Last Lock and Dam

John's Boat Harbor was deserted last night when we arrived.  Flooded roads kept the ground crew from being able to reach us. Again this morning, there was no one to be seen. Only evidence of life among the hundreds of beautiful yachts, other than Richard Sojourner and I, was a lone groundhog that kept hanging around.

When I awoke this morning, I noticed something different about my boat. Thought  I must have trashed the place in the dark last night. What really happened was that some critters had eaten a hole in my dry bag where I keep day foods. Lunch turned out to be great, though.  I found a little restaurant on the river road between the Illinois River Confluence and Alton. The owner opened early just fir Richard Sojourner and I. Thank you for the fish sandwich.

Passed through the last lock on the Mississippi today. We will paddle the Chain of Rocks tomorrow and see how fast the river drops from there before venturing any further.

Alton, IL is a beautiful place to experience the end of manmade blockages (Dams) preventing the natural flow of the Mississippi. From here on out no more portages, no more locks and no more Lake (pools) to cross.

Just after passing through the lock, Richard and I were greeted with open arms in a beautiful park maintained by the National Great Rivers Museum, which connects to the dam.  A group of around 30 friends provided food, shower, and a large tent with the camping permit already in place.  Joseph Ringling and fellow paddle friends had prepared a meal and complete evening worthy of a King. We were also entertained by fireworks over the Alton Bridge in the evening.

I have paddled my canoe hard these last few weeks. The results are sweet. Seventy Five miles in the last two days. Am tired, now, will get some rest and retreat to this beautiful large tent erected just for us.