Quad Cities almost to St. Louis

Hello again…after um, 3 weeks, not two…

Grandson Paul’s Eagle Scout Court of Honor was a very memorable event.  One of the best things was hearing Paul’s dad and his scout leaders recall that at an early age Paul had said “Someday I’m gonna be an Eagle Scout”. And now, at 17 and in his senior year of high school, he has accomplished that goal!  

For a project, he combined the community service aspect with his involvement in the Arlington High School Band, which he currently serves as Drum Major. Hanging and storing the band’s uniforms was a problem for the band members, so Paul designed and built 5 stacking racks that take up little space when empty and serve the purpose when the uniforms are not being worn.   A job well done.  Grandpa Carl Siebert, parents Holly and Alan, and Paul’s sisters Laurel and Hazel all participated in the presentation of the wearable parts of the designation.   A reception at the local fire house was enjoyed by all.

I made a quick trip to NYC to meet up with high school classmate, Paula and some of her friends from Sumter, SC and New Hampshire.  They were in the city for the long Columbus Day weekend, and it is oh so easy to cross the Hudson River from Newburgh to Beacon, and then hop a train from for the 1-1/2 hour ride to Grand Central Terminal. Yummy lunch at Junior’s and my first trip to the NYC USO Club at Times Square.  Fun time.

Fred got to catch up with his DOF buddies, the weekly breakfast club that has met for 12 years or so; I spent some time with UU friends.  On our last day in town, we had a mini graduation party for granddaughter Devyn.

She completed the Capri Cosmotology School program a few days after we returned to the boat, so we celebrated early, while together---dressed her in the homemade cap and gown from my BSN degree marina party in 2007, and toasted her new career!  Yay for Dev!

Tarryn, Devyn, John and Kris

Back on the boat, we spent a day with brother Gene, his daughter Sandi, her daughter, Sarah, and Sarah’s children, Parker and Emma.  Parker, now 5, didn’t recall his 2010 visit to YOUNG AMERICA, but he and Emma, 3, may be old enough now to someday remember that great-uncle Fred took them and great-grandpa Gene for a dinghy ride on the Mississippi River.

On Monday, we enjoyed dinner in Davenport with Scott and Laurie Wolff, our dockmates at the  Moline Marina, and on Tuesday big bro Gene returned for lunch and to wave his ‘tear soaked handkerchief’ (Not) as we pulled away from Moline at 12:30---not such an early start.

First stop south of the Quad Cities was Muscatine, IA and this time the Pearl Button Museum was open, so tour I did.  In the group (actually we were the group) were 2 sisters who grew up in South Dakota---not far from my grandparents home where I spent childhood summers.   

The pearl button industry, like so many American history stories, grew from a one man operation to billions of buttons exported all around the world.  The population of Muscatine doubled and doubled again in the early 1900’s. 

At the heyday there were 7 factories (like this one) with automated machinery, extremely unsafe working conditions and using up mussels at an astonishing rate.. The mussels  have a very complicated and environment-sensitive life cycle. They live up to 40 years, require an external host when young, and were simply unable to reproduce at a rate that could keep up with the demand.  Eventually the local beds at the river's bend were all used up, and orders for buttons were filled by mussels that had to be trucked in, hurting profits.  Then zippers were invented, and someone found that plastic could work for most buttons. End of an era.  

 Fortunately, the city of Muscatine has several other industries that have grown over the past 100 years and kept people working.  Among them are Musco Lighting,

this bridge just beyond the marina is illuminated by Musco Lighting

Monsanto, Stanley Engineering Consultants and HNI, manufacturers of high-end office furniture..A lovely indoor ‘mall’ boasts gift shops, and in a bit of a twist, a ‘bring your own food’ wine bar that opened 4 years ago.  With beautiful hardwood throughout the stores, it is a most unusual spot.

