One of our goals for The Great Loop is to get to know America better, and remember its history. We have entered "America's heartland." We are in Ottowa, Ill., the site of the first Lincoln-Douglas debate. Seven debates took place between the two men vying for the Republican nomination. Abe Lincoln won and became one … Continue reading Heartland History (Day 42)
You thought river travel would be relaxing? Um, no, not so far! Interesting? Yes indeed. The graphic on the right shows our blue track into lock #5 of our trip. It looks like we drove right over the round concrete pier. Nope, just bumped it. But yes, that's how we entered the lock. That's where … Continue reading Close Encounters and Homemade Cleats (Day 41)
And then the time comes to fly solo. Many Loopers travel together, sometimes by design and sometimes by happenstance. I was glad that veteran Loopers lead the way yesterday, our first "river day" -- just as I was glad for a buddy boat in Lake Superior. Today, we felt ready to go it alone. There … Continue reading Alone On The River (Day 40)
This is the day we left the Great Lakes and headed into the inland waterway system. Passed under dozens of Chicago bridges. Went through our first river lock. Met our first barge. Learned about floating bollards and prop-washes and tight river turns. There's so much to absorb on each day of travel ... sites to … Continue reading Now, The Rivers (Day 39)
Wow. Just, wow! That's what I kept saying as we approached the Chicago skyline on the Mainship Many Moons. I did it decades ago, in a sailboat. But this time...well. So memorable. It's our 2nd big milestone. (Leaving Lake Superior was our 1st.) And now we're here. Along with 1,125 other boats, in the Burnham … Continue reading To Chicago (Day 38)
As I write this, music is blasting us from both sides at midnight. This marina apparently doesn't have quiet hours -- or if it does, there's no way to enforce it. To be fair, it is Labor Day weekend in one of the largest marinas in the Midwest. And we seem to be in the … Continue reading Hammond/Chicago (Day 36)
Hammond Marina (part of it) The 20th port of our boat journey is a bit of a shocker. It's a long walk, maybe a half-mile, to the marina office. Music floats over from nearby boats, often loudly. We need a key to enter and exit the docks. And, this marina has 900 slips! We're not … Continue reading To Hammond, Ind. (Day 35)
So close and yet so far. We are 45 miles across from Chicago, which is a day trip in calm seas. New Buffalo shoreline Seas are not calm. So we're spending a 3rd night in New Buffalo, some five miles from the Indiana border, along with seven other Looper boats. It's not a bad place … Continue reading To New Buffalo (Day 32-34)
When you "meet" a city -- or a country, for that matter -- it sometimes helps to look beyond first impressions and seek the full story. (Same with people.) St. Joe, as the locals call St. Joseph, was once the site of a French fort. It was a trading post. A shipping center. A manufacturing … Continue reading St. Joe (Day 31)
The sculpture at the entrance to St. Joseph is called "And You, Seas." It's the sounds of St. Joseph that grab me: trains that run right by the marina, church bells and live music from across the channel, the warning horn of the nearby swing bridge that's about to open, and the deep honk of … Continue reading To St. Joseph (Day 29-30)
For Many Moons 