Hammond, IN to Beardstown, IL

July 31, August 1, August 2, 2017

Hammond, IN

At first light, we leave the slip in South Haven.  Once again we have been blessed with exceptional weather and decide to cross Lake Michigan toward Chicago.  For most of the crossing, the winds are calm and the water is smooth.  Our destination for tonight is Hammond, IN where we will un-step our mast and make plans for our visit to Chicago.  Harrah’s Horseshoe Casino, a floating casino, is within Hammond Marina.  This is a large marina, (over 800 slips).  It is a nice facility with excellent slip fees, clean facilities, and a laundry.  

Harrah's Horseshoe Casino
Hammond, IN

After checking in, we have a quiet dinner aboard and head to bed early after a long day on the water.  The next morning is spent researching Chicago marinas and arranging to have our mast taken down.  We decide to stay at Du Sable Harbor due to its location.  From there, we will easily be able to access the attractions that we want to visit.  However, right now we are in need of provisioning and have read that there is a Wal-Mart nearby.  After talking with some local slip holders, we learn that about a mile over the bridge, we will find Wal-Mart and a few other stores.  We definitely can use the exercise, so we walk over the bridge, an easy walk, until we cross the road and must descend a steep embankment to get to the parking lot.  We shop and then call an Uber so that we can get our purchases back to the boat.  Peggy is our Uber driver and she tells us she was a little surprised that she had a fare from the grocery store to the Casino….she probably thought we used our winnings to buy our groceries for the week.  After returning to the boat, I do the laundry while Dave does some boat polishing.  We noticed another boat flying an AGLCA flag, so after dinner we stop by to introduce ourselves.  Richard and Mary, aboard “Desert Cruisers”, are from Tucson, AZ, hence the name of their boat.  They have encountered a few engine problems, so they are at Hammond Marina until their boat is repaired.  Wednesday is spent organizing and cleaning “At Last”, inside and out.  For dinner, we decide to walk next door to check out the Horseshoe Casino.  It is a small casino, especially in comparison to Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun Casinos back home.  It is not crowded at all.  After sharing a wood-fired pizza, we explore a bit.  We have a few glasses of wine at Jack Binion’s Steak House on the top floor of Horseshoe Casino while enjoying a nice view of Lake Michigan.  After all, we saw a report on the NBC evening news tonight that stated older people who drink 3-4 glasses of wine per day are less likely to get Alzheimer’s.  Of course, cirrhosis will probably kill us first if we follow that regiment! We chat with our waitress and another dinner patron who make suggestions as to what we should do in Chicago.  Then it’s back to the boat and a good night’s rest before heading to the windy city…..which turns out to be our kind of town!

August 3-August 6, 2017

Chicago, IL

Sunrise at Hammond Marina

We have a 9:00 am appointment to un-step the mast so we head over to the work dock at 8:30 am.  I walk to the office to check out and to retrieve my $20 gate key deposit while Dave readies the boat for lowering the mast.  The workers arrive around 9:30 and under Dave’s supervision, the mast is lowered and secured in place.  

Unstepping the Mast

Coming Down

All Secure

Next stop….Chicago.  It is a short ride to the city, about 14 miles, but it is windy and a bit overcast.  The water is much choppier than it has been the past few days.  We soon see the Chicago skyline and by noon we enter Du Sable Harbor and find our slip.  We are on a T-head and have an amazing view of the skyline and Navy Pier.  After checking in and dealing with an electrical post problem and pumping out, we make plans for our visit.  We decide to purchase a GO City Pass which will us to visit 5 attractions for a savings of 55% and a promise to not have to wait in long lines. We are going to be playing the tourist role for the next few days.

First Glimpse of Chicago Skyline

Getting Clearer

Columbia Yacht Club in Du Sable Harbor

 