The next two days were a hoot!  Our ‘plans’ to go to Bluff Harbor Marina in Burlington, IA were interrupted by 2 tow boats that took priority at Lock #18.  The first, pushing 15 barges (3 across and 5 deep---common on the Ohio, not as

anchored and tied to the wee docks...

 much on the MS) needed to be split to fit in the lock---at least a 2 hour event, and then another was ahead of us and in line.  A few miles above the lock, and just above Oquaka, IL (pop. 1390) Fred spotted a Culligan Man taking our picture.  As we moseyed along, so did he, and at the south end of Oquaka I went out on the bow to chat with him as Fred pointed the boat toward shore.  Doug, the Culligan Man, pointed to a tiny marina (we’d missed the wee channel while watching him), said he knew the owner and was sure it’d be ok.  We nosed in and did a 180 in 3-1/2 feet of water, dropped Knute to hold us still, and then tied the side of YOUNG AMERICA to the ends of 3 narrow slips.

Rhonda returned in the morning with a basket of home canned goodies!

  Doug, along with Rhonda & Paul, the marina owners, and teenagers Paulie and Peyton came aboard for happy hour.  A good time was had by all!

Underway the next day, we needed to have our 100+ gallon holding tank (sewage) pumped out, as it was ‘dangerously full!’  Bluff Harbor Marina offered the service, but had very low water in the marina.  Our bow stopped and sat solidly on the bottom ½ way into the dock, but the pumpout hose reached and the deed was done.  We were surprised that we floated free as we backed out, until the light dawned!  We weighed about 500# less than when we came in!

By 4:30 p.m. we were at Keokuk Yacht Club, sad that it was Thursday, as we remembered that Friday is party day at Keokuk.  Lo and Behold, the local Hy-Vee Grocery Store was showing the town what they can make available for the holidays!  So we dined on complementary wine tastings, cheese samples, fresh fruit and veggies, salt & sugar cured salmon, prime rib with 3 sauces, quinoa salad, beef jerky, Swedish meatballs, Vienna sausages, bar-b-q dip and sandwich rolls, not to mention a lovely dessert table.  No ice cream, though.

Friday we returned to the Quincy, IL boat club dock, and walked to the Pier Restaurant.  It was packed with antique car buffs who were having a weekend show.  The walleye dinner was delicious!

On Saturday we tucked into Hannibal, MO, and lo, it was festival time!  The city streets were clogged with crafters, weavers, dancers, musicians, rope makers, blacksmiths, kettle corn poppers, and Mark Twain, himself, who strolled about with his puppy before giving a 1 hour lecture at the MT Museum about Missouri’s involvement (or not) in the Civil War.  At 5 pm the Jaycees hosted a 5K run with Zombies stationed all along the route attempting to stop the hearts of the runners.

They say that in Hannibal, ½ the buildings are named for Mark Twain.  The other half are named for Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn or Becky Thatcher.  This year’s 7^th grade winners of the annual Tom and Becky contest were on hand to greet the public.  On Sunday, the MISSISSIPPI QUEEN brought about 400 more tourists to the festivities, and the Antique cars were expected to make a showing as well.   We got outta Dodge.

We will pause here for a brief commercial message about our dear Great Harbour trawler and its captain.  On Saturday at Hannibal, the night policeman walked out to the boat to let us know he was patrolling the area.   Very nice.  He said he was amazed that a boat our size could get into the marina, where the slips were sized for 8’x 20’ or smaller crafts.  Two things make it possible.  We need only 3 feet or more (or less) of water to maneuver, and Fred does some pretty masterly maneuvers!  It’s really fun to see some of the surprising places we can dock.  That’s all.

Louisiana, MO was also having a fall festival this weekend, and we passed on it, instead spending the afternoon at Two Rivers Marina properly hanging the four Hudson River prints that eschewed tape on the wall of our dinette/office.  Neighbors at the Two Rivers Marina told us about the festival’s Duck race, where 3 large black garbage bags of little numbered yellow duckies were dumped into the River at an arbitrary starting line.  ‘Catchers’ at the arbitrary finish line grabbed the first ten as winners (of cash-- numbered ducks sell for $3.00 each or 2/$5.00---the Lions Club makes a bundle!) and then scurried around the water to collect all the rest of the ducks.  T’was a windy day, so that was no small feat!   Fun.

