Voyaging America's Great Loop Aboard Still Waters II

Tag: Illinois

Building A Better World
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

The American Queen, the largest steamboat ever built, or so they claim

Met this beauty on Tuesday headed towards Peoria.

Summary of week:

The crew completed their cruise down the Illinois River this past week where they made the following stops:

1 – Peoria, mile 161, where they visited the Caterpillar Visitor Center

2 – Bar Island, mile 85

3 – Hurricane Island, mile 25

4 – Grafton, mile 0

Click here to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, a summary of the day’s experience, and a few pics of the route.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:
1. What is the largest steamboat ever built?
2. Who won the Olympic Gold Medal in basketball in 1952?
3. What is flood level at Grafton?
At the Box Office

This week’s video shows highlights as Still Waters II completes her voyage down the Illinois River. Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site. The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Sunday & Monday, Sept 2nd & 3rd

With the Labor Day Weekend in full swing, the crew decided to stay put and enjoy the amenities of the Heritage Harbor Marina rather than take their chances on the water with the local drinking and boating crowd.

A nice surprise was a visit from Bill H., the captain of Perfect Day. Bill swung by to say hello. He has returned to his boat from California and is prepping to go down to Green Turtle Bay where his wife will then join him the rest of the way down to Florida. It was great to catch up with him. The crew last saw Bill and Lori back in late summer 2016 in the North Channel of Lake Huron.

Bill, Thanks for making time in your schedule to visit

On Monday morning, the crew enjoyed a free breakfast provided by the marina staff. The staff made to order omelets, pancakes, biscuits, and orange juice. The locals said they do this every Labor Day. What a deal.

Monday afternoon, the skipper attended a captain’s brief given by the Dock Master about river conditions all the way down to mile zero on the Illinois River. The big take away from the brief was that the water level is currently 3-4 feet lower than normal and many anchorages are therefore unavailable. For example, all three anchor spots that the skipper had planned to use are too shallow to enter.

Back to the boat to recalculate the stops south.

Tuesday, Sept 4th

After taking on some fuel to ensure the crew can make Grafton, the crew headed to the Staved Rock Lock, eleven miles downstream. The skipper checked the Lock Report to learn that there were two upbound tows at the Lock. When they were two miles from the Lock, the crew met one of the upbound tows.

The skipper called the Lock Master to announce the arrival of Still Waters II. The Lock Master had already started the procedure to drain the Lock to get the other upbound tow. However, the Lock Master said he would reopen the gate and let Still Waters II down. The crew arrived at the Lock and waited a few minutes before the gates swung open. When the gates opened, the crew noticed two other motor boats already in the Lock. Well our crews good fortune was the other boaters 30 minute delay. Our crew thanked the Lock Master for holding the Lock. If they had not made the Lock, they would have had to wait three hours to get down.

Leaving the Starved Rock Lock, with up bound tow ready to enter

With the good fortune of the Starved Rock Lock timing and the low water levels in the Illinois River, the crew decided to travel all the way to Peoria and try to snag a spot on the free dock. They arrived at the dock at 1830 and found one spot that they could land. But some other boaters warned them that there were no cleats to tie off on at the dock.

Buffalo Rock along Right Descending Bank

The skipper went ahead and landed on the dock anyway and then set about trying to figure out how to secure the boat to the dock. With a little bit of ingenuity and the help of Scott from Last Call, they got the boat safely secured.

The boat may have been secured, but at 0100 in the morning the Admiral was awakened by some people talking just outside the boat on the dock. She got up and looked out the window to notice them climb aboard Still Waters II. She woke up the skipper and informed him that somebody was on the sundeck. The skipper hopped out of bed and went to the salon doors to look through the glass doors. Three people, one man and two females, standing on the sundeck looking around. The skipper threw the salon doors open, yelled as loud as he could and directed the folks off the boat.

Down Bound on Illinois River

He startled them pretty badly, and they all jumped off the boat and ran down the dock. One lady, using the term lady loosely of course, ran right out of her shoes. After they got about fifty yards down the dock they stopped running. The lady asked the guy to go back and get her shoes. He slowly started back to the boat with one hand up saying he did not want any trouble, just wanted to get the shoes. After the shoes were retrieved, they all disappeared into the night. The skipper wonders how many of them needed an underwear change after he scared the daylights out of them.

Wednesday, Sept 5th

The crew decided to spend the day in Peoria and visit the Caterpillar Visitor Center. Cat has a large presence in the area. The Visitor Center was run with both current and retired employees.

The tour starts with a short film. The theater for the film was built into the truck bed of a very large dirt hauler, a 797F Mining Truck. The truck was three stories tall. The film talked about the history of Cat and their relationship with their customers, especially focusing on how they are building a better world together. After the film the crew explored several other floor displays of heavy equipment. In the corner of this floor the crew found one of the best curations ever, simulators for Cat equipment.

797F Mining Truck

The crew took turns trying to master an excavator. Seemed like an easy task, just move a few buckets of dirt to cover a pipe. This was much harder than it looked. After about 5 different attempts, the skipper was finally successful in covering the pipe in less than the three minutes allotted.

The crew then spent another couple of hours exploring the history of Caterpillar. The biggest discovery though turned out to be the Peoria Cats. Before the modern NBA became successful, there was an industrial basketball league sponsored by companies. The players actually worked for the company sponsor.

Coach Womble and the 5 Peoria Cats that made the US Olympic Team

The Peoria Cats, sponsored by Caterpillar, were one of the more successful teams. So successful that in 1952, the team won the championship game which gave them a birth in the US Olympic basketball team playoffs at Madison Square Gardens. The Cats beat the University of Kansas 62-60. The win resulted in their coach being named as the US Basketball team head coach. He was then allowed to pick the seven member US Team. He picked 5 of his Cats players, one player from the Phillips 66 squad, and one player from Kansas. The US Team went on to win the Gold Medal in Helsinki, Finland by defeating the Russians 36-25.

Next door to the Caterpillar Visitor Center is this interesting statue of Lincoln with a Common Man, and no our skipper is anything but common

Thursday, Sept 6th

The crew shoved off the dock in Peoria and continued down the Illinois River. The Peoria Lock was only three miles down stream and the Lock Master had the gate open when the crew arrived. They got secured in the lock and were lowered 10 feet down to the next pool level.

Bald Eagles along the route

The day’s cruise was mostly uneventful with dodging large tows (3×5 barge arrays) and spotting Bald Eagles. The crew anchored out beside Bar Island with another boat named Last Harvest.

