Sunday, September 2. After waking up at 5 a.m. to get a head start on a series of locks, it was more than five hours later before we got through even the first one. Several large tows (barges) are backed up, probably because of the flooding last week. By the end of the day, a slow flotilla of about seven Looper boats had passed a number of huge tows and through a total of three locks. It seemed as if a zillion other boaters were out on the Illinois River, enjoying the last holiday weekend of summer. The day was hot, the sun was in our eyes, and we dodged debris from recent floods. By the time we made it to the Starved Rock Marina (love the name), we were tired and more than a little bit grouchy. Seeing the friendly faces of Mike and Jeanne (Jeanne Marie) on the dock saved the day. Over a hamburger with them and the Cowhigs, we caught up on everyone's adventures. Talk of future cruising trips restored our spirits before we crashed for the evening.
# posted by Second Wind @ 6:53 AM
Sunday, September 2. After waking up at 5 a.m. to get a head start on a series of locks, it was more than five hours later before we got through even the first one. Several large tows (barges) are backed up, probably because of the flooding last week. By the end of the day, a slow flotilla of about seven Looper boats had passed a number of huge tows and through a total of three locks. It seemed as if a zillion other boaters were out on the 