Tomorrow,  Tuesday, we expect to again have the boat hauled at Port  Charles Marina.  Once again a prop is shuddering and needs to be looked at.  After that, we’ll head to St. Louis and the ‘goofy 200’, after which it’ll be decision time at Cairo.

See you then…Be well and remember to breathe!

Twin Cities back to Quad Cities Sept. 2013

Two weeks plus have flown by! When last we ‘spoke’, it was time to drive to Sharon, PA from our ‘vacation condo’ in NY. 

About 15 Cutlass Submariners gathered at Buhl Park Golf Club in Sharon on Sept. 19, along with about 25 family members and friends of William Thompson, the Cutlass shipmate who was lost at sea fifty -five years ago.  A beautiful granite bench had been installed near the first tee on the ‘only free golf course in the country’ where Bill had excelled as a golfer in his youth.  

The dedication ceremony included an honor guard, a soloist, remarks from Thompson family members and the pastor of the Thompson family’s church, very moving memories shared by shipmates, and taps.  Bill Dunsmore, nephew of Bill Thompson, who lives in Sharon, along with other family members, hosted a beautiful luncheon at the nearby Country Club. We were happy to be able to spend time with Bill’s widow and her sons, as well as meet other members of Bill’s family.

Cutlass shipmates share memories

This event provided closure for a lot of folks, as well as a beautiful bench for the golf course.     www.sharonherald.com   Search the Sharon paper for Thompson memorial or Buhl Park if you’d like to see the local coverage.

Two days later, we were back in the Twin Cities where our most generous harbor hosts, Liz and Steve not only met our plane, but took us grocery shopping and loaned us a car so we could visit with Carl and Roberta Gronemann,, who live in Mpls.  Carl, now age 92, was the skipper of the Cutlass during Fred’s tour of duty, which ended just before Bill’s untimely death.  A good visit. 

And then we were off---heading north to find the end of navigation of the Mighty Mississippi.   It was a fun day trip—first through downtown St. Paul and then downtown Mpls.   Who knew that St. Anthony Falls (the only waterfall on the Mississippi) was so [small but] beautiful, and so important to the growth of the Twin Cities?

St. Anthony Falls hidden by large mooring cells

Four miles above the Upper St. Anthony Lock we approached a sad little bridge with a well worn sign telling us (pleasure craft) that to proceed under the bridge and beyond would be most dangerous.  The End. 

We were not at the headwaters of the River.  The Army Corps of Engineers stops guaranteeing a 9’deep channel where we turned around; 857.6 miles north of Cairo, IL.  A dam crosses the river at Coon Rapids (mile 866) and has no lock, so boats that can’t be portaged (that would include us!) can’t pass.  200+/- miles further northwest is Lake Itasca, generally considered to be the River’s source. 

We 'went about as fur as we could go'. And the leaves are turning red, so it was time to turn around and head south...

Through a series of convoluted events,

First dockage, Bohemian Flats near the U of M bridge. Had to climb over the fence to get out.

we spent the night in downtown Minneapolis, sharing a dock with the MINNEPOLIS QUEEN and PARADISE LADY, a pair of excursion boats. 

Second dockage--same fence, but with gate, lock and friends!

Enjoyed boat tours, conversation and dessert with Captain Dave . 

Next day we walked along the River (there is a well maintained walking/biking trail) past the memorial for the 13 folks who died when the I-35 Bridge collapsed.

That steel bridge has been replaced with a solid concrete one.  From there we walked  just a few blocks more, and toured the ruins of the Gold Medal Flour mill.