Had to get on wrong side of the red marker to let this tow get by, at one point the barges were actually rubbing the red marker

It has started to rain, and with rain in the forecast for the next several days. The river level is down several feet, so the run off may raise the river to normal pool levels. The down side of that is that more debris will be swept down stream.

Shoreline with beached debris waiting to float down river

Friday, Sept 7th

The skipper woke early to try and size up the possibility of getting through the next Lock which is only a few miles down stream. The Lock Report website showed an upbound tow with 3 barges currently in the lock. The skipper calculated that the upbound tow would probably push out of the lock around 0830. There was also a down bound tow waiting to enter the lock with 15 barges. This tow would take about 3 hours to lock through.

The Lock Master would not answer the phone, so the skipper decided to raise the anchor and go to the lock and see if they could get through before the 15 barge tow. Late Harvest also pulled anchor and headed down.

When the two boats arrived at the lock, they could see that the upbound tow was being raised in the lock. When the gates opened the tow pushed out a ways then stopped to attach back to all his barges. While this evolution was in progress, the Lock Master hailed the skipper and told them that once the up bound tow cleared the lock to come on inside. He would lock the two pleasure craft down while the up bound tow passed the down bound tow and the down bound tow maneuvered into position to enter the lock. Score another one for more Lock FOG.

Just for a little perspective, 10 loopers left the Joliet Wall yesterday to travel to Ottawa and stay at Heritage Harbor. Last week when our crew made this trip, they left the Wall at noon, made the three locks down stream and pulled into Heritage Harbor about 1920, for a 7.5 hour day. These 10 boats did not have the same good fortune. They left the Wall at 0830, had to wait 1 1/2 hours to get through the first lock. Then waited another 1 1/2 hours at the second lock. They arrived at the third lock at 1730, but did not exit the lock until after 2100. By then it was pitch dark for the last few miles to the marina. Total time for the same trip, 14 hours and 44 minutes. This is a more normal locking experience while in the Illinois River. The crew has had very good fortune all the way down the Illinois River. This is why the crew gets very excited when they breeze right through a lock with little delay.

Late Harvest floating in the La Grange Lock

As it turned out, the drop in the La Grange Lock was only 2 feet, so the Lock Master also let the two boats just hover in the lock without tying up. What a deal.

Kampsville Ferry Crossing

After exiting the lock it was 0900, so the crew decided to go six more hours down to about mile 26 where they anchored behind Hurricane Island. The rain followed the crew all day, and it looks as though the river has risen about a foot since yesterday.

Another Bald Eagle

Saturday, Sept 8th

The rain continued all night long and finally stopped around 0900. By the skipper’s estimate, it looks as though the water is up another 2 feet. When the rain stopped, the crew raised the anchor and headed down towards Grafton.

Another Ferry Crossing

About 5 miles from Grafton, the weather took a strange twist. The forecast was for winds out of the north east at 5-10 mph. The first clue that something was changing was when the skipper noticed that 1 foot swells were starting to form on the river. Then he noticed that the wind had changed direction and was mostly out of the south east. Then the wind picked up to 15-20 mph. Funny how this seems to happen just about the time to dock the boat.

Bald Eagle in the Land of Lincoln

The rain is supposed to continue through the weekend so the crew will monitor the changing river levels and determine the best time to make their next move.

Boat name of the week

In honor of all the spiders in these fresh waters.

Next Week –

With all of the rain that has been dumped on Wisconsin and Illinois, the upper Mississippi River has reached flood levels in several areas. The crew had planned to run up the upper Mississippi River to Minneapolis, but that might be in jeopardy because of the river levels and flooding. Time will tell.

Grafton is mile 0 of the Illinois River and mile 218 of the upper Mississippi. The crew will monitor the river levels and determine the best course of action. If it is safe and the marinas are open, they will continue north on the upper Mississippi.

If not, they will start the run south on the upper Mississippi and head towards Hoppies Marina.

The projected river level for Grafton, 18 feet is flood level

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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September 9, 2018
Divine Appointment
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures!

La Salle here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the day – to – day travel log.

The week was spent making the 300 mile run down the upper Mighty Muddy Mississippi River, from Alton, Illinois to Cairo. From here the crew travelled up the Ohio River to the Cumberland River and eventually landed at Green Turtle Bay Marina in Grand Rivers, Kentucky.

Monday, September, 26, 2016

The crew was informed at docktails on Saturday night that both Hoppies Marine Services and Green Turtle Bay Marina transient docks were full of Looper boats and that a 48 hour advanced reservation was required to get dock space.

The skipper called Hoppies and sure enough the 300 foot of available dock space was full for Monday night. The skipper made reservations for Tuesday. To shorten the run on Tuesday, the crew decided to move 15 miles down river to Alton.

Convergence of Illinois and Mississippi River’s. Pic taken from the Illinois River. The upper Mississippi River is on the other side of the sliver of land to the right of pic.

This is mile 0 on the Illinois River and mile 218 on the upper Mississippi River. The boat got an extra 1 knot push after entering these waters.

Cliffs on the left descending bank (LDB)

Almost immediately after entering the upper Mississippi River these limestone cliffs appeared. During the Marquette-Joliet Expedition in 1673, to determine if the Mississippi River actually made it to the Gulf of Mexico, the native Indians warned the explorers that there were dragons that guarded the path south. When the expedition saw these cliffs, they also saw a dragon painted onto the cliff walls. Marquette actually made a sketch of the dragon in his journal and wrote:

“While Skirting some rocks, which by Their height and length inspired awe, We saw upon one of them two painted monsters which at first made Us afraid, and upon Which the boldest savages dare not Long rest their eyes. They are as large As a calf; they have Horns on their heads Like those of a deer, a horrible look, red eyes, a beard Like a tiger’s, a face somewhat like a man’s, a body Covered with scales, and so Long A tail that it winds all around the Body, passing above the head and going back between the legs, ending in a Fish’s tail. Green, red, and black are the three Colors composing the Picture. We have learned that the great-great-great-great-great-great grandfather of Miss Jessica Beetner smote this monster. Moreover, these 2 monsters are so well painted that we cannot believe that any savage is their author; for good painters in France would find it difficult to reach that place Conveniently to paint them. Here is approximately The shape of these monsters, As we have faithfully Copied It.”

Reproduction now on the cliff wall

But with the rain of time the dragon has washed away. However, the cliffs remain standing guard over the river.

