Welcome Aboard!
Captain Mike, Roxie, and I, Donna (aka Mrs. Padilly), began cruising into our newest adventure when we started America’s Great Loop (AGL) on June 5, 2024, from Mobile Bay, Alabama.
So much planning and work has gone into realizing this dream, and I can’t believe it is finally happening! As a result, this site has been quiet for a long time.
Not anymore! We purchased our Looper boat, Serenity, in January 2024. In June 2024, the Captain cruised her from her home port, Kemah, Texas, to Mobile Bay, Alabama.
Serenity is a 2005 Grand Banks 42 Europa. She is a beautiful twin-engine diesel trawler with a full walk-around deck.
On June 5, 2024, we placed our AGLCA Looper flag on the bow flagstaff and began the first segment of our cruise to Lake Barkley, Kentucky.
Looping on Serenity – In Segments
We will not be “traditional Loopers” regarding doing the Loop all at once, counter-clockwise..
As I already mentioned, we officially started the Loop on June 5, 2024, when we cruised Serenity for two weeks from Mobile Bay, Alabama, to her new home port at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Kentucky.
The next segment of Loop cruises will take place during the Loop’s river-side trips: Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. We may even do a cruise to Louisville, KY.
It may be 2027 before we begin completing the rest of the Loop, be it backward (clockwise) or traditional (counter-clockwise). Time will tell. That’s the nice thing about cruising the Loop: there is no right or wrong way to do it; what matters is just doing it.
That being said, we hope to cross our wake in 2028, or if we want to spend an extra season in the waters around Michigan, 2029.
Our First Segment – Mobile, AL to Green Turtle Bay Marina, KY 2024
Cruising Serenity to her new home port took a few weeks and was my first real experience at long-distance cruising. While the Captain is a seasoned boater who began his boating career racing sailboats with his dad, this First Mate has enjoyed boating with her Captain and family for leisure.
Not anymore! Preparing for America’s Great Loop is underway! The first thing I learned as we cruised Serenity up the rivers to Kentucky is that cruising your boat over long distances is NOT a vacation but an adventure.
My rose-colored glasses quickly fell into the water as I realized there was so much to learn!
In just thirteen days, this “mini” cruise taught me a lot about cruising. I will be sharing these experiences, from the highs to the lows of our trip, in my upcoming travel memoir to be released in 2026. I’ll update subscribers with the release.
Captain: Mike
Mike’s boating experiences began in the early 1970s when his dad surprised the family with a new sailboat. This experience sparked a lifelong love of sailing, especially for Mike and his dad..
He and his father participated in many sailing regattas from Texas to Kingston, Ontario. The Kingston stop will be memorable for both of us. Mike will be able to revisit the waters where he raced sailboats with his dad. For me, I’ll be able to stand at the doorstep of my 3rd great-grandfather’s home, Captain John Trowell. Captain Trowell steered the Canadian side-wheeled paddle steamer, Algerian, in the late 1800s. This will be a very special stop for us on the Loop, one we are both looking forward to.
Here is a favorite painting I did of my father-in-law sailing Seabird, a wooden Catbird 16 sailboat he built with Mike.
Mike, a successful business owner, continued to share his love of sailing and boating with his children and, now, his granddaughter.
As the First Mate on Serenity, I am confident in my ability to participate in and complete America’s Great Loop because of my Captain’s nautical skills.
First Mate: Donna
(aka Mrs. Padilly)
It started as a blog that morphed into an identity and is now a way of life.
My life as Mrs. Padilly and Donna Marie intertwines my past and present by combining my worlds of travel, art, design, and storytelling through the pen and lens of Mrs. Padilly.
I’m a creative professional, and from 1995 to 2011, I taught visual communications at a college near Houston, Texas.
I am also a traveler at heart, so in 2012, I launched MrsPadillysTravels.com and began blogging about Texas Travel under the pen name “Mrs. Padilly.”
In 2014, I began posting about the makeover and glamping of an old Casita travel trailer on MrsPadillysTravels.com. This popular makeover series still attracts new visitors to the site today.
Traveling and living creatively is a way of life for me, and LoopingOnSerenity.com is my greatest travel adventure yet!
Boat Dog: Roxie the Schnoxie
Standing a mere 12″ tall, Roxie the Schnoxie is a giant among boat dogs. She has cruised by motor, sailboat, kayak, paddleboard, dinghy, and canoe from Texas to Florida and places in between.
She truly is the best traveling dog. Since she was a puppy (now 9), she has traveled all over the US by car and in several types of RVs. She has done parts of the Appalachian Trail, cruised among gators, watched for the Marfa lights, explored beaches, camped at Disney World, swam in numerous seas, lakes, and rivers, and shopped and dined in some of the finest shops and restaurants from big cities to small towns.
Roxie the Schnoxie is also excited about her biggest adventure to date ~ Looping on Serenity to complete America’s Great Loop.
Thank you for stopping by, and we’d be thrilled if you followed along. It’s always nice to travel with friends.
(last updated October 28 2025)
*Mrs. Padilly and the Padilly logo are trademarks of MrsPadillysTravels.com.
Mrs. Padilly (aka Donna Marie Johnson) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Looping on Serenity 