Thursday, Aug. 23, 2018
As we left the Logsdon Tow Dock at 7:42am we realized we’ve been on our trip for a full week – how time flies! It must be time to stay in one place again! So we decided to go a full 88 miles to Grafton, IL, where we’d meet up with the Mississippi River.
When we took off, we noticed Wilson was still asleep. He’d had had trouble sleeping the night before due to the lights on the tow dock, so we let him sleep in for a while. (See pictures) Another fortunate lock experience at the La Grange Lock & Dam. When we hailed the operator at 8:40, we were told to pull right in – a miracle – or maybe just lucky, we’ll never know. By 8:50 we were on our way again. Though we were going with the flow of the river, the wind was strong against us all day making for a choppy river. Wilson was OK, but Bo didn’t like the lumpy ride so he spent most of the time cuddling up to Sue, well, actually pushing between her and the back of the seat cushion or trying to sit/lie on her lap. At 2:30 we stopped off at Hardin, IL, to have lunch and a grass break for Bo. We ate very good (though slow) sandwiches at Mel’s Illinois Riverdock Restaurant. They offer 250’ of dockage and it’s free if you eat a meal there. Perfect! Bo was happy and we were full, then on our way again at 4pm.
We arrived at Grafton, IL, at 6pm. In the harbor we gassed up, pumped out, and were tied up at our dock by 7pm. Whew! Time for Bo’s dinner and an adult refreshment for us. Freshened up, we made it to the Oyster Bar restaurant at the harbor by 9:00. Lucky for us the kitchen didn’t close until 10pm so we had fantastic burgers then straight to bed, exhausted but content knowing we’d be in one place for at least 2 nights.
For you dam enthusiasts: See the link below for a short explanation of a chanoine wicket dam & history regarding the replacement of original Illinois River dams. We saw the remains of 3 of the 4 originals.