We departed IVY this morning around 8:45 a.m. and while the trip has been peaceful and calm and lovely scenery along the way, it has rained most of the way and it is still chilly - just hit 60 degrees. We have been running the defrosters and heater and remain cozy in our home away from home. We plan to anchor tonight at a good anchorage at Bar Island, just 85 miles north of the Mississippi River. Tomorrow we will travel to Grafton Harbor in Grafton, IL, which is the confluence of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. We will remain there until the BIG river has officially calmed down and other boats make their way ahead of us.
Our biggest experience of the day was going down the river directly in between two barges, one going in the same direction as us and the other going in the opposite direction. It was quite a sight and while Jim was maneuvering I happened to be on the phone so we didn't capture any pictures of it. Having AIS, each of the tows were able to identify us in advance, and likewise we could identify them and call on the radio by name for instructions on how they wanted us to pass. We have found all the tow captains and lock masters to be extremely friendly and accommodating! It has been a lot of fun talking to the lock masters and gathering local information about their area.
I will make this post earlier in the day because where we will be anchored tonight may have limited access to internet and I didn't want to take a chance of making the daily post for our loyal followers.
Hugs to you all!!
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| Friends Ron & Jan gave us a road tour of this upscale neighborhood in Peoria yesterday. This is one of the houses as seen from the water. Their views are spectacular! |
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| This gives a better perspective of how high this home sets on the hill overlooking the river. |
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| A small boat club along the river with folks waving from the deck. |
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| A view of our view from the top of the boat. Very pristine along this route. |
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| Leaving miles of river behind in our wake |
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| Example of the many pieces of debris we find floating in the river. It is important to watch carefully for these nasty floaters, as they could do some serious damage to our boat. |
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| More debris...luckily most of the logs and trees with branches can be seen well enough in advance to avoid hitting them. |
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| Many facilities along the river that accommodate the agricultural community production |
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| This is dedicated to Grandson Krue, who is in love with big trucks... |
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| ...and diggers. Love you, Krue!! Wish you could see this with us in real life! |
Looks like you guys are having a blast! I'll have to look at your map and see when you'll be nearby so we can meet up. Love you!
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