We departed our anchorage this morning with great anticipation. Just a few miles south, we will enter the mighty Mississippi River.
On the banks, some houses are on stilts about one story tall, and some are two stories up. We know which we’d prefer in high water!
Just before the junction of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers is the town of Grafton, on the left descending bank. The sides of the river are delineated by right or left descending (going downriver) bank, no matter which direction you are traveling. This is because the river twists and turns so much that compass points aren’t as descriptive as each side of the river.
We see flocks of white pelicans here, which we think of as Florida birds. However, we have learned that they range is as far north as Minnesota.
At last we are on the Mighty Mississippi! The scenery changes dramatically, with the lowlands replaced by high palisades on the left descending bank, resplendent in fall colors. Along the shore is the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, a highway that winds alongside the river, with beautiful views of the etched river bluffs. Here, the state of Missouri is on the right descending bank, and Illinois on the left.
This church is in the town of Elsah, Illinois. We notice the current is stronger here in the Mississippi (about 2 knots) than it was in the Illinois River (about 1 knot), and as the current is with us, we are getting better fuel mileage!
The small riverside cottages have been replaced by grand mansions along the river. This area is within 30 miles of St. Louis, and we imagine that city is where many people work.
The mansions on the palisades command a wonderful view of the Mississippi River and its heavy traffic.
As we approached our night’s destination, we saw this modern statue of the Madonna, which is Our Lady of the Rivers Shrine. This 50-foot statue was built after the disastrous flood of 1951 in gratitude for the water stopping just short of flooding the village of Portage des Sioux.
We frequently see casinos near towns along the river, on boats permanently moored to the shore. This one is in Alton, just north of the marina where we will dock tonight.
This harbor is very nice, only eleven years old. The entire marina floats, including the harbor office, the shower and restroom facilities, and the swimming pool and hot tubs (unfortunately closed for the season!). As the river floods every spring, and sometimes in between, this is an ideal setup.
The metal roofs over the slips are fixed to the floating docks as well, and so the whole array goes up and down with the river’s level.
Our walkabout started with a trip to the grocery store. Here, the streets seem to go straight up and straight down, so we took a rest by this beautiful church. The grocer guessed we were boaters, and kindly gave us a ride back to the marina – complete with a narration of his family history. Nice friendly town!
Next we took a walking tour of Alton’s Lincoln and Civil War Legacy Trail. The first stop is the site of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. On October 15, 1858, Lincoln met Douglas for the Senatorial campaign debate. Lincoln’s point was “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” while Douglas’ point was “our government can endure forever divided into free and slave states.” Lincoln won the debate, but lost the Senate race. But this debate caught the attention of the national media and elevated Lincoln into a prime position for his 1860 Presidential victory, and there his point was proven.
Next stop was the Alton Prison, opened in 1833 as the first Illinois State Penitentiary. Because of deplorable conditions, the prison was closed in 1860, but re-opened in 1862 as a Federal Military Prison for Confederate soldiers, southern sympathizers and court-martialed Union soldiers. During the Civil War, over 1,800 people died in the prison, and all that remains today is a corner ruins.
These buildings are nicely preserved, and right across the street from the Franklin House, the hotel that served as Lincoln and Douglas’ respective area campaign headquarters.
Alton is doing a nice job of beautifying its streets. This is a lovely park. Note the steep incline of the street in the next block.
We decided to spend two nights here, as torrential rains are predicted. So Monarch nestled comfortably at her dock, with the modern New Clark Highway Bridge almost overhead.
We departed our anchorage this morning with great anticipation. Just a few miles south, we will enter the mighty Mississippi River.
On the banks, some houses are on stilts about one story tall, and some are two stories up. We know which we’d prefer in high water!
Just before the junction of the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers is the town of Grafton, on the left descending bank. The sides of the river are delineated by right or left descending (going downriver) bank, no matter which direction you are traveling. This is because the river twists and turns so much that compass points aren’t as descriptive as each side of the river.
We see flocks of white pelicans here, which we think of as Florida birds. However, we have learned that they range is as far north as Minnesota. 
At last we are on the Mighty Mississippi! The scenery changes dramatically, with the lowlands replaced by high palisades on the left descending bank, resplendent in fall colors. Along the shore is the Great Rivers National Scenic Byway, a highway that winds alongside the river, with beautiful views of the etched river bluffs. Here, the state of Missouri is on the right descending bank, and Illinois on the left. 
This church is in the town of Elsah, Illinois. We notice the current is stronger here in the Mississippi (about 2 knots) than it was in the Illinois River (about 1 knot), and as the current is with us, we are getting better fuel mileage!
The small riverside cottages have been replaced by grand mansions along the river. This area is within 30 miles of St. Louis, and we imagine that city is where many people work. 
The mansions on the palisades command a wonderful view of the Mississippi River and its heavy traffic.
As we approached our night’s destination, we saw this modern statue of the Madonna, which is Our Lady of the Rivers Shrine. This 50-foot statue was built after the disastrous flood of 1951 in gratitude for the water stopping just short of flooding the village of Portage des Sioux.
We frequently see casinos near towns along the river, on boats permanently moored to the shore. This one is in Alton, just north of the marina where we will dock tonight. 
This harbor is very nice, only eleven years old. The entire marina floats, including the harbor office, the shower and restroom facilities, and the swimming pool and hot tubs (unfortunately closed for the season!). As the river floods every spring, and sometimes in between, this is an ideal setup. 
The metal roofs over the slips are fixed to the floating docks as well, and so the whole array goes up and down with the river’s level. 
Our walkabout started with a trip to the grocery store. Here, the streets seem to go straight up and straight down, so we took a rest by this beautiful church. The grocer guessed we were boaters, and kindly gave us a ride back to the marina – complete with a narration of his family history. Nice friendly town! 
Next we took a walking tour of Alton’s Lincoln and Civil War Legacy Trail. The first stop is the site of the Lincoln-Douglas debates. On October 15, 1858, Lincoln met Douglas for the Senatorial campaign debate. Lincoln’s point was “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” while Douglas’ point was “our government can endure forever divided into free and slave states.” Lincoln won the debate, but lost the Senate race. But this debate caught the attention of the national media and elevated Lincoln into a prime position for his 1860 Presidential victory, and there his point was proven.
Next stop was the Alton Prison, opened in 1833 as the first Illinois State Penitentiary. Because of deplorable conditions, the prison was closed in 1860, but re-opened in 1862 as a Federal Military Prison for Confederate soldiers, southern sympathizers and court-martialed Union soldiers. During the Civil War, over 1,800 people died in the prison, and all that remains today is a corner ruins.
These buildings are nicely preserved, and right across the street from the Franklin House, the hotel that served as Lincoln and Douglas’ respective area campaign headquarters.
Alton is doing a nice job of beautifying its streets. This is a lovely park. Note the steep incline of the street in the next block.
We decided to spend two nights here, as torrential rains are predicted. So Monarch nestled comfortably at her dock, with the modern New Clark Highway Bridge almost overhead.
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