soulstice crew cruises by the St. Louis Arch and takes the obligatory selfie. We meet the challenges of river debris and play dodge the barge on the Ohio River. We successfully lock through the Melvin Price and Chain of Rock locks. We also enjoy exploring the river town of Paducah. We visit the National Quilt Museum, walk the Paducah walls and stroll the downtown and residential areas. The Soulstice crew definitely enjoyed spending time with Looper friends at the Great Loop stop of Paducah. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew travels the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers in this video. We dock in the area's rustic marinas and anchor out at several beautiful spots. We enjoy exploring this area and continue to challenge our navigation skills with the frequent barge traffic we encounter. We do take some time to have lunch at the famous Mel's Illinois Riverfront Restaurant. We finally do make it to Grafton, the Key West of the Midwest, and enjoy spending time with fellow Looper friends. We even visit Aerie Winery and ride on the chair lift and bob sled rides. A good time was had by all. I hope you enjoy the video.

The Soulstice crew has entered into a new phase of our Great Loop adventure. We are cruising down the Illinois River and experiencing first hand the whole tugboats and barges situation. We are also learning that the locks on the Illinois River System operate differently than the ones on the Trent Severn canal. That being said, there is a lot more lock drama and waiting time on the Illinois River System. We also have more anchorages and rustic mooring situations on this river system. Again, there is never a dull moment on the Great Loop. I hope you enjoy the video!

In this video the Soulstice crew spent a couple days in the Boston area. We immersed ourself in American Revolution history and spent time with the family. We stayed in the town in Woburn and visited Boston, Gloucester, Lexington and Concord. In Boston, we visited the Tea Party Museum, walked part of the Harbor Walk and did some shopping in the SeaPort area. In Gloucester, we visited the Eastern Point Lighthouse and the Hammond Castle Museum, two off the beaten path stops. Finally, we also saw the famed Walden Pond of literature fame. We had a great break from boat life and loved spending time with the family. I hope you enjoy the video!

The MV Soulstice crew left Holland, Michigan, spent a night in Benton Harbor and finally scurried over to Indiana's Hammond Port Authority. Indiana is the 11th state we have visited on the Great Loop. This is our last big passage on Lake Michigan and we are grateful it was a good one. While in Hammond, we tended to some Soulstice maintenance issues and completed several loads of laundry. We also enjoyed celebrating the Captain's birthday at a local Italian restaurant. This port stop afforded the crew the opportunity to visit a Walmart but we had to walk to the store which was just over half a mile away (good exercise). Finally the Hammond stop is very close to Chicago so we hopped on an Uber and visited the "Windy City." I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew left Grand Haven and cruised into Holland after spending a night at anchor in Muskegon. The Lake Michigan passage was good and we are grateful for that. While in Holland we visited Tunnel Park, Holland Bowl Mill and De Zwaan Windmill. Of course a bowl was purchased for MV Soulstice. The crew also got to see the Saugatuck Sand Dunes after a couple of unsuccessful tries. While in the area, we visited Grand Rapids for the first time. The crew was blown away by the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. We also enjoyed seeing the houses located within the Heritage Hill Historic District, including Frank Lloyd Wright's Meyers May House. I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew left Manistee and ran into a huge cargo ship in the channel on the way to Ludington. The Ludington trip on Lake Michigan was not terrible and we are grateful for that. The crew did cruise by Big Sable Point Lighthouse and saw the Michigan-Wisconsin Car Ferry cruise into town. We walked the Ludington Waterfront Park and marveled at all the lovely sculptures. We eventually left to do a night cruise because of favorable weather conditions on the lake. The night cruise was a good call and we anchored in Muskegon bay around midnight. In the morning, we headed to Grand Haven and had a calm and uneventful cruise on the lake (just the way we like it). I hope you enjoy the video!

The Soulstice crew cruised from Suttons Bay to Manistee via Traverse City and Frankfort. We enjoyed our time in Traverse City. The city marina has a great location and excellent facilities. Eventually we did a night cruise straight to Frankfort after considering the weather conditions on Lake Michigan. While at Frankfort, we did enjoy exploring the town and especially liked the Frankfort Lighthouse walk. We also enjoyed shopping and eating at Frankfort. I hope you enjoy the video!