Day 97: October 23: I was probably the first one awake at about 6:00. It was chilly at 40 degrees but there was no rain in sight; always a plus. We had planned on contacting the Peoria Lock lockmaster just after 6:00 to determine a good time for us to lock through. Luckily the lockmaster indicated no tugs were in sight so we could approach the lock at any time. Using NEBO we located a number of vessels behind us. Most of them were from our flotilla #13; we assumed they would be making their way toward the lock in the morning also. Wanting to lock through without a large number of boats, Zendeavor, Summer Fling and we pulled out at 7:30 and headed for the lock.
Upon arrival, we saw the green light and were able to enter the chamber immediately. With only 3 boats locking, the process took no time and we were off and running within about 10 minutes.
The trip was pretty uneventful. We did not pass many other boats and only a few barges. The scenery did not change much; as someone told us while we were at Heritage Harbor, "the rest of the Illinois River is pretty much the same". At any rate we enjoyed the cruise simply because "we are already where we want to be", the weather was fine and we were not battling the waves and wind of Lake Michigan.
Wildlife, factories, barges, hunters and fishermen. All share the river. We are simply visitors, passing through and grateful for the experience; especially the frequent sighting of the majestic bald eagle.
As we approached the Lower Pekin Railroad Bridge at mile marker 160 we heard a joyful voice come over the radio. It was the bridge-tender welcoming us through the bridge. A great conversation ensued between us and him. He could not have been friendlier and agreed with John who told him, might as well go to work with a good attitude then be miserable.
"Come on through you slow pokes, you are heading south. Get to warmer weather. We have to get you out of here. We will give you a blast as you pass through!"
As we slowly cruised through the bridge we could see him standing high above us waving; he then blew the bridge horn. Of course we acknowledged his salute with a blast of our own. He then entertained us with a piano tune playing over the radio! I hope his employer knows what a gem he is.
Summer Fling left us to tie up for the night at Logsdon Tug Service in Beardston. This is a bare bones facility. For $1.00 per foot you get a bathroom but no shower. It's basically a barge that has space for a limited number of boats. Frank radioed that they would catch up with us in the morning as he turned Summer Fling toward the shore.
We continued on until we arrived at the anchorage we had picked out; Bar Island in Beardston. Three more Looper boats soon showed up; cautiously making their way a bit further into the anchorage. It turned out to be an excellent spot, well out of the channel, with good depth of 8 to 9 feet behind the south end of the island. We dropped the hook and Sandra and David dinghied over for snacks and conversation.
Once again a beautiful sunset topped off the long day.
We traveled 64 miles in 8 hours. Here is the path shown on NEBO. Heading south!
Day 98: October 24: Here is our daily sunrise picture from our anchorage on Bar Island. We captured fellow boaters in the distance.
We knew the 3 boats that had anchored nearby, along with about 10 other boats from flotillas 11 and 12, were planning on locking through the LaGrange Lock which is the final lock on the Illinois River. We didn't relish the idea of locking through with about 14 other boats but knew there really was no option; either we try to get to the lock (about 6 miles from our anchorage) earlier than others or just go with the flow.
I received word from "No Rush", a fellow Looper who we had met while in Canada, that someone from flotilla 12 had tried calling the lockmaster but there was no answer. He noted a barge could be seen in the lock on AIS; it looked like it had required splitting. John was able to get in touch with the lock by radio. We were informed the barge was just about ready to exit the lock and we could arrive anytime after 8. We wasted no time pulling up anchor along with the 3 boats nearby. Looking out, we saw a parade of boats charging down the river. We merged in and off we went, a mix of boaters from flotillas 11, 12 and 13.
As we cruised the 6 miles to the lock we heard the boat in the front of the pack announce the lock was open and the green light was on. Despite the large number of boats, the process went smoothly; about 8 boats tied to the wall with 8 others rafting up. We were able to raft to Zendeavor which made life easy since we have done it before. As David would say in his Alabama accent "that was sliiiick" .
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| Warmer temps! Wearing shorts again! |
Once through the lock folks broke off; some speeding ahead, others falling behind. We continued on, passing more barges, planning on getting to the end of the Illinois River right around Grafton, IL. A few sights along the way included an area where tons of logs were piled up along the shore. I imagine this happens when the river floods; the hope is that this debris remains on shore and doesn't cross our path.
As we work our way south the brilliant colors of fall remind us that winter is indeed coming. Kodak moments happen at every corner; you might miss them if you don't keep your eyes peeled!
After traveling 73 miles in about 9 1/2 hours we anchored at Island #525, an inlet located at mile marker 2.0; it's actually on the Mississippi River. The NEBO chart shows that while we are in Illinois, we are now on the Mississippi bordering Missouri. This feels like being in 4 Corners; able to touch 4 states all at once. We can see Grafton Harbor; a gigantic American flag can't be missed.
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