The Illinois River

Peoria at Night

Anchored at Lower Henry Island with Fugitive, Kat in the Hatt, and Happy Days.  An early start, cruising with 2 Nordic Tugs—Pearl  (out of Connecticut)and Melinda B (out of Maine/Florida)--took us into Peoria to meet up with Kat in the Hatt and Gimme Time –it was a noisy little town with anchoring space right down town.  The Walmart was off a sandy beach and up a short steep bluff.  I proved I was woman by climbing to the top and running in to Wally World to pick up a few items.  The 40 pin USB cable on my reader gave way right outside Chicago and I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed this electronic gadget.  For the record, Walmart nor any of the phone stores carries this item—Amazon after I get home I guess?!?  Found a new drink that was yummy at the riverside tavern called New Amsterdam—gin, basil, lime wedge, Triple Sec and cranberry juice, topped with cucumber slices called an Endless Summer.  They were filming a beer commercial there featuring Zombies at the waterfront and looking for extras—it didn’t start until 10pm so no participation from Sunny Days.  We went 60 miles each of the next 2 days (with 3 hour waits at the locks testing the patience of the Captains) the last 175 miles of the Illinois River was not very pretty.   The Buckhorn Island anchorage had us with Kat, Gimme, Pearl, Melinda, and Fugitive.  We had one big docktails on Gimmetime. The morning mileage seems to zip right along –we get to the afternoon’s ready to find an anchorage and it is slow as molasses we will be glad to get into Alton and start down the Mississippi River.

Armada at our Lock

They have casinos along the river

Anchored at downtown Peoria