Statue in Portage des Sioux on right descending bank (RDB)

In 1951 the town of Portage des Sioux was threatened for the very first time in its history with flooding. Father Edward B. Schlattmann called upon his parish to start praying for protection from the flooding. While other river communities indeed were swept up under the flood, the town of Portage remained mostly high and dry. In gratitude, the parish erected this statue overlooking the river. The 25 foot statue stands on a 20 foot pedestal.

First tow encountered on the upper Mississippi River

As the crew continued down bound they encountered this large tow moving up bound. The tow has three barges across and is 5 barges long (3×5) for a total of 15 barges. The skipper hailed the tow to determine which side to pass down. The tow captain said on the ‘One” so the skipper steered to starboard and passed the tow port – to – port.

The Clark Bridge between Illinois and Missouri

After passing the tow the crew could see the Clark Bridge 5 miles down river. The Alton marina is just on the other side of this bridge at mile 203.

The red line running across the tank below the flag marks the high point of flooding in 1993

After docking, the crew walked around Alton to see what the town was all about. What they learned was that flooding is a major problem and threat here. There have been three major floods, 1844, 1973, and 1993. The 1993 was the worst with the flood waters 23 feet above the flood level of the river.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

The crew got off to a good start today by making the Mel Price Lock with a minimal wait. Once the crew secured the boat to the bollard the lock master informed the crew that they would wait for two other boats who were just passing under the bridge two miles upstream.

Lock companions at the Mel Price Lock

Just a few miles down stream the crew encountered the Missouri River pouring into the Mississippi River.

Looking back up the Missouri River

The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, started up this spot in May 1804 to explore the Missouri River all the way to its head waters and then onto the Pacific Ocean. Many know the story of the expedition, but have you ever wondered what happened to them after the expedition was over?

Clark went on to become the first governor of the newly created Missouri Territory in 1813, and held the position until the time that Missouri became a state in 1821. He also held the position of Superintendent of Indian Affairs for the west. He died in September 1838.

However, his story is not near as interesting as the mystery of Lewis. Following the expedition, Lewis fell into depression that then led him to heavy drinking. In the midst of his depression, he was on his way to Washington to collect some debts the government still owed him from the expedition. On the Natchez Trail, he stopped at Grinder’s Stand, about 70 miles from Nashville. He was found the next day, October 11, 1809, with two pistol shots, one to the chest and one to the head. His money and horses were missing. The officials ruled suicide brought on by depression. Others believe it was murder so the government would not have to pay the legitimate travel expenses that Lewis was trying to collect. So, did someone get away with murder?

The next thing encountered by our crew was this large sign telling them to go to the left down the canal rather than the right down the rapids caused by the ‘Chain of Rocks.’

To the right is un-navigable rapids

Looking down the canal

When the crew arrived at the end of the canal at Lock 27, they found a large tow in the lock and four boats waiting to lock through.

Tow in Lock 27

After the tow exited the Lock, six pleasure craft entered the lock to get dropped down 12 feet. The lock master allowed the Living Life sailboat to just float in the lock while all others tied off.

Floating in Lock 27

Five miles downstream the crew drifted by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis.

The river traffic along the St. Louis banks was busy with barges and tows all around. In fact, it was nearly 8 miles of barges on both banks before the crew finally broke free of the view and saw the trees again.

Barges just anchored in the river

But before the crew left the city of St. Louis, they did see some interesting yard art along the houses overlooking the river.

Bottoms up

The crew continued down river dodging water hazards. With the river running at a couple of knots, these water hazards can do some serious damage to the boat. Luckily for the crew, there are less hazards this week than last.

Old tree = Water Hazard

The crew arrived at Hoppies Marine Services in good time due to the current. After docking the crew walked around town and had lunch at The Blue Owl. The town was a pleasant surprise but the Blue Owl was a great surprise. Excellent food at reasonable prices. Fern, the owner of Hoppies, had recommended their apple pie.

The apple pie is named Levee High Apple Pie. The name comes from the famous 1993 flood. The town would have been under water except the temporary sandbag levee held and protected the town.

White sandbags and dirt can be seen at the end of the bridge on either side of the road leading into town

The Blue Owl commemorated the near miss with the Levee High Apple Pie. Here is one slice of pie.

The crew needed to get back to the dock so they could attend the briefing that Fern does for the boaters. She discusses the down stream hazards, anchorages, and safety precautions to be used for the next 200 miles.

Fern holding court and a cigarette

Yes, that green hose is the fuel line for the diesel. Court is held on the fuel dock. And yes there are signs posted that say No Smoking.

No Smoking sign – dead ahead

The briefing was excellent and the information was priceless. The crew is ready to anchor out the next three nights as they make their way to the next marina at Green Turtle Bay on Barkley Lake.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

The crew shoved off the dock a little after daybreak this morning because they plan to have a long cruise today, 110 miles on the Mississippi River. There are no locks in this section of river so running with the current the crew should make these miles easily.

On the dock at Hoppies

The scenery did not change much all day. The Missouri side of the river continued to have high limestone bluffs standing guard over the river. While the Illinois side was mostly flat tree lined shore.

The big news today was the big tows that were passed. One tow was six barges wide and seven barges deep, a new record for our crew. The tow was pushing up river and the prop wash from behind the boat was huge. Water was churning up over five feet from behind the tug. This caused five foot waves which then bounced off Kthe shore and back into the river. Then the waves collided with each other out in the middle and caused confused seas. It took almost four miles before the waves calmed down and the river returned to normal flow.

6×7 tow

Another new hazard was introduced today also. There are underwater dikes and /or wing dams that have been built along the shore of the river. These funnel the water from the shore out into the center of the channel to prevent shore erosion. At some locations where the bend in the river is narrow, these dikes cause small to large whirlpools. Some underpowered boats like a sailboat can get caught in the swirling water and not have enough force to get out.

Small whirlpool

Still Waters II has enough horsepower not to get caught, but the swirling action of the water can spin the boat around if you are not careful. The crew had to pass two of the more dangerous whirlpool areas on the run today. It was very impressive to see the water funnel clouds spinning around in the water as the crew passed safely by.

Then the last surprise is the number of navigational aids that are missing or are off station. Fern warned of this yesterday in her briefing. The skipper estimates that at least 25 % of the aids are missing. To counter this, the crew is piloting the boat down the sailing line drawn on the electronic chart plotter.

Red Marker on the shore

But interesting enough, the crew did pass a cache of new navigational aides stacked over on the left descending bank today. Maybe the Corps of Engineers is staging for a work party to put some of the markers back in place.

