Year 2 Day 198

Today is Sunday, October 14th and we're back on Queen Kathleen having arrived last night.  We left San Antonio at 6:00 AM for Chicago and a long layover.   The flight was scheduled out at 1:11 PM but was delayed for 3 hours so we spent 7 hours in the airport.  When we finally got back to the boat in Grand Rivers, KY, we made the discovery that our electricity had been accidentally disconnected therefore losing everything in our freezer and refrigerator.  Imagine the smell after being gone for 3 weeks. We filled 3 garbage bags and put off the cleaning until this morning.  It's still hard to get rid of the odor. 

Well, things don't always turn out like you've planned so we've made a couple of major decisions concerning this trip.  Although we only have about 660 miles to travel to Mobile, AL where we would "cross our wake" or complete our trip, our completion will now have to wait.  First, I've scheduled knee replacement surgery for November 13th in San Antonio with a long recovery time.  Because of this, we've decided to try and sell the boat and then purchase a trailerable trawler to finish the loop and take additional short trips to places we missed along the way.  For the time being, the boat will remain in Green Turtle Bay here in Grand Rivers, KY while we put it on the market. 

Looking back on the past 1 1/2 years, I have to say that this has been an adventure of a lifetime.  We've gone so far and accomplished so much together that I'm sure later we'll look back with fond memories and perhaps wish we were still traveling.  And, we have found out how important and rewarding it is to work together as a team.  We've seen some amazing sights and met some incredible people along the way and plan to remain in contact with several of them. 

This country has so much beauty but Canada will take your breath away.  I still miss the Canadian geese and loons and their distinctive crys.  The Canadian people are so friendly and helpful and they love Loopers.  As beautiful as Canada is, I love America and was happy the day we reentered through DeTour, Michigan. 

I'm so glad we had the opportunity to take this amazing journey ....6,000 miles through 2 countries, numerous canals, rivers, lakes, and part of an ocean.  There were lots of good times and just a few not so good but overall, the experience was one we'll never forget.

Thanks to everyone who has followed our journey and I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog about our adventures. 

Year 2 Day 177

Today is Sunday, September 23rd and we're currently in Bethesda, MD.  Our plan is to have my car serviced tomorrow and possibly Tuesday and leave on Wednesday morning heading back to York River Yacht Haven where we spent last winter in order to visit a friend.  After that we'll head to Hampton Roads near Norfolk to visit more friends before heading to South Carolina to visit Dataw Island once again.  We also plan to check out another development called The Landings near Savannah, GA. 

Next we head to Texas - first to Dallas to visit our daughter Kelly and then on to San Antonio where we'll stay with our daughter Sherrie and granddaughter Lauren until October 12th or 13th when we'll fly back to Paducah and the boat.  Hopefully we'll have a decision about my knee and a plan to finish the loop.  Check back at that time.

Year 2 Day 172

Today is Tuesday, September 18th and we arrived at Green Turtle Bay, Kentucky yesterday afternoon - finally!  After we left Hoppies we only traveled about 4 1/2 hours to a place recommended by Fern to tie up.  It was on the wall next to the Kaskaskia Lock.  Actually, there was a Corps of Engineers barge there and we tied up on it.  We expected other loopers to be there but we were the only boat there.  The lockmaster told us to keep our VHF on channel 14 all night in case he needed us to move due to the release of water from the dam but it wasn't necessary and we had a peaceful night.

The barge we tied onto

Queen Kathleen tied on barge

The dam in the background

After leaving this spot we headed back out into the Mississippi River which by the way was the worst cruising we've experienced.  The scenery wasn't attractive, the river turned and twisted so much that you couldn't look away for a minute and the barge traffic was incredible! 

A typical barge we passed

You can see how low the water is

by this rock

 The one good thing about it is the current pushes you so you gain a few knots in speed.  We had read about this in all our cruising guides so were expecting it.  Also, there are very few anchorages or marinas along this stretch so prior planning is a must. 

