Our next stop is a small canal/inlet of the river called Diversion Canal. The space is narrow and there is a need to put out a stern anchor to avoid swinging into the shore or other boats. The weather remains warm and pleasant and we have not seen rain for 3 weeks now, which is contributing to the low water levels on the rivers.
We departed Alton with the excitement of this would be the day we passed St. Louis, then trough the Chain of Rocks Lock and on to Hoppies. Hoppies is not so much a marina but a place to stay. The facility consists of old barges rafted together, and they do provide power but no water or washroom facilities. The place has been in business for many years and run by a family. We did get their river briefing for our upcoming journey down the Mississippi, and the one key message is don't anchor in the river due to current and barge traffic. We enjoyed our stay here and had a nice walk through the town.
Alton is a big stop for us. Here we fueled up again, did an oil change and fuel filter changes. We decided to stay here for 3 nights to do a little grocery shop at Schwegels and exchange the propane tank. There was also a nice farmers market where we picked up some nice produce. The 24th was Joy's birthday so we went to Decaro's Italian Restaurant with David and Susan to celebrate. This is the stop we were informed that one should not leave without a slip reservation at Hoppies since there are no places to stop for miles down river. Also if heavy rain is forecasted it is not wise to leave as the river can rise quickly and there can be much debris in the water after a heavy rain. Thankfully we have a slip at Hoppies and the weather remains dry and hot these days.
As we proceed to Grafton we reach the location where the Mississippi now intersects the Illinois River. The current has picked up significantly and the landscape has changed. Gone are the flats and we see the tall hillsides that have been carved away over the centuries by the Mississippi River. Grafton Marina was a single night stay as we head to Alton tomorrow, but there was enough time to try out one of the local craft breweries.
The anchorage at Willow Island was quiet and beautiful. Along the way we saw our first big dredging operation and passed a lot of industrial areas. As we are approaching the end of the Illinois and the intersection of the Mississippi we see how the houses are built to accommodate when the rivers flood.
Beardstown stop is not a marina, but they allow us to tie to the side of the barges or in our case the side of a tug boat that was not going out that day. It was interesting to have to walk over the barges and tug to get to the stairs to access the town. This evening saw us going to the Mexican Restaurant for Dinner and Margaritas. The weather was incedibly hot and with no power to the boats we had to run the generator for a couple of hours to cool things down before bed that night, Beardstown is also has the last remaining courthouse that Abraham Lincoln practiced law in the case know as the Almanac Trial.
