Day 98
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
6:40 AM CDT
Location: Alton, IL.
Weather: 67* with 67% humidity; no wind...predicted to be 87 and sunny today
Beautiful morning. If you click here it will take you to google maps and our exact location in Alton, IL. We are sitting almost directly under what is marked Clark Bridge on the map. The picture below is a shot of that bridge last night. I never knew I would be interested in a bridge...but this one is huge and very pretty (can a bridge be pretty?). And it happens to be right out the back of our boat so I am staring at it right now. Also in the google maps you will see the lock about 1 mile to our south. That’s the first thing we need to do...tomorrow.
Yesterday was a very easy cruising day. After a very nice early morning breakfast (I have eaten rasin bran and sliced peaches for the last 2 days so I’m feeling pretty good about myself) I wiped down the boat and got it looking great. After Deb enjoyed breakfast...a chapter in her book...and a few emails, she vacuumed the inside of the boat and made sure everything was ready for cruising (all drawers closed and locked and things put away so would not fall). All of this and we untied the lines at 9:15. I have been at this spot on the river (where the Illinois meets the Mississippi) a few times but each time it is very special. It is very wide here (see picture and size of hills in relation to the truck) and you know you have just traveled the entire Illinois River system and are about to join one of the largest rivers in the US. As wide, and as deep, and as well marked as it is at this point I always am more cautious for a while for some reason. It feels new and strange and I keep thinking I’m going to hit something. The good news is this feeling goes away in a few miles...and we had no trouble at all.
After a short 17 mile trip we pulled into Alton Marina at 11:30. I decided to get fuel (100 gallons) and we were in our slip about noon. There have been rumors about low water here...but I never showed anything less than 6 feet...and we have 8 feet at the dock we’re at. They planned on putting us under a covered slip (lots of them in the South) but I asked if they had cable TV at the dock and they said no...so I asked them to put us on a T dock (at the end of a normal dock is called the T) so we could use our satellite TV on the boat (won’t work under a cover because it can’t find the satellite). After lunch on the boat Deb and I took a walk and checked out the marina. Great place with almost new covered docks and very clean. Everything is floating...including a nice pool and the main office...which has a deli and store in it. At 4:00 Deb’s cousin and husband (Karen and Dale) came to the boat for a short visit. They live about 20 minutes from Alton...and it was nice to see them. After they left we had a nice salad for dinner (seems like I’m eating healthy...but not really) and watched Closer on TV. It was a great day...nothing special...but great none the less.
Today Deb is going with her cousin Karen to the botanical gardens somewhere in this area. She’ll be leaving in a few minutes and plans to be back later this afternoon. I plan to work on my boat list this morning and then this afternoon we plan to head into Alton to check out the sights. Actually we plan on heading to a place called Fast Eddies...a bar and grill that is somewhat of a legend in this area. Everyone who we tell we are stopping in Alton says we MUST see Fast Eddies. I’ll give a report tomorrow if it is worth the hipe. Sun is up over the bridge now and looking great. Promises to be a great day...guess I better get doing something constructive.
BK.
BK; Karen; Dale; and Deb
The Clark Bridge just behind our boat
Hills on the side of the Mississippi River just south of Grafton, IL.
Our Lady of the River Statue along the river.
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