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Trenton, Ontario, Canada
In June 2012 we started the Great Loop in our Bayliner Explorer. This blog is for family and friends who would like to follow our comings and goings and , for now, our getting ready for the trip. If you read this blog we would love to hear your comment& suggestions.

Sunday 25 August 2013

Illinois River Ottawa to Beardstown

Ottawa to Beardstown
The past few days had been very warm. Of course as soon as we got ready to leave Ottawa on Thursday morning, the rain came down in buckets.
After about 7 miles we got to Starved Rock Lock and they were able to lock us through without having to wait. This meant I had to go out in the rain and secure lines to the lock walls. Fortunately it was warm. I got soaked to the bone and that lock had to be the slowest lock we had encountered till now.  For 40 minutes I stood in the pouring rain, I even took my automatic life jacket off for fear of it deploying.

The rain slowed us down a little but eventually we go to Hennepin and tied to the old barge on the waterfront. It is such a nice stop, near a grocery store, laundry and hardware store. Unfortunately getting off your boat is a bit of a hassle. You have to step off the boat onto the rails of the barge and the climb over the fence ….It in not impossible but it is a schlep.
Yanetta, me, Gary , Mike and Lasse

There were three Looper boats tied to the barge in Hennepin

We had dinner at “Ray’s on the waterfront” In my humble opinion the best chicken in the land.
The following morning we had the best intentions of leaving early to get to Peoria, unfortunately this time we were fogged in. The visibility was a blurry 500 feet so we just sat back, relaxed and waited for it to lift.

When we got to Peoria we had no problem staying on the town dock.
Gary and I like the lazy days on the rivers. You don’t have to worry about the weather or tides or big waters. Some may find this boring but we have had enough excitement boat to appreciate this “boring”
We traveled for some distance along side the Spirit of Peoria 


Mike and Yonetta had a Asian Carp jump into their dingy

An air boat

 
Video of Asian Carp in our anchorage http://youtu.be/ZjKDlwq6Czw

The days have gotten a lot warmer!! With highs foretasted in the 90-100F in the next few days, I will miss the coolness of Lake Michigan. But if we push now we can get off the rivers and spend a couple of weeks just drifting around the clear waters of Kentucky Lake. Last evening it was so hot I considered swimming but when two kayakers held up a dead rat they found in the water I decided to pass.


In Beardstown we went for a walk, I stood in the town square fountain to cool off a little and then we enjoyed a nice cool beer at a local pub. $1.00 a beer (Coors Light Draft)!!!!!!!!!!!! By the time we got back to the boat I was so hot I just had to jump in the water to cool down. 
The high for today was 91F or 33C but it is going to get hotter and for Wednesday and Thursday the forecast is for 99F or 38C ……!!!
Me trying to cool down in the Beardstown
Square fountain 



……………………………………..to be continued ( unless melted)

2 comments:

  1. One correction....Coors Light draft does not qualify as beer! Lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. When it is 100F outside and it comes in a frosted glass, it is close enough :)

    ReplyDelete