To mark this momentous occasion, we stop and change our burgees. The white one indicated we are in the process of “looping” and the gold burgee means we are officially “looped”! Once we complete our photo shoot and the high fives, we resume our journey on the Cumberland River. The first impression of the Cumberland…
Author: Jackie Schanz
Little Diversion Channel, MO to Paducah, KY
To return to the Mississippi from our hideaway anchorage, we first have to maneuver around the log dam that formed while we were sleeping. It is at Cairo, IL that we will turn off the Mississippi and head into the Ohio River. One would assume, Cairo, with its prime location at the confluence of the…
Alton, IL to Anchorage at Little Diversion Channel, MO
As there are virtually no marinas along this route of the Mississippi, we opt to make the most of the sunny day and push ourselves to the safe anchorage just outside of the city of Cape Girardeau, MO. We leave Alton behind early, at 7 am. Before we leave, we call the lock, which is…
Port Charles Marina, MO to Alton, IL
We also pass Piasa Park. We navigate through the dangerous area, managing to keep our flesh and bones intact, and pass under the Clark Bridge which connects Illinois to Missouri via route 67. At the base of the bridge, lies the entrance to Alton Marina, the “finest 5 star marina on the Mississippi!”. Alton, while…
Grafton Marina, IL to Port Charles Marina, St. Charles, MO
Port Charles Marina has the reputation of employing qualified and knowledgeable marine mechanics. They also possess a 60 ton travel lift. Accordingly, they are our next “premier” destination as we are in need of trim tab repair. We pass by the Duck Club Yacht Club, which is situated next door to Port Charles Marina. We…
Logsdon Tug Service, Beardstown, IL to Grafton Marina, Grafton, IL
Within 45 minutes of cruising, we come to our last lock on the Illinois River, The Lagrange Lock and Dam. The drop is usually about 10 feet. Today, as it is a wicket gate lock and the river level is higher, we will not pass through the lock and dam, but pass over it. There…
Eastport Marina to Logsdon Tugboat, Beardstown, IL
The obvious question is why would we want to spend the night tugged with a tug? The quick answer is, we don’t. Unfortunately, there are not many alternative dockage options along the way to our next destination of Grafton, IL. Traveling 150 river miles, while doable, is not ideal. Therefore we break our trip to…
Henry, IL to Eastport Marina, East Peoria, IL
Fran, along with her husband David, untie our lines and away we go. We pass by the nearby river town of Chillicothe. We pass by Holiday Harbor, where many old casino boats, paddlewheels, and tows spend their “holiday”, removed from the relentless drudgery of river travel. Perhaps, for some, it is just a short reprieve…
Heritage Harbor, IL to Henry, IL
The weather today is not the prettiest. We arrive to our only lock of the day, Starved Rock, in North Utica, IL. The drop is 19 feet. While waiting, we are treated with a sighting of a bald eagle perched high on a tree near the shore. As Miss Jackie Brown enters the chamber, the…
Joliet, IL to Heritage Harbor, Ottawa, IL
About two miles downriver we come to Brandon Lock in the town of Rockdale. We lock through without any incident with our wall mate, the night before, Mystic, a 60+ foot Hatteras who just started the loop at Naperville. Brandon Lock is a 34 feet drop and once again you catch a bollard with your…