Our first anchorage after leaving the lock was at a place called Angelo's Towhead which was near the intersection of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  Actually, this wasn't such a bad spot and another boat joined us later in the evening.  We left at 6:30 AM and headed up the Ohio River against the current.  The first lock on the Ohio was dicey as the lockmaster seemed to need a Xanex - he was wired and screaming at all 3 boats waiting.  In this lock, each boat had to raft up next to the other because the walls were cylindrical rather than straight.  We were glad to leave and headed to the next lock.  One of the boats was a fast boat and once they got to the next lock they had to wait for us.  I'm sure they weren't happy about that.

Finally we reached our next anchorage at a place called the Cumberland Towhead.  Once again we were the only boat there.  This was a beautiful and peaceful anchorage and the only negative was somebody shooting in the distance but that didn't last long.

Mike on bow at Cumberland Towhead

Sunset at Cumberland Towhead

We left early once again and headed into the Cumberland River from this anchorage.  This River was very beautiful and serene and the only negative today was the weather - overcast, cool and drizzly. 

Heading into the Cumberland River

Small church alongside river

Fisherman holding up his catch to show us

We had one more lock to get through before reaching Green Turtle Bay - the Grafton lock. 

Preparing to go through the lock - cute?

Entering the lock

Holding on to the bollard inside lock

We have paid for a one month slip here at Green Turtle Bay Marina and plan to fly to Washington, D.C. on Friday to pick up my car at our son-in-law's house and drive it back to San Antonio.  I have appointments with 3 surgeons to discuss knee replacement the week of October 8th and once this is done, we'll make a decision about whether to finish the loop now or later.

Year 2 Day 167

Today is Thursday, September 13th and we're on the river near a town called Kimmswick, Missouri and parked at a place called Hoppies.  This isn't much of a stop but as they say, "it's the only game in town".  We're parked against a barge but at least we have power.  This is the second night for us to stay here as we arrived late yesterday and we wanted to see the town and have lunch at the Blue Owl which we've heard so much about.

Prior to leaving Grafton, we went up to the top of the hill and had lunch at a place called Aeries.  The view is absolutely incredible and you can almost see St. Louis from there.

Mississippi River looking south

Looking down at the marina from

Aeries Restaurant

We left Grafton on Wednesday morning about 7:00 and had two locks to clear before continuing down the Mississippi River.  Before reaching the lock we passed this statue on the side of the river which was built after the disastrous flood of 1951 as gratitude for the water stopping just short of flooding the village of Portage des Sious.  Mid July each year, the blessing of the fleet is held at the Shrine.

Our Lady of The Rivers

  The first lock was the Mel Price lock and we cleared it with no problem.  A little while later we approached the Chain of Rocks lock and ended up drifting around in circles for 3 hours waiting for a barge which was stuck inside the lock and then stuck trying to exit.  The river is down so much this year due to no rain.  In fact, the usual anchorages along the river are out of the question because of the depth.

Barge stuck in the lock

Once we cleared this lock we were on our way down the Mississippi River which will take us about 3 days of unpleasant cruising due to constant barge traffic and a very narrow river due to shallow water.  We passed St. Louis and saw the Arch.

The Arch with the old courthouse

in the background

Wait - are we in Missouri or Texas???

We arrived at Hoppies with 3 other boats and we got the last spot along this old barge.  They used to have room for other boats on the other side of the barge but as you can see, the water level is down so much that their business is way off.

In years past the water went

all the way up to the treeline

Every afternoon Fern of Hoppies gives a talk on what to expect along the river as you leave.  All boaters take advantage of this as she really knows what she's talking about.  This is a photo of those in attendance this afternoon.

Fern is the lady at the head of the table

in the white t-shirt

We leave in the morning at about 8:00 AM and the first night will be tied to a lock wall along the way and the second night will be anchored.  Then we should be leaving the Mississippi River.

Year 2 Day Day 163

Today is Sunday, September 9th and we've been here at Grafton Harbor Marina since last Wednesday.  This is a very nice marina and a great little town.  We had dinner Wednesday night with several other boaters and then had to say good-bye to them on Thursday morning.   I spent the day doing laundry and reading around the pool while Mike had a mechanic on board checking out a small fuel leak and then after a test run, Mike changed the oil.