Need to get these on station

The crew made the 110 miles down river in 9 hours and anchored in the Little River Diversion channel off the main River about 1700. They found Maravillas and LeryLynn also anchored in the area.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

The crew got another early start and left the anchorage at day break with Maravillas and LeryLynn to make a three boat flotilla for this next section of river. This next section is famous for long delays at two separate locks.

The flotilla made good time making the Cairo Point Junction 50 miles down river by 1045. Cairo is mile 0 of the upper Mississippi, mile 953 of the lower Mississippi, and mile 981 of the Ohio River.

Cairo Point, Looking down the lower Mississippi River

Cairo Point, Looking up the Ohio River

The run on the Ohio River slowed the flotilla as the boats were going against the current. It took a little over two hours to make the 17 miles to the Olmstead Lock. This lock is under construction and is scheduled for operation in 2020. For now, boats are escorted thru the lock chamber that is completed. Because of the escort, it not uncommon for boats to wait several hours to get thru the lock.

Tow headed into Olmstead Lock

Our flotilla arrived just as a tow was beginning to make the passage thru the lock. The lock master told the flotilla to fall in behind the tow and go thru the lock. The flotilla took less than an hour to clear the lock.

From here it was another 23 miles to the infamous Lock 52. This Lock is old and in need of retirement. The Olmstead Lock is being built to replace Lock 52. The flotilla arrived at Lock 52 to find five pleasure craft anchored and waiting to go thru the lock. There were 11 tows below the lock and 14 tows above the lock waiting their turn to pass thru the lock. It takes a tow about an hour to enter, lock, and exit the area to allow the next tow into the lock.

When the flotilla arrived at 1700, there was a down bound tow in the lock. The lock master radioed the pleasure craft and informed the boaters that he was going to allow them passage thru the lock when the tow exited.

Floating in Lock 52

Exiting Lock 52

After exiting the Lock, the flotilla had eight miles to go to the nearest spot to anchor. The crew arrived in the dark and got the anchor down to complete a very successful 97 mile day with few delays.

Friday, September 30, 2016

With only 44 miles needed to go and one lock to Green Turtle Bay Marina, the flotilla decided to weigh anchor at 0800. After an hour and half of cruising on the Ohio River, the flotilla entered the Cumberland River.

On the Cumberland River

The Bald Eagles were plentiful during the day. The crew saw 14 eagles, many were soaring along the shoreline looking for breakfast.

The flotilla arrived at the Barkley Lock about 1330. As they approached the lock the lock master was lowering the water level in the lock and opening the gates to allow the boats to enter.

Entering the Barkley Lock

After the 57 feet rise in the lock, the flotilla entered Barkley Lake and headed to the Green Turtle Bay Marina.

The last challenge would be finding dockage. Because the run south went so much better than anticipated, the boats arrived a day ahead of their reservations. The marina told the boats to come to the fuel dock and they would find a place to put the boats.

Still Waters II was docked at the end of pier 5. After a short shower, a rainbow appeared in the sky just above the boat. A gentle reminder of God’s promise of protection while on this adventure of a lifetime.

Saturday, October 1, 2016

The morning started out as a day of recuperation for the crew as they rested after a few long days cruising the inland rivers.

However, Al and Ruth Darelius keep their boat in Green Turtle Bay and also just happen to be spending a long weekend on their boat this wekend.

They called our crew and invited them out to see and experience some of the local sites. The crew happily accepted the invitation and set out on a fun afternoon of exploration.

The first stop was the Kentucky Lake Lock and Dam. After spending a few minutes marveling at the size of the dam and contemplating the flood waters that the dam protects from, the couples headed to Paducah, Kentucky.

Paducah is located at the junction of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers, near where the crew anchored out on Thursday night. The town was actually laid out by none other than William Clark in 1827.

As with most of the towns along these rivers, flooding is a constant danger. The worst flooding in Paducah occurred back in 1937. The Ohio River rose 10.8 feet above flood level, which is 50 feet above normal pool level. The earth levees did not prevent the town from flooding so the town spent three weeks under water waiting for the water to recede back into its banks.

The Corps of Engineers has since built a flood wall to protect the town. The flood wall has been painted with murals to highlight the history of the town. A few samples of the murals:

After admiring the murals the group took a trip over to the Ice Cream Factory to sample the local cream. The skipper tried the peanut butter ice cream. It was amazingly good. It had a texture and taste of creamy peanut butter fudge.

The Admiral tried the banana, Ruth tried the pumpkin, and Al sampled the coffee ice cream. All reported that their ice cream flavor was good so it was time to cleanse the palette with a little homegrown Kentucky Moonshine.

Still at The Moonshine Company Museum

The best moonshine in these parts can be found at The Moonshine Company. Cousin Billy, the master distiller, has ben perfecting his craft for 54 years. He actually started running moonshine when he was 12. He learned the craft from Uncle Mosey who supported the family through the Great Depression and prohibition by running moonshine. It is even said that the gangster Al Capone sold Uncle Mosey’s moonshine back in the day.

– family owned and run –

The group sampled some 80, 90, and 102 proof moonshine and then tried some flavored mixed spirits. All seemed to agree that the Sweet Apple Pie was the best. The skipper bought a bottle of Lewis & Clark Ardent Spirits (the 102 proof stuff) and a bottle of Apple Pie Moonshine Mixer.

The next stop was at the Dry Ground Brewing Company.

The Brewery gets its name from the 1937 flood. The town Coca-Cola bottling plant was submerged during the flood. A Mr. Carson used an empty syrup keg to float out the second floor window of the bottling plant to reach a rescue boat. Mr. Carson was heard saying, “If I ever reach DRY GROUND, it is there that I will build my new bottling plant.”

Mr. Carson did open a new bottling plant back in 1939 on that DRY GROUND. Now the DRY GROUND Brewing Company proudly occupies the building.

Even though loopers all basically travel the same 6,000 miles around the great loop, each boater has a completely different and unique experience. The uniqueness truly makes this an adventure of a lifetime. The people who were about to unexpectedly cross the crews path will forever make the trip to Paducah forever memorable.

Upon entry into the Brewery, Al directed the crew to take a seat at the bar. As he was talking with the bar tender a man came up to Al and said hi. The man works in Atlanta and recognized Al from his time working in Atlanta. Turns out he just happened to be visiting family in Paducah. He just happened to be in the Brewery with his wife when our crew arrived. It just so happened that the skipper was on a three week work trip with this same man back in 2012. What are the chances that these three would all end up at the same place, at the same time, in Paducah, Kentucky?