Looking Toward Lake Michigan From a Dock in
Du Sable Harbor

August 4, 2017

Friday

We awaken to a gray day that is quite chilly, definitely jeans and sweater weather.  Our first stop is Navy Pier, about a mile walk from our marina.  Here, we catch the Hop-On Hop-Off Big Bus.  This bus arrives at designated stops every 15-20 minutes, so you can get on or off wherever you wish.  Stops include Willis Tower and Skydeck (formerly known as the Sears Tower), Millennium Park, Alder Planetarium, John Hancock Center and Chicago 360, Museum Campus and Navy Pier as well as many others.  We ride on the top deck where it is cold, but the view is the best.  Our guide, Raphael is very informative.  He supplies us with lots of historical facts and information about Chicago’s architecture, which includes every imaginable type of skyscraper as well as buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We travel down the Magnificent Mile, with its world class boutiques, outdoor festivals, dining and entertainment….very upscale.  We decide to take the complete 2-hour tour in order to determine which sites we really want to see.  After arriving at Navy Pier, we walk back to the boat to warm up.  We have lunch and bundle up, even Dave puts on his fleece jacket, and we head back to Navy Pier to catch another Hop on Hop off bus.  Our destination is Willis Tower with its famous ledge.  It is a 110-story, 1450-foot skyscraper.  It was actually constructed as a collection of nine separate buildings, planted together in a unifying square.  These “tubes” are all the same width, but they are diverse in height.  Its design was actually inspired by a pack of cigarettes. The views from the Skydeck, which span up to four states (Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana), are spectacular.  The wait to get into the elevator is a bit longer than expected, but we finally reach the observation deck on the 103^rd floor.  After enjoying the panoramic views of the city, Dave and I head to “The Ledge”…a glass balcony that extends four feet outside the 103^rd floor.  Yes, we wait in line some more, it’s worth it as we step out onto the ledge and gaze down over 1350 feet.  I have the photos to prove it. 

View From Skydeck Willis (Sears) Tower

Another View

And Another....

A Selfie at Willis Tower

Dave on the Ledge in Willis Tower

Gail Conquering Her Fear of Heights

We hop back on the bus and get off at Millennium Park, one of the many areas of green space that Chicago has preserved.  The park is known for its free concerts, garden shows, film and dance festivals, and of course, Crown Fountain and Cloud Gate.  We spend time walking through the Park and take pictures of Cloud Gate, “the Bean”.  This structure is composed of 200 stainless steel plates and weighs 200 tons.  We also visit Crown Fountain, an interactive work of public art and video sculpture.  The fountain is a pair of 50-foot-tall sculptures with LED screens and water spouts encased in glass bricks. The images on the screens are ordinary Chicagoans.  

Cloud Gate and the Bean

Dave's Reflection in the Bean

Crown Fountain

Then it’s back on the bus for our return trip to Navy Pier.  We are delayed a bit in returning because we are caught in a traffic jam due to an incident at Lollapalooza, a four-day music festival, which is taking place in Grant Park.  Over 400,000 people attend this festival. We can actually hear the music from our boat slip at night.  But, alas, neither Dave nor I recognize any of the musicians at the event.  We are definitely showing our ages.  We complete our day of sightseeing at Harry Caray’s Tavern.  Then it’s a walk back to the boat to relax and warm up.

August 5, 2017

Saturday

Today we take an early cruise through Chicago on the Architectural Boat Tour.  After our land tour through the city yesterday, we decided to learn more about Chicago’s architecture by taking a cruise on the river.  This tour, narrated by a knowledgeable guide, brings us along the three branches of the Chicago River. Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper and every style of a skyscraper since the 1930s is represented here. We see more than 40 buildings and learn about major events such as the Chicago Fire that helped to shape the architectural history of Chicago.  The John Hancock Building, the Wrigley Building, Trump Tower, the Aon Center, the Willis Tower, the Old Post Office Building, Marina City, the Merchandise Mart and many others are included in the tour.  It is an excellent, informative experience and we highly recommend this tour.

Examples of Chicago's Various Architectural Styles

First Bridge along the Magnificent Mile
Very low....hence the need to unstep our mast

Mercantile Building

John Hancock Building

Marina City

Another Bridge on the Magnificent Mile

Centennial Fountain

Willis (Sears) Tower

Wrigley Building

Interesting Perspective

For lunch, we walk back to the boat.  We are certainly getting our exercise in Chicago.  We decide to walk to Adler Planetarium, a 2-mile walk along the River Walk.  After viewing two shows and enjoying the exhibits we “Divvy” back to the harbor.  Bicycle racks with Divvy Bikes are positioned throughout the city.  You simply pick up your bike from one rack and return it to another when you reach your destination.  What a hoot!  It’s sad to say I haven’t ridden a bike in years, and it was quite a feat dodging all the walkers, joggers, Segway riders, and other bikers.