In the early 1800’s, the power of St. Anthony Falls was harnessed to generate energy for (among other things) Gold Medal (think Betty Crocker) and Pillsbury (think Dough Boy), on opposite banks of the River.  Wheat arrived from the grain belt--mostly Montana and the Dakotas, by train, and outgoing sacks of flour filled train cars 24/7 until the mills closed in the 1960’s.  In 1991 fire destroyed part of the General Mills building, and the ruin remains, with a unique 8 story elevator tour explaining the operations.  

 Across the street stands the new Tyrone Guthrie Theater, a $1.25 million commitment to the revitalization of the River Walk area. 

We left the Twin Cities, having not even scratched the surface of all they have to offer.  Music, art, sports—a lot is happening there.  On the “next time” list in addition to the Cities, is the St. Croix River.  We wanted to take the left turn and go up about 25 miles to Stillwater, MN, and made the decision not to.  An aside--in a video at the Mill we learned that as Minnesota grew, St. Paul got the Capitol and the State Fair, Minneapolis got the University, and Stillwater got the Prison.

The reason not to go up the St. Croix is that grandson Paul M. will be recognized as an Eagle Scout  in a Court of Honor ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 5.  We plan to be there to celebrate with him, and so set our sights on the Quad Cities.  We scurried down the river!  We stopped at Watergate, a fine marina in St. Paul, Treasure Island, a Native American Casino and Resort, Great River Marina, an amazing spot for 200+ motor homes and a zillion houseboat rentals, Lincoln, IA--curiously called the home of 'granny basketball',  Dubuque where we met a couple who are living on a 72' paddle wheeler, Sabula, where Bombfire pizza was closed, but the Restaurant was open, and now (Tuesday) are back in Moline, IL---the Quad Cities. 

 Saturday was the first rainy, windy day we’ve seen in a long time, and it really made up for lost time!  We endured strong, gusting winds, opposing the current, of course and stirring up giant whitecaps, big waves crashing over the bow, a cloudburst that blew the rain horizontally and reduced visibility to zero (but only for a few minutes), and despite that, we covered 84 miles, went through 6 locks and a railroad bridge (too low to go under so it had to open for us).  And Fred was blindfolded with one hand tied behind his back.     J Everything else is true.    It was a day to remember!

And so Sunday we did it again.  84 miles but only 3 locks and one bridge---without the rain, but there was thick fog until 9 a.m. We're riding with the current now, and our speed is a breathtaking 9+ miles per hour!  Who knows how fast we'd go without that pesky wind on our nose?

A word about the locks.  We’re used to the floating bollards, and Lock # 1 and the  Upper and Lower St. Anthony Falls locks had some nifty ones.  Brightly painted and shaped for ease of line tossing and retrieving. 

This rest of this week’s locks are shallow---only a 6-11 foot drop so the lockmasters toss us lines to hold as we go down, and then just let go.  Trouble is the lines are too short for our ‘bigger than the average boat’, and with the wind wanting to turn the boat 90 degrees in the lock, we decided to attempt ‘floating’ when alone in the chamber.  Works like a charm!  No lines, no muddy fenders (lock walls are slimy and yukky).  We simply sit in the middle of the lock and let the engines (not the crew) hold the boat in place.  Sweet!

Today we weren’t alone in Lock #12, and had to tie up, so we used 100’ lines on the

bow and stern cleats and looped them around the fixed bollard on the top of the lock wall. Worked like a charm.  

(if you non-boaters are glassy eyed by now, please forgive me.)  

Our partner in lock #12 was TWILIGHT, an excursion paddle wheeler, and as she exited the lock, the captain turned her perpendicular to the shore.   He dropped the gangway, and a young man stepped aboard carrying what appeared to be a musical instrument.  Man aboard, ladder up and away we go.  

There is always something new---like the train that backed across a bridge and out of sight.  There were about 30 cars with the engine, facing forward, bringing up the rear. You can’t make this stuff up.

 We had dinner with my brother tonite, and Thursday fly to NY for a week.  The blog will resume in two weeks…

Until them, be well, and continue to breathe!