Debbie & Russ on the left – Ruth & AL on the right

The three couples sat down and chatted for a while. Debbie and Russ have been contemplating buying a boat and doing some cruising of their own. It was great fun for the Admiral and skipper to share their stories and encourage the new potential boat buyers. Debbie and Russ swung by the marina on Sunday morning to tour Still Waters II as they were headed out of town to Nashville. This gave them a chance to look around and start their ‘must have’ list for a boat.

After this little party broke up it was time to go find some food. The Admiral had been wanting a good rib eye and the skipper had a hankering for a chicken fried steak. Turns out there was a Texas Roadhouse nearby that could fulfill both cravings.

After supper, it was time to head back to the marina, but Al had one more surprise. Metropolis was nearby and since we were this close, we just HAD to go see Superman. And yes, in downtown Demopolis, there is a huge statue honoring the home town boy who has turned into America’s Hero fighting for “Truth, Justice, and the American way.”

It was a great day of shore excursions in and around Paducah, Kentucky. Thanks to Al & Ruth for their hospitality. And what a bonus to unexpectedly run into Debbie & Russ.

Next Week – The crew plans a side trip on the Cumberland River to Nashville, Tennessee and return to Green Turtle Bay.

Loop on – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

La Salle
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October 2, 2016
Following the Fall Color South
Eric here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the day- to-day travel log.

Also, I would like to welcome a new virtual crew member aboard on our journey. You can become a virtual crew member also by going to the website and clicking on the ‘follow’ button. Welcome aboard Jenny G!!

Lastly, as many of you know, I am an Atlantic sailor and thought I would find a better narrator for this next leg of the journey down the Inland Rivers. Someone who has been here before because you deserve the very best guide and pilot possible. So I would like to introduce you to your next guide on this adventure, none other than …………………………………………. the French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.

I will catch back up with you down the river, Eric the Red signing off.

Les membres de l’equipe virtuelle bonjour et autres aventuriers. Oooppps. I forgot. Eric told me that most of the virtual crew members and fellow adventurers do not speak French.

Please forgive me. Let me try again. Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventures. Since I have a long name you may call me La Salle for short. I started exploring these waters that you are about to cruise back in 1666, so you are in good hands. You may recall from your history lessons, I am the one who claimed the Mississippi water shed for the French King. And for those of you who really know your history, I have a Texas connection with the skipper. But I will save that for later in case we sail to Matagorda Bay. You may say that that was NOT my finest hour.

The skipper refers to these waters as the inland rivers. There is actually about 25,000 miles of inland rivers that are navigable. For this leg of the journey though, from Chicago to Mobile, we will only cruise about 1,300 miles. More if we take a few side trips to Nashville and to Chattanooga.

The basic route is as follows:
1. Illinois Waterway (Chicago, IL to Grafton, IL.)
  1. Route 1: Chicago River thru downtown Chicago, Sanitary & Ship Canal, Des Plaines River, Illinois River
  2. Route 2: Calumet River joins route 1 south of Chicago, north of Joliet
2. Upper Mississippi River (Grafton to Cairo, IL)

3. Ohio River (Cairo to Paducah, KY)

4. Tennessee or Cumberland Rivers (Paducah to Kentucky Lake, TN)

Route 1: Cumberland River to Tennessee River (Paducah to Barkley Lake, TN)

Route 2: Tennessee River (Paducah to Kentucky Lake, TN)

5. Tennessee River to Tenn-Tom Waterway (Kentucky Lake to Pickwick Lake, TN)

6. Tenn-Tom Waterway to Gulf Coast (Pickwick Lake to Mobile, AL)

You may be wondering why the Lower Mississippi River is not listed as an option, more specifically the 855 miles from Cairo to New Orleans. The main reason is that this route is primarily industrial commercial traffic with very few recreational marinas to allow stops for fuel or food.

Hope this answers your question from last week Dr. Mary Alice B.

So to get started, let’s review the past week: The week started out with the crew taking Route 1 of the Illinois Waterway through downtown Chicago to the Illinois River. The route from the Lock at Chicago to Grafton, Illinois was about 327 miles.

Saturday, September 17, 2016

The skipper spent Friday working to lower the ‘air draft’ of Still Waters II to below 17.5 feet. This would allow the crew to cruise through downtown Chicago which has a fixed bridge of 17.5 feet. The skipper was able to get the boat clearance down to 15 feet 8 inches.

On Saturday morning the crew met up with the Admiral’s cousin and family: Cyndy, Steve, Brandy, and Rich. The four passengers got their safety briefing from the skipper and the boat headed over to the Chicago Harbor Lock. This lock was put into place to cause the Chicago River to reverse flow.

Prior to the lock, the Chicago River flowed into Lake Michigan. Problem was that the Chicago waste water flowed into the Chicago River. The drinking water was taken from Lake Michigan. So, as you can see, the folks were polluting their own drinking water. The Chicago population suffered from many diseases and illnesses due to their self-polluted drinking water.

Brandy and Cyndy on bow, good thing the skipper lowered the air clearance

Brandy and Rich on the bow

Cyndy, Steve, and Brandy in the helm

Brandy, Rich, and the skipper in the helm

La Salle Color Comment: Brandy works in the marketing business and does work behind the camera professionally. I think she knows how to get in front of the lens also.

To solve the problem, Chicago dug the Sanitary Canal that would connect the Chicago River to the Illinois River. They put the lock in place to prevent the flow into Lake Michigan. So now the treated waste water flows into the sanitary canal, to the Illinois River, and then into the Mississippi River.

I am not sure that the downstream neighbors are all that thrilled with having all of Chicago’s waste water; however, Chicago now has a clean source of drinking water. As the skipper is fond of saying: the solution to pollution is dilution.

Drawing of the home of Jean Baptiste Point du Sable as it appeared in early 1880’s

The cruise through downtown Chicago was fun. Pointe du Sable was the earliest recorded resident at the mouth of the Chicago River that eventually grew to become the city of Chicago.

This high rise now sits on the point once occupied by Jean Baptiste. The building is owned by the Kennedy’s.

The crew saw their first set of large tows on the river today. The largest tow was two barges wide and four barges in length (2X4) for a total of 8 barges. The crew hears that this is still a small tow compared to what they will see further down river. But for now, it is the record.

At one point the crew had to wait for about 20 minutes while a tug repositioned his barges. The tug and barges completely blocked the river and there was no room to squeeze by them.