After 2-long days of sight seeing, while relaxing on the stern of “AT Last”, we meet Stacie and Chris, a young couple, who are paddle boarding by our boat.  We invite them aboard for our famous QACs. They live and work in Chicago and are interested in the Great Loop experience.  We spend a pleasant time chatting and learning about their work and boating experiences.  Chris has participated in the Chicago-Mack race numerous times.  Stacie shares good information with me about a nearby grocery store, Mariano’s, a ten minute walk from the harbor, as well as where I can find a CVS.  As they are getting ready to leave, another couple, Suzanne and Paul, stops by.  They have noticed “At Last” and would love to see her.  They are “boat shopping” as they are planning to retire in 2019 and are interested in doing the Great Loop.  We invite them aboard and give them a tour of our trawler.  Suzanne and Paul are avid sailors and are part of the crew aboard “Lucy”.  They had a race today and will also be racing tomorrow.  They belong to the Columbia Yacht Club.  CYC’s clubhouse is a ship in Du Sable Harbor. 

When our guests leave, we relax and around 10:00 pm, we are treated to an awesome fireworks display at Navy Pier.  During the summer, Navy Pier has fireworks every Wednesday and Saturday.  And this particular Saturday we have front-row seats.

Saturday Night Fireworks from Navy Pier

August 6, 2017

Sunday

Today we organize the boat.  Dave finishes waxing and I clean the “house”.  After lunch we walk to CVS and Mariano’s, the grocery store suggested by Lisa.  It is about a fifteen- minute walk.  Along the way, we pass through another beautifully landscaped park....another example of Chicago's preservation of as much green space as possible.  Mariano’s is a 2-story grocery.  It is quite strange to me that it is necessary to take an elevator, cart and all, to get to the deli and the produce department.  You can tell I am not a city girl.  The trip is well worth it.  The selection at the market is excellent and we pack as much into our 3 cloth grocery bags as we can.  More exercise for us as we walk back to the boat loaded down with our bags.  Upon returning to “At Last”, we find a note from Paul and Suzanne inviting us to meet them at CYC.  We are excited to see this interesting Clubhouse.  We are given a tour and Paul explains the history behind this ship and the other ships that have served as the Columbia Yacht Club for the past 125 years. The first ship was the Pere Marquette, a 193-foot wood and iron-plated steamboat.  This ship was a worthy and accommodating home for CYC from 1925 until 1937.  She was replaced by a 213-foot, former side-wheel excursion steamer, the S.S. Florida, and she was upgraded to house the Club. In May of 1955 a galley fire caused the Florida to sink at the dock, but members raised and restored her for nearly another 30 years of service.  Today, CYC is housed in a 372-foot former ice-cutting Canadian ferry, the Q.S.M.V. Abegweit.  The Club purchased the ship which was going to be sold for scrap and after several months, the Abby began welcoming members and their guests in the summer of 1983.  Since then the Abby has provided a fine home for those who, not unlike those first members in 1892, share a passion for sailing and camaraderie.  As stated on its website, after 125 years, the Columbia Yacht Club retains the vital and energetic spirit that began with a small group of sailors envisioning a yacht club on a tiny scow.  Dave and I thoroughly enjoy our tour of the entire ship...the rail deck, lower salon and lobby, member's bar, dining room, aft deck, upper salon, library, board room, and we even visit the bridge. We are very appreciative of the time that our new friends have taken to share their Club with us.

CYC - a  Former Canadian Ice Cutter

Paul and Suzanne

After our visit to CYC, we have dinner at the restaurant on our dock and then to head to Navy Pier to enjoy our last night in Chicago.  Navy Pier is a 3,300-foot-long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan.  It was built in 1916 and was originally known as the Municipal Pier.  The pier has under gone several phases of redevelopment to make it a more contemporary public space that offers expanded arts and cultural programming as well as dining.  It is at Navy Pier where you can find many sight seeing excursions for touring the city. 

Navy Pier

Navy Pier

Centennial Wheel

Looking up at the Wheel

Navy Pier at Night

Chicago  from the Wheel

Inside the Gondola
Now we can join the Blue Man Crew

The Centennial Wheel was welcomed to the Pier in 2016. It is 195 feet tall and has 42 climate controlled gondolas.  We use our Go City Pass and ride the Centennial Wheel.  It is really quite beautiful to see the city from the top of the Wheel. After riding the Wheel, twice, (it was part of the package) we walk back to the boat.  After 4 days in Chicago, we are thoroughly exhausted, but we have enjoyed every minute of our visit. 