We rented a car on Friday morning and headed to St. Louis where we spent the night at a Fairfield Inn in Fenton.  We couldn't work out the dinner with my cousin JoAnn so we went to the mall where I had my nails done.  Since it was raining pretty heavily, we had dinner at the mall and then headed back to the hotel.  We met JoAnn and her husband Joe at the Cracker Barrell for Breakfast and it was good to catch up as we hadn't seen her for about 10 years.  After a great breakfast, we headed to Steelville where I planned to visit my mom's grave.

JoAnn and Joe Slade

We discovered that all the small towns were having their Patriot Day celebration so they were very crowded but we enjoyed seeing small town America.  My mother was born and raised in Steelville and I remember visiting this small town numerous times as a child and one of the things I remembered was the park with all the ducks and it's still there.

We had a relaxing day and night in a motel in St. James, Missouri to include a trip to the local winery where I tasted several wines and purchased two.  After going to church this morning, we drove to St. Louis again and drove by my grandmother's old house which holds so many memories for me.  Unfortunately the current owners aren't taking very good care of the yard and my grandmother would be so unhappy if she could see it today.

We went grocery shopping and headed back to Grafton and the boat.  Just as we were getting close we got a call from a fellow boater who had just pulled into the marina.  We haven't seem them for awhile so I know we'll enjoy visiting before leaving Tuesday or Wednesday.



Year 2 Day 159

Today is Tuesday, September 5th and after a very long day (almost 10 hours) we stopped alongside a barge near the town of Beardstown, Illinois.  There is no marina here and no town dock but for $1.00 per foot, they'll let you park overnight tied up to this barge.  Since we have no power, we're running the generator for awhile to cool the boat down and as Mike doesn't like to run it overnight, we'll have to do with fans.

We ended up spending two days at Ottawa parked at the dock due to the remnants of Hurricane Isaac causing rain and higher winds than we like. The first night we were parked there, at about 9:00 PM, I heard a boat outside and went to check it out.  It was a trawler coming in very late as they were held up 5 hours at the last lock due to barge traffic.  Since they had noplace to go, they asked us if they could raft up to us and of course we said yes. 

Wind Song rafted next to Queen Kathleen

 As it turned out, we probably could have left on Sunday as Wind Song did because it cleared up later in the day but to be on the safe side, we stayed.  Mike and I went to church and then to breakfast.  Later we went to the movies and saw Hope Springs with Meryl Streep and really did enjoy it.

We left Monday morning and went as far as Hamm's Marina near Peoria.  This wasn't much of a marina but at least we had power.  The one amazing thing we noticed was  across from the marina entrance there must have been hundreds of white pelicans sitting on the shore.  I was amazed as one of the things I enjoyed so much in the fall at Rockport, TX was the number of white pelicans down there for the winter.  They are simply gorgeous!

Hard to see but there are hundreds

of white pelicans lined up on the shore

6:30 AM leaving Hamm's Marina

White Pelicans leaving too

Pelicans flying off through the haze

This is what boredom does - Kathy

practicing some old kickboxing class movements

It was a very long day today and the Illinois River is not very interesting.  It's pretty but there's not much to see along the way except the occasional barge and tow.

Paddleboat parked at Peoria

We have another long day tomorrow where we'll stop at Grafton, MO and this is where we'll have to say good-bye to Carl and Ricki as they'll be heading back home to West Virginia.  Mike and I will be renting a car and traveling to St. Louis where I hope to visit with a cousin and also to visit my mom's grave.  I think we'll be there at least 3-4 days before heading south again.

Year 2 Day 155

Today is Friday, August 31st and we're in Ottawa, Illinois and probably will be here the next day or so while waiting for the remnants of Hurricane Isaac to pass through.  A lot has happened since I added to the blog so I'll go back to the final cruise on eastern Lake Michigan.  We arrived at New Buffalo on Sunday and it was a rainy night.  Fortunately the rain cleared up on Monday and we were able to make the crossing over to Chicago.  Once again, the lake was rough and we bounced around like crazy.  I told Mike if I never cruised on Lake Michigan again it would be too soon.  Anyway, coming into Chicago on the water was spectacular.