The crew also passed through the electric fence barrier. This barrier is to prevent the Asian carp from migrating north into the Great Lakes and hurting the fishing industry that seems to be holding on by a thread.

Lockport Lock

After passing through the Lockport Lock, the electrical gremlin re-appeared. The skipper had secured the main engines while in the lock. The starboard engine failed to start when the lock gate opened. The skipper limped out of the lock on the port engine. He finally got the starboard engine to start by paralleling to the port battery. After the engine started the starboard battery bank was only showing about 10 volts. With only 10 minutes to dock, this problem will have to wait to be solved another time.

After docking, the crew and passengers enjoyed a wonderful meal prepared by Cyndy. A great day aboard Still Waters II.

Sunday the crew spent the morning going to church and enjoying a good lunch with Cyndy and Steve. Then it was back to the boat for a fun afternoon of story telling and laughs. It was a great weekend spent with family.

Monday, September, 19, 2016

With three locks on the schedule and a desire to get 46 miles down river, today has the makings for some fun times. After the skipper woke up with the chickens, he called the lockmaster for the Brandon Lock to determine what the commercial traffic looked like in the morning. Remember, commercial traffic has priority over pleasure craft. The lockmaster informed the skipper that there would be a window between 0800 and 0900 to clear the lock. The crew readied the boat and headed towards the lock.

The lockmaster was in the process of filling the lock chamber so the crew waited about 15 minutes and entered the lock with Tidings of Joy. Even with this preplanning it still took about an hour to lock down the 34 feet. These are some very large locks. (100 feet wide and 600 feet long)

After clearing the Brandon Lock, the crew headed down river towards the Dresdon Lock on the Des Plains River. The skipper had called ahead to the lockmaster and the lock was being readied for the crew when they arrived. Good news, no commercial traffic and hardly any delay. Tidings of Joy cleared the lock with Still Waters II and the boats finally entered into the Illinois River.

About 12 miles down river, the crew came upon a dredge that was trying to deepen the channel. The dredge operator told the skipper to pass on the 2 whistle. This was the first time the crew has been given whistle orders.

The whistle orders go back to the days when steam ships were king of the waterways and radio had not been invented. When two ships approached head-on one ship would sound the whistle with one or two short blasts. The other vessel would acknowledge the whistle blast with the same one or two short blats. Then each captain would steer their ship in the appropriate direction:

1 whistle blast – steer to starboard

2 whistle blast – steer to port

In the modern world, the steam whistle is no longer used but the verbal commands still exist. Since the dredge said to pass on the 2, the skipper steered to port and kept the dredge on his starboard (right) side.

4 boats anchored waiting on lock

After the dredge, the good run came to an abrupt stop. The skipper rounded a bend in the river while he was approaching the Marseilles Lock. Just in front of the lock gate, the skipper counted four looper boats anchored. Calls to the lockmaster went unanswered and finally one of the boats informed the skipper it would be several more hours before they could enter the lock. The captain also informed the captain that the flotilla of four boats had been waiting to enter the lock since 0900.

The crew dropped anchor and began to wait for the commercial tow traffic to complete their operations. After our crew waited about two hours, the skipper noticed that it appeared that the gate was opening. The skipper called out over the radio that it appeared that the gate was opening; however, it could be wishful thinking or even a mirage. The other boats then noticed the gate opening and all the boats began the process of weighing anchor.

Rafted to Tidings of Joy

The lockmaster gave the green light to enter the lock and seven pleasure craft were glad to get into the lock. There were not enough floating bollards for each boat so the lockmaster directed Tidings of Joy to raft up against Still Waters II. After nearly 6500 miles this would be the first rafting experience for both crews. The captain of Tidings of Joy did a great job of easing his boat over to Still Waters II, and our crew took their lines and cleated them to Still Waters II. Once secured the lock master dropped the boats 24 feet down.

After exiting the lock, it was just three miles to the marina. The marina closed at 1700, but stayed open late to assist five of the seven boats get tied up and secured at the marina. The crew was pleasantly surprised that the marina had a courtesy car. The crew used the car to make a Wal-Mart run. On the way to Wally World, the crew drove past Washington Square in Ottawa.

The square is the location where Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglass held their first of six political debates. On August 21, 1858 the two men argued for three hours before a throng of 10,000 on the subject of the introduction of slavery into new western states.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Two Asian carp jumping behind boat

The crew got off on a good start today. After arriving at the one and only lock for today, the crew was moved right into the lock and locked down 29 feet. While waiting for the lock gate to open, the crew watched a boat drive around with an attachment on the front of the boat that made it look like he was plowing water. The skipper noticed that in certain areas the Asian Carp would start jumping out of the water. Not sure what the boat was doing, but it was fun to watch.

After entering the lock, a couple of ladies visiting the adjoining Lock Visitor Center pointed out a Bald Eagle that was perched in a tree about a half mile away. That was the first Bald Eagle the crew had seen in a long time. How appropriate since the crew is in the Land of Lincoln.

Then a short time later, the skipper noticed another Bald Eagle soaring above the river. As the boat approached, the eagle drifted right over the top of the boat and looked in to see if anything good to eat was available. After spotting no dinner, the eagle went and landed in a tree along the river bank.

The next lock was named after a rock formation that is nearby. With a name like ‘starved rock’, you know there has to be a story. The legend goes that the Ottawa Indians were seeking revenge for the assassination of their leader, Pontiac in 1769. The Ottawa attacked a band of Illiniwek along the Illinois River. The Illiniwek climbed the rock to seek refuge. However, the Ottawa set siege to the rock until the band starved to death. So much for taking the high ground.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

Last night the Admiral kept asking if it was raining. With no clouds in the sky, you could see all the stars in their full glory. Well, this morning when the skipper awoke and went out on the sundeck he saw what the Admiral had been hearing. There were dead May Flies at least four inches deep around the anchor light. And these were giant May Flies. After cleaning bugs for a while, the crew weighed anchor and headed out towards Peoria.

This would be a short cruise day of only 25 miles. The big surprise today was the Monarch Butterflies that were flying south.

These are the lucky fourth generation Monarch Butterflies. If you consider flying from here all the way to Mexico lucky. The fourth generation is born in September and October, and unlike the other three generations do not die after two to six weeks. Instead, this fourth generation migrates south to warmer climates and will live for six to eight months. Starting a new first generation that hatch in February and March and start the migration back north in search of locations to lay more eggs. The second generation is born in May and June. The third generation will be born in July and August and complete the northern migration. Their offspring are the fourth generation which the crew saw headed south today to complete another life cycle of Monarch Butterflies.