August 7, 2017

Monday

We get ready to leave Chicago this morning. It has been an awesome visit.  We truly love the city and have learned a lot.  For example, did you know that its name The Windy City has nothing to do with the weather?  It received this moniker because of all the hot air bellowing from politicians.  Very interesting.  We are sad to leave, but are looking forward to the next part of our journey.  During our stay here, we walked over 20 miles.  Living in a city really is healthy. 

We leave our slip at about 10:30 and head to our first lock in Chicago Harbor.  We have to wait about 20 minutes, but then we enter the lock with just one other boat.  It is only a 4-foot drop and we enter the Magnificent Mile, this time in our own boat.  We are glad that we took the tour so that we don’t have to worry about snapping photos and can enjoy the scenery.  I neglected to mention earlier that on this route, you go under 40 bridges in about 5 miles. 

Lighthouse at Chicago Harbor Entrance

Tall Ship "Windy"

A Fountain in front of Tump Tower Sprays across the River

Flower Boxes Along the Magnificent Mile

The Mile soon ends and we continue our journey south.  We are taking the Chicago Sanitary Ship Canal to the Illinois River and we will be encountering large barges being powered by tows.  As we continue along, our landscape becomes much more industrial and the barges and tows become more abundant.  It is time for us to learn the new lingo for conversing with tow captains.  Their maneuverability is limited so it is imperative that you identify yourself and let them know your intentions regarding passing…on the one whistle or two whistle.  Dave quickly catches on.  

Encountering our first tow and barge(s)

Loaded the Barges

We continue on our way until we reach Romeo, IL at around 4:00.  An official looking boat hails Dave and tells him we will not be allowed to traverse the permanent electric barrier that has been put in place to control the Asian carp population in order to keep them out of Lake Michigan. The area is currently closed daily from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm. while tests are being conducted to determine if carp are attaching themselves to the bottom of the barges.  We pull over to a wall and wait for two hours until the area is opened again.  There are warning signs in the area and all the guidebooks caution you not to enter or put your hands or feet in the water under any circumstances.  Life preservers are required as you cross through the area.  I also read that if you fall overboard, even the Coast Guard will not attempt a rescue until you are 450 ft. from the electrified area.  I’m pleased to tell you, Dave and I passed through unscathed.  

Warning sign 

Conducting Tests

Leaving the Electrified Area

At Lockport, we come to our second lock.  After speaking with the locks man, we are told that there is a barge coming up river and we will have to wait until it clears the lock.  It is a 45-minute wait until a tow with multiple barges clears the lock and we are allowed to enter.  The locking process takes about 25 minutes for us.  Floating bollards make locking easy for me as Dave does all the work.  Upon exiting the lock, we head to a free wall in Joliet.  We even have electricity for the night.

August 8, 2017

Tuesday

We leave the wall early Tuesday morning.  Yesterday we learned that patience is necessary when locking on the river system here.  All commercial vehicles have priority over pleasure craft and although the locks are 600-feet long, tows often have to split their loads and recreational boats must wait their turn.  There is no first come, first served order.  It is a beautiful day on the water.  Our goal for tonight is Ottawa where there is also a free dock available. 

Leaving Joliet

At about 8:00 am we come to our first lock for the day.  The Brandon Road Lock and Dam.  Although there are no barges in sight, we are told we must wait for the lock to be filled.  By 8:30 we are tied up in the lock and we experience a 38-foot drop in water levels.  

