Sangchris Lake, Rochester, IL
It rained on and off all last night, but it was actually much appreciated because it's a heck of a lot cooler than the Southern States and the humidity is tolerable. We had several destinations today and were determined to hit them all. On a previous trip we had seen St. Louis so that was not a priority today. However, we are huge Lewis and Clark fans and have visited many historical monuments, read several books and watched a couple of movies pertaining to them. (My favorite book was "From Sea to Shining Sea" by James Alexander Thom. It's a fictional account but so riveting.) We no sooner were driving on the GRR when the first of many detours began. The Big Muddy continues rising and we keep getting detoured farther and farther away. It took us a bit longer to get to the Lewis and Clark Point of Departure than we had intended, but gosh was it worth it! If anyone has kids I highly recommend taking them here. We were impressed that the museum and interpretive center were so well documented, thought out and engaging. This center focused on the preparations that Lewis & Clark made for their journey more than the actual journey itself. The movie was great, but my favorite feature was the simulation of the keel boat they used. It was life size, but cut in half. You were able to see not only what they brought with them, but how methodically everything was packed. There were lots of fun, hands-on activities too. For example, trying to balance out the cargo, seeing what was in each of the barrels, and reading about all the scientific supplies. We also learned quite a lot about how each man was picked for the Corp of Discovery and their background. What amazed me the most is that after 2 years, 4 months and 10 days in unchartered territory only one man didn't make it, probably from a burst appendix. There was also a replica of the fort that they built and camped out in preparation for the trip. I could go on and on about Lewis and Clark, but alas we must leave the past behind and continue to make our way up the River Road.
Our next stop, (after getting lost in East St. Louis in some really, really poor and sketchy neighborhoods), was to the Corp of Engineers National Great Rivers Museum. Mr. Ned was salivating to read all about the lock and dam system and try his hand at piloting the tow boat and barge simulator into a lock. The museum was well done, but seemed to be a bit "fluffy" on the engineering details of how everything really worked. To me it appeared more of a PR effort on the benefits of the Mississippi Watershed. However, Ned did find the simulator and spent a good while trying his hand at piloting. We both gave it a try and ran it aground on several attempts. I left to go inquire about taking a tour of the locks and when I came back Ned had a huge grin on his face as his barge was slipping safely into the lock. He even got a round of applause from several bystanders. (3 cheers for Captain Ned!). We decided not to do a tour of the locks since the river is so high that you can no longer stand on the observation deck. The difference between the upper and lower lock is usually 10 ft, today is was maybe 1.
We had intended to continue up the GRR, but again greeted by a road closed sign. Here's a TV News clip of what was going on. Click Here for News Clip
Once again we were relegated to Plan B. So, instead of following the Mississippi we decided to cut across the flatlands of Illinois to Springfield. We are camped at a wonderful lake, about 30 minutes east of Springfield. The temperature has definitely dropped to a cool 75 with very little humidity. I've been reading about the heat wave in Nevada City, so to my friends back home, it looks like we traded weather. The last picture tonight is me toasting everyone back home. Tomorrow we head for the Land of Lincoln and once again towards the Big Muddy in search of Mark Twain.