Geese headed south

After docking in Peoria after only a half day of cruising a big storm kicked up about 1500 with 20 – 25 mph gusts. The river was white capping like Lake Michigan. The crew was glad they were not trying to dock in those winds.

The skipper, Al, and Ruth

You may recall that Al Darelius came onboard back in Washington, D.C. last year. Well, Al now lives about an hour south of Peoria, so he brought his wife, Ruth, up to meet the crew. The two couples went out to eat and had a wonderful evening. Al and Ruth plan to start the Loop in the Fall of 2017. They have actually completed about 600 miles of the Loop, mostly moving their boat up and down the Illinois River. She is currently berthed in Green Turtle Bay. Our crew hopes to make Green Turtle Bay the first weekend in October and meet back up with AL and Ruth.

I actually built a fort near today’s marina stop back in January 1680. Fort Crevecoeur, which later led to the modern city of Peoria.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Today was a good day to cruise along the shores of the Illinois River. The banks continue to be lined with rural settings and trees starting to show their fall colors. Then every so often, the scenery is interrupted by a small town where the barges are stacked along the river bank.

People are actively working to either load or unload the barges. The barges that are full of material sit low in the water at the 10-12 foot water line marked on the side of the barge. Empty barges float high in the water at the 2-3 foot water line. Very interesting to sit back and watch the workmen.

The crew saw three tows on the water today. One tow was 3×4 hauling black coal up the river. However, the crew saw a new record barge tow, 3×4+2 for a total of 14 barges. The crew has been told that these are baby tows compared to the ones they will see on the upper Mississippi River.

Friday, September 23, 2016

Birding was the theme of the day. When the skipper first woke up and went out on the sundeck, the swallows were thick in the air. The swallows were darting about and putting on an ariel acrobatic performance. After the crew weighed anchor and continued their journey down the Illinois River, they passed an irrigation ditch. The ditch was lined on both sides with White and Blue Herons, there had to be more than 20 birds.

Then the crew saw eight Bald Eagles throughout the day. Four were fully mature and four still had their juvenile plumage. One Eagle plunged into the river but came up empty and went to sit in a nearby tree. He choose a bare limb that gave him a good view overlooking the water for his next attempt at fishing.

One of many duck blinds along the river

The ducks have also started their southward migration. Duck hunting season must be soon because there were several boats loaded with duck decoys making their way to hunting blinds. The crew has not heard any shots yet, but that cannot be too far off.

Near the end of today’s travel, the shore scenery began to change. Small hills are starting to rise off of the shore to provide some added dimension to the otherwise flat farmland.

Living Life cruising past after anchor

The crew pulled up into a narrow creek to anchor for the night. They dropped anchor dead center in the middle of the creek but there is not enough room for the boat to swing around without hitting the shore. In addition to the bow anchor, the skipper tossed out a stern anchor to prevent the boat from swinging into shore. A new first for the crew.

Saturday, September 24, 2016

Same view as yesterday, but morning fog

This turned out to be a beautiful day to cruise. The weather was warm but the south breeze kept the crew cool. As the crew continued down bound on the Illinois River, the river continued to get wider and wider until finally it converged with the mighty Mississippi River. The skipper could tell the current was picking up by all the turbulence in the water. He put the engines in idle speed and was still making 8.5 knots as the crew passed the marina entrance. He then turned back up stream and entered the marina and pulled over to the fuel dock to take on fuel.

Sun setting on this weeks adventure

Next Week – The crew will head down the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois. Then head up the Ohio River to Paducah, Kentucky.

Loop on – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

La Salle the River Pilot and Explorer Extraordinaire
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September 25, 2016
The Big Onion
Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Eric here catching you up to date on the latest travels of Still Waters II. Click on this link to see the day- to-day travel log.

The week started out great with a run to Port Washington, but the wind and small craft advisories kept the boat in the marina all day Monday. Tuesday turned out to be a good weather day so the crew made the run to Racine. However, the weather forecast for the remainder of the week was calling for small craft advisories each day due to the high winds. Wednesday seemed to be the best available window to make the run to Chicago. Turned out to be a good decision because the winds were really high Thursday and Friday causing 4-5 foot seas.

Sunday, September 11, 2016

The crew got off on an early start in the morning so that they could make Port Washington in the afternoon. They planned to meet one of their softball family members, Sharon from Wisconsin, and spend the afternoon together. Sharon arrived at the marina by land at 1300 and the crew made it in about 1330. Sharon wore her Packer gear to support her team as the NFL season kicked off today.

The group went to a Pub to catch the second half of the Packer game. The Cheese Heads held on at the end of the game to score their first victory of the season. The Cowboys played next but let the game slip away to start the season with a loss. Oh well, another looooong season for Cowboy fans.

The group headed back to the boat and spent a wonderful afternoon on the sundeck. The skipper would liked to have taken Sharon out for a cruise but with the wind blowing at greater than 17 mph, the safest place to stay was tied to the pier.

Monday, September 12, 2016

With the high winds continuing to blow all day and most of the night, the crew took to sightseeing Port Washington. The skipper started the day getting 20 miles in on the bicycle.

The ride north was slightly up hill, but seemed to be rather easy. After making it to the end of the Interurban Trail, it become obvious what was going on. After turning around and heading back south, the skipper was going directly into a 20 mph head wind. The 10 mile ride back in was a little more difficult than expected.

The Fisherman

Afterwards, the skipper headed to a small museum that had an Exhibit titled “Nothing But Net” which chronicled the commercial fishing industry of Port Washington. The commercial fishing era in Port Washington came to an end on December 11, 1998 when the Linda E went missing.

The Linda E had gone out on a calm December morning to check her nets. At 0946 in the morning, the crew placed a call to the Smith Brothers fish shanty to announce that they had fish in the boat and would be in at 1400 to sell the days catch. However, the Linda E never arrived. The boat and three crew members were all lost at sea.

The Coast Guard spent 18 months investigating the missing boat and finally solved the mystery. Turns out a large Laker ship unknowingly ran over the Linda E. She was found by following the December 11^th course of the large ship. The Linda E was found crushed on the bottom. During the investigation, the Coast Guard even found white paint from the Linda E on the bow of the large ship.

