Tuesday, August 15, 2016 - MI 203.2 - MI 158.5 = 44.7 miles
Today we left Alton Marina at 7:00 am for our first Mississippi lock, the Mel Price Lock and Dam just two miles south of us. We were in and out by 7:28! Our second and final lock on the Mississippi is 15 miles south, Lock #27 (Chain of Rocks Lock and Dam). Both of the above locks have two chambers, a large one for tugs and a smaller one designed for recreational vehicles. At mile 180 we are abreast of the Arch at St. Louis. (Thinking of you to-day Brian and your St. Louis Rams). This was a very busy and congested area with tows and barges coming at us in any direction along with barges anchored in the middle of the channel. This was a short day on the water, arriving at Hoppies marine Services, Kimmswick, Missouri at 11:15 am. The marina itself is a collection of low-freeboard barges with power and water. With this being the only marina for the next 228 miles it is a favourite place to stop for us Loopers. Kimmswick is a historic town founded in 1859. It has quaint and charming shops and restaurants, a museum and even a scrapbooking store! At four thirty every day Fern Hoppy (79 year old owner) gathers all the loopers visiting the marina and gives us some insight and personal knowledge about what is ahead of us on our voyage. Only Frans and I attended but it was very informative. We were invited to have hamburgers for supper with our looper friends, Mike and Cyndie. The burgers were amazing. She calls them ‘Burgers made with Love’. Another looper boat Tom and Linda also joined us. They are in a boat ‘Mollie B’ which…….listen…… Tom built himself!!! It is the boat on the end in one of the pics. Looper bedtime is 9:00 pm because we all had a busy day ahead of us.
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| Mel price Lock and Dam - first lock in the Mississippi River |
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| Debris in the lock chamber |
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| Imagination leaving the lock |
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| Lock#27 - Doors opening on the second and last lock on the Mississippi River |
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| Martin Luther King Memorial Bridge |
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| St. Louis Gateway Arch |
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| Anchored barges in the middle of the channel |
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| Hoppies Marina |
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| An old stone wall we saw when we walked into town |
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The three looper boats
Lady V, Imagination, Mollie B |
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| Our hamburger BBQ with Michael and Cyndie Dyer |
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| Tom (the boat builder) and his wife Linda |
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