Approaching Chicago from Lake Michigan

Looking out from the cockpit

Inside the harbor

Once we located our assigned slip, we spent the afternoon cleaning the boat which was long overdue but since we were expecting guests, we decided it was time.  I took a break and noticed a Canadian goose outside so I went out and decided to try to call it over by tempting it with a cracker.  I knew I could get the ducks to come but never a goose but he must have been hungry because he rushed over.   That night we went out to dinner with Carl and Ricki at Bubba Gumps at Navy Pier.

Feeding a Canadian goose

On Tuesday morning we went with Carl and Ricki on a Chicago tour bus which drove all around the downtown area and then through the neighborhoods of Chinatown, Little Italy and Greek town.  It was very interesting and after finishing with the tour,  Mike and I headed back to the boat to wait for Kay and Steve to arrive.  They had taken the train from San Antonio and arrived about 2:00 in the afternoon.  Once they arrived, we visited on board for awhile before going to dinner at an Italian restaurant called Maggianos.  The food was great and the incredible thing was that they gave you an equal amount to take home!  We all walked out with bags of food and ended up having a feast the next night.

Kay had mentioned that she wanted to take the architectural tour so Wednesday morning we headed over to Navy Pier and boarded the boat which took us through the city by water.  The buildings are spectacular and we were so glad we did the tour because when we knew when we took our boat through, we wouldn't be able to look around much.

One of two incredible twin

apartment buildings (The bottom floors

are reserved for parking)

The four of us at Navy Pier

Kay and Steve on board Queen Kathleen

I had been nervous about cruising our boat through downtown Chicago because of the height of the bridges.  We measured no less than 4 times because the lowest bridge you have to clear is 17' and we were slightly under that.  I worried about that constantly and was relieved when it was all over. 

Check out the height of this bridge!

Low bridge with "L" train crossing above



We were cruising through downtown when we heard someone yelling at us.  We turned around and it was Kay and Steve from one of the bridges we had just crossed under.  They had left us earlier to drop off their bags at Union Station and do a little more sightseeing before their train left returning to San Antonio.

The first stop after leaving Chicago was Joliet, Illinois where we parked alongside the city park which was free.  After a very uneventful night we left about 8:30 and arrived here at Ottawa - once again alongside a free city wall.  As I mentioned before, we may be here another day or so because of the coming storm.

While cruising today I noticed an animal walking alongside the shore and thought it was a dog.  After careful observation, I discovered it was a buck!  Notice his rack!

A nice buck

One of the things we were told was that the Asian Carp are a threat to other species in the Great Lakes and they're trying to hold them in check by an electrified canal below Lake Michigan.  This was the sign we saw while passing through one such area.

They're serious!

While we were in one of the locks today I dropped one of our boat hooks in the water and fortunately friends on another boat were able to retrieve it and pass it along to other friends Carl and Ricki.

Getting ready to pass the boat hook



Year 2 Day 149

Today is Saturday, August 25th and we're currently in South Haven, Michigan after a long day of uneventful cruising from White Hall.  I tried to add to the blog on Thursday but am having difficulty with the wifi and have been unable to get any photos to load.

We arrived in White Hall, Michigan on Tuesday afternoon under not so good conditions.  We were in Lake Michigan getting ready to enter the rather long channel into White Lake when our steering went out!  We went a little farther out into the lake and Mike actually went under the boat to see if anything was wrapped around the rudder.  After discounting that, he went down under our bed where the steering mechanism is located and discovered a piece broken.  Our choice was to either call for a tow or have me sit down there with the emergency tiller and headsets steering us in.  We chose the second option and there I sat for about an hour listening for instructions and pulling or pushing that tiller as hard as I could.  I have extremely sore shoulders as a result!