The Linda E was the last commercial fishing boat to ply the waters out of Port Washington. Today though, the port is home to a large and vibrant charter fishing industry. One of the largest on the Big Lake and the largest in Wisconsin.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

The wind and waves were going to co-operate today to allow passage to Racine, Wisconsin. While trying to leave the marina, a guy landed a large salmon right in front of the boat. The skipper waited and watched the struggle as the guy brought the fish into the net.

On the shore line to Racine

Afterwards the skipper made way for the breakwater wall and found another surprise. The waves coming into the harbor were 3-5 footers. He initially thought about turning around, but noticed that the waves were smoother outside the breakwater. The configuration of the wall was causing the water to pile up and make a large wave. After getting outside the breakwater, the crew found the cruise down to Racine comfortable. When they arrived at the marina, they found themselves with three other looper boats, Inspiration, Leap of Faith, and Lone Star.

The four couples all decided to go out on the town and eat at an Italian food joint. The food was very good but the camaraderie and stories of life on the loop were better. Turns out the crew of Inspiration owns property on one of the Admiral’s favorite lakes, Lake Lanier, north of Atlanta.

With a look at the weather forecast before turning in for the night, it looks as though the crew may be stuck here for several days waiting for more favorable wind and wave conditions.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

A large storm blew past during the night. When the skipper awoke, he noticed that the wind was calm. He checked the weather and found a big change in the forecast. The wind was now predicted to be from the northeast with the swells moving south along the Big Lake. He checked several other weather services and found agreement in the forecast. The crew talked it over and decided to try and make the 64 mile run to Chicago. If things changed during the day they had back up plans to pull into other marinas along the route. Because of the ever changing weather on the Big Lake, there are marinas / safe harbors about every 25 miles down the lake.

Kenosha, Wisconsin

As one would expect, the weather changed after leaving the marina. After only about an hour out on the water, the wind started to swing around directly out of the east. And those 1-2 foot swells that were supposed to be travelling south, well they were travelling west. The swells were about 3 seconds apart and directly on the beam as the crew travelled south. Still Waters II slowly rolled back and forth all~day~long.

Waukegan, Illinois – skipper’s daughter was born here

The only good news with that was the wind happened to stay fairly calm around 5 mph. Well at least till the crew got close to Chicago. With about 6 miles to go (45 minutes), the Coast Guard came over the radio and issued a small craft advisory because the winds were picking up to over 20 mph. This is never good. Especially with beam swells attacking the side of the boat.

Chicago Skyline about 6 miles out

It did not take but just a few minutes and the wind whipped the waves to 3-5 footers. As mentioned in other posts, when the average wave height is 3-5 feet, you can expect an occasional 7 footer. And yes the crew got rolled pretty hard by one of these big waves. The skipper normally tries to turn the boat into the larger waves to minimize the roll, but he did not see this one coming.

Making the breakwater in Chicago

The crew thinks this was the Big Lakes good bye kiss. After the big wave and big roll, the skipper turned the boat westward and headed to shore. This put the waves behind the boat and they surfed their way into the harbor breakwater. The Admiral commented that she was so glad to have Lake Michigan completed and was glad they did not have to navigate these unpredictable waters anymore. The skipper wholeheartedly agreed. In fact, the skipper has become fond of saying Lake Michigan is about endurance rather than enjoyment.

The towns and people along the lake have been wonderful. But the ever changing weather, wind, and waves has certainly made this leg of the journey more of an endurance event.

Shore Excursion – Chicago

With a town the size of Chicago, there is more to see and do than can be accomplished in just a few days. They decided to go to Millennium Park, walk the Magnificent Michigan Mile, eat at the original stuff crust pizza joint, take the Architectural River Cruise, and enjoy the Navy Pier.

On the Architectural River Cruise, they learned that the nickname of the town is ‘The Big Onion’. This is due to the Indian name for the area that was translated as “Wild Onion.” It also plays on the “Big Apple” of New York.

Another interesting tale was the story of the Great Chicago Fire. As many have probably heard, Mrs. O’Leary was milking her cow. The cow kicked the lantern over and started the fire. Turns out that the author of this story that appeared in the Chicago Tribune actually came forward 20 years later and said he made the whole thing up.

Unfortunately, Mrs. O’Leary, a poor, Irish Catholic immigrant, who made the perfect scapegoat for the incident, went to her grave shunned by her ‘home town.’ In 1997, the city council officially exonerated Mrs. O’Leary and the cow for their non-part in the Chicago Fire of 1871.

Chicago Water Tower – One of the few buildings to survive the fire

The tale of the Chicago Tribune Building was interesting. The building has parts and pieces from other famous places and buildings built into the outer wall. For example, there was a piece from the White House, The Taj Mahi, British Parliament Building, and many, many, others.

The crew actually found a piece of the Alamo on the side of the building. Two other favorites were a rock from Yellowstone National Park, and Mount Rainier.

The Chicago River Walk also has a Texas connection. Mayor Daley had visited San Antonio, Texas and fell in love with the city river walk. He wanted to create a similar outdoor space for the citizens of Chicago so he had zoning laws changed that required buildings along the river to include public walking space. The Chicago River Walk is still a work in progress but it is a nice space.

The last story to share is about another ship wreck. The deadliest ship wreck on the Great Lakes happened right downtown Chicago. The SS Eastland was a passenger ship that had flaws from the beginning. Once completed, she was found to be top heavy and would list to one side with a full compliment of passengers.

The first ‘fix’ was to limit the number of passengers on board and on upper decks. After the Titanic sank, all passenger ships had to upgrade their lifeboat systems. This added even more weight high up on the boat making the listing problem worse.

To try and bring the center of gravity lower in the boat, the owners put very heavy solid wood furnishings in the passenger rooms. On July 24, 1915 the ship listed while tied to the pier. The passengers top side rushed to the handrail to see what was going on. This caused the list to actually roll the ship over on her side in 20 feet of water.

A total of 844 people were killed. Most of these were passengers in the lower levels of the ship. When she rolled the heavy furniture moved and either pinned people to the bulkheads or blocked the doorways so the people could not get out.

Another Texas connection in Chicago. Who would have thought Texas would have such an impact on the Windy City.

And what is a trip to The Big Onion without a trip to the bean.

Next Week – After a few days of rest in Chicago the crew will start the next leg of the journey down the inland rivers. The Admiral has family near Chicago and the family members are planning to come aboard for the first day through the Chicago River and the beginning of the Illinois River. Hope to see you aboard as we travel the country’s heartland.

Loop on – The water goes on forever and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red
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September 18, 2016