October 2022

October 2022 

9/30-3/22 Milwaukee WI – Loved Milwaukee! What a great variety of places for art, food, parks, canals and beer! We had a fabulous view of the city from our marina and a nice walk to the old and newer sections of town. We passed by the Milwaukee Art Museum and as we walked by we heard a type of metal movement noise. Kent stopped and looked at the museum sculpture and said “its moving”! Sure enough we could see slight movement and potential for the “wings” to open! We stopped and watched for awhile then Kent looked it up and found an article about the artist/engineer that designed it. Due to the high wind that day it was not operating but what an amazing and fun design.

We decided to take the dinghy the next day through Milwaukee Bay and into the Kinnickinnic River! Ended up being one of our favorite short cruises through the Historic 3^rd Ward. So many small bridges, some beautifully lit, we passed by fun water art, public market, beautiful buildings, dinner cruise yacht, and yes we stopped at the Beer Hall!

 

10/4/22 Waukegan Illinois– Ended up finding a fun water side bar with live music! Helped a new friend celebrate his birthday and enjoyed the warm firepit!

10/5-9/22 Chicago IL – What a Great City! My high school friend, Maura, met us there and we really saw the town. She and I went to Millennium Park; walked on the metal curved sidewalk, toured the flower gardens with blown glass ornaments in the trees and played at The Bean! We visited the Art Institute of Chicago, Huge, then met Kent for a Chicago dog and beer! We ate Chicago pizza, stayed up too late, took Maura for a cruise around the Outer Harbor, sat on top of the boat and listened to live music from across the harbor, and just had the best time! Leaving we went through the Chicago River, back into calm waters!

 

10/10/22 Joliet IL – We had a beautiful cruise through Willow Springs on the Des Plaines River to Joliet where we pulled up behind a Coast Guard Boat, and lovely fall colors!

10/11-12/22 Ottawa IL – Traveled down the Illinois River, past Bells Island just bursting with fall color! Found a delicious street side café/brewery, everyone so courteous and friendly! I also learned about the “Radium Girls”! I had no idea! What a sad and unjust situation these women went through! They were told the luminous, radiation paint was harmless. They would lick their brushes to get a super fine tip to be able to paint the small numbers on the watches. The women were diagnosed with anemia, bone fractures and necrosis of the jaw. At that time no one realized the deathly harm it could cause, it was thought to be a healing power. Discovered by Marie & Pierre Curie in 1898, they called it a “supernatural power”. Over time the girls started having teeth, jaw, throat, and muscle/joint pain. Initially when scientists realized the harm it was causing, it was years before the girls were told and longer before anyone was held accountable. Many women died, with many being siblings!

 

10/13/22 Henry IL - Interesting parking in Peoria! The marina had been all shoaled in so we parked on the outer wall between a rock wall and island. Found a fun local bar and played some Bingo! Beautiful white geese!

 

10/14-15/22 Peoria IL – Beautifully lit bridge and a brewery inside a large, old church!

 10/16/22 Havana IL

10/17-18/22 Naples/La Grange Lock IL – Found a beach for Bodie to run on and more beautiful fall colors!

10/19-20/22 Hardin & Grafton IL – We entered the Mississippi River for the first time! Did some wine and oyster tasting, tried the “hot fish”, saw fun art sculptures and handsome wood pieces locally made from wood collected off the river!

 10/21-26/22 Alton IL – Cute Bavarian style town, huge old trees and birth place of Miles Davis! The Historic Haunted McPike Mansion, Lewis & Clark Historic Site, Piasa Bird recreated in the beautiful white bluffs and convergence of the Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois Rivers!

Kent and Bodie stayed on the boat while I flew to Colorado to surprise my sister Linda for her 70^th birthday! Yes we Did Surprise her! It was a wonderful time with family! Ate Mexican food, coffee in the hot tub and lots of laughter! I also went out to my high school friends farm in Beulah complete with chickens, bees and an Amazing view of the mountains. They have a lovely home in a beautiful setting!

10/27/22 St. Louis/Kimmswick Lock IL – I was very excited to pass by St. Louis and see the famous Freedom Arch!

  

10/28-31/22 Kaskaskia River (Baldwin-Evansville0) IL – We decided to take a side trip up the Kaskaskia River and had a lovely adventure! Hardly any traffic, only saw one tug and stayed tied up to a restaurant with a barge as their patio! We called the owner as the restaurant was closed and when we asked what we owed them they said nothing. Also found a local haunt where we met some folks that had been looking at our boat earlier. We ended up talking with them and don’t think we ever bought a beer, nice people.

10/31/22 Cape Girardeau Anchorage IL – Came back down the Kaskaskia River, into the Mississippi, found a nice beach for Bodie and saw some sunken damaged boats from high water! Amazing sunset view under a train track and met some new friends to anchor and travel with for a few days. Next morning we left the anchorage into the worst fog we’d traveled in so far! Thank goodness for GPS! 

Also cute Halloween tiger!