Kathy operating the emergency

tiller from below listening to instructions

from the captain through headsets

The piece was definitely broken but fortunately, there are mechanics at this marina who were able to get it repaired and back on the boat today.  While the boat was being put back together, Ricki and I went to the mall and had a mani/pedi and did a little shopping.  It was great to have a girl day.

Prior to cruising to White Hall, we made a stop in Frankfort where we saw swans immediately upon entering the slip.  We were almost able to have them eating out of our hands.

Mike feeding "Ralph"

Frankfort is a cute town with beautiful homes and a great beach which we discovered by riding our bikes around the area.  We only spent on night there and headed to Ludington where we also spent one night.

As I mentioned we're in South Haven for one night and tomorrow we head to New Buffalo which is our last stop before Chicago.  This place is very active - lots of boat traffic and noise.  I think this is one of the last week-ends for the people of  Michigan before having to store their boats for the winter.

We're meeting Mike's sister Kay and her husband Steve in Chicago where they'll stay with us for a couple of nights so we can do some city tours.

 

Year 2 Day 144

Today is Saturday, August 18th and we're now at Leland, Michigan having arrived here on Wednesday afternoon.  The awful weather arrived on Thursday and we've been stuck here because of extreme rain and winds.  Hopefully we can leave tomorrow.

We enjoyed Charlevoix quite a bit and were able to move over to the City Marina where all our friends were and enjoyed "docktails" and dinnerl.

Docktails at Charlevois City Marina

In the city of Charlevois there are some homes built by Earl Young known as the mushroom houses, gnome homes, fairy or hobbit houses.  Mr. Young was inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's philosophy that structures should harmonize with the environment.  We rode our bikes around the neighborhood to take in these homes.

Notice the wavy roofline

Child's playhouse in backyard

even with a fireplace

Another Earl Young home

When arriving or leaving Charlevoix you have to go through a long channel with a lift bridge which opens on the half hour.  When arriving, we waited in the narrow channel for 15 minutes struggling to keep the boat straight.  Once the bridge lifted, there was a huge ferry boat waiting on the other side and I had to compliment the captain on what a good job he did getting us out of a tight situation.

Charlevoix lift bridge

We arrived in Leland on Wednesday afternoon and the girls proceeded to the beach for the afternoon.  I have a little cold today because the water was absolutely freezing!  However the water is so clear and blue that you can see the bottom.

The sunset after the storm on Thursday

The weather came in on Thursday but in the afternoon we girls hit the sidewalk sale in town.  As I mentioned, the winds have been too high to leave but hopefully tomorrow they will calm down as we head to Frankfort down the coast.

Year 2 Day 138

Today is Sunday, August 12th and we're currently in Charlevoix, Michigan having finally left Mackinac Island this morning at 7:30.  We had intended to leave on Thursday but had to wait 3 more days due to high winds.  Even today once we were in Lake Michigan the waves were high enough to cause us an uncomfortable trip.

Leaving Mackinac Island

This lighthouse was featured

in "Somewhere in Time". 

Approaching the 5 mile long

Mackinac Bridge

Closer shot of the Mackinac Bridge

It wasn't difficult to stay at Mackinac as it's such a fun place.  There are lots of people vacationing on the island including lots of day visitors from St. Ignace and Mackinac City.  There were other "loopers" at the marina and we enjoyed their company.

The only negative thing that happened is that Friday night about 2:30 AM there was a loud commotion at the end of the dock.  We heard yelling and splashing like people were drunk and jumping in the water.  It was very annoying and I was wishing somebody would say something to them.  Eventually I went back to sleep.  Unfortunately, the next morning they discovered a dead body in the water right at the end of the dock.  It was a young man who worked on the island.  Mike gave a statement to the police about what he heard and we both were upset that we didn't get up and attempt to quiet things down.  Apparently he drowned.

Anyway on a positive note, we arrived here at Charlevoix and have to change marinas tomorrow as we couldn't get into the city marina yesterday.  We spent the afternoon doing laundry and resting.  We hear there's a lot to do here and we're looking forward to seeing it.