First Lock of the Day
We are lowered 38 feet

Dave, doing all the work

Our next descending lock is the Dresden Lock and Dam.  We arrive at 10:15, are in the lock by 10:30 and leave the lock by 10:50.  Wow….we are really moving along without delays.  At about 1:30, our bubble is burst.  As we approach Snug Harbor Marina, a tow captain hails Dave to tell him another tow is headed in our direction and the passage way is narrow.  We are close to the Marseilles Lock and Dave calls ahead to find out the situation.  Poor Dave, he asks me how to pronounce the name of the lock.  Of course, I say Mar-say.  When he hails the lock, no one replies.  Finally, they do and we learn it will be at least 2-hours until we can get through.  Oh, yes, we also learn the correct pronunciation is Mar-sells.  Eeks…what a horrible sound to a French teacher’s ears.  I’m sure they thought Dave was a bit of a snob.  We decide to go back to the Snug Harbor Marina dock and tie up there to wait.  It is a restaurant and bar and so we must be patrons in order to stay at the dock. We split a burger and have a soda and wait.  About 3:30, Dave calls the lock again and the locks man tells him to come down to the pool (the area in front of the lock) to wait.  It will be a bit longer.  We head down, but there is no where to anchor or tie up so Dave has to sit at idle and hold the boat in place with the throttle and bow thrusters.  There are two barges also waiting.  We know it is going to be a long wait.  Patience, patience, patience.  With lots of time to spare, I open my kindle and read.  One of the barges is so big that only its load can fit in the lock.  The tow pushes it in, the load locks down, the load is winched out of the lock at the bottom and then the lock is refilled for the tow to go down and pick up its load.  It is on this lock down that they take pity on us and allow us in with the pusher.  We have waited a total of 5 ½ hours to lock through this one lock.  Did I say patience?  We arrive at the dock at about 8:00 pm.  There are two other boats there already, but they kindly move forward so that we can also fit.  We meet a nice couple and their daughter, Theresa, who had watched Dave dock.  They really like our boat so they walk over to meet with us.  I give Theresa’s mom (I can’t remember her name) a tour.  We chat a bit and Theresa’s dad suggests we walk into town for a pizza.  We say it’s been a long day and will just remain on the boat.  Before I know it, Theresa’s mom, who disappeared for a moment, is back and handing me a container with pizza.  They had been having dinner from their favorite pizza place and wanted us to have the leftovers since we wouldn’t have a chance to order our own.  She claimed it is the best pizza around.  We thank her very much.  It is quite good and there is plenty left over for lunch tomorrow.  We head to bed knowing tomorrow will also be an interesting day of travel.

August 9, 2017

Wednesday

Beautiful Sunrise in At Last's Wake

Morning Fog

We leave the dock at 6:45 am.  Our goal for today is to reach Peoria, IL, which is about and 80-mile trip.  The sunrise is beautiful and there is little traffic on the waterway.  We reach our first lock of the day, Starved Rock Lock & Dam.  This is our 6^th lock.  We arrive at 6:40 am, get into the lock at 7:05 am and are done locking at 7:25 am.  Life is good.  This is our only lock today.  However, while in the lock, the locks man tells us that our next lock, the Peoria Lock and Dam is a wicket lock/dam.  He explains that during low water the wickets are raised to dam the river and provide sufficient depths for navigation.  During high water the wickets are lowered to the bottom of the river to allow the traffic to pass over them without having to lock through. Currently, the wickets are down, but the river is getting low, so the wickets are being raised early tomorrow.  Raising them from the bottom of the river is a long process.  We are told that we need to pass through the lock/dam by 7:00 am or we will have to wait, perhaps until the next day.   We continue on our way to Peoria.  Along the way we pass several barges in tow. We also see several uprooted trees along the way.

About 60 miles into our journey, we enter Peoria Lake.  We stop at the Illinois Yacht Club for fuel and a pump out.  We take on 145 gallons.  This is our first fueling in over 500 miles.  IVY is a very nice yacht club that has transient slips and allows transients all  the privileges of its members.  Peoria is about 5 miles south of the Club.  We decide to continue on since we want to get an early start in order to pass through Peoria Lock and Dam before they close it.  We arrive at the town docks at about 3:30 pm.  There is only one other boat, a 32’ Maxum, just like the Chez Gail, on the long pier.  It is also doing the Loop.  We dock and settle in for the evening. A Taste of Peoria is taking place on the riverfront tonight, but we are exhausted.  I make dinner and we head to bed early.  We definitely want to get through the lock tomorrow.

August 10, 2017

Thursday

We are underway by 6:00 am in order to reach the Peoria Lock and Dam before it is closed.  Luckily, we arrive at the lock at 6:40 am.  They have already begun the process of raising the wickets from the bottom of the river.  Dave requests permission to pass and he is allowed to do so at a very slow speed.  It is very interesting to see the process and also it’s exciting to realize that we have just passed over a dam.  

Approaching Peoria Lock & Dam

Beginning to Raise the Wickets

First few wickets raised at the Peoria Wicket Lock & Dam

We continue on our way, encountering several large tows.  Dave is now very fluent in speaking the language of tow captains.  It’s a good thing I am not the captain.  I cannot understand anything they are saying over the VHF.  I read in one of my guidebooks that to sound like a tow captain, you have to put marbles in your mouth when you speak.  It really is that garbled sounding to me.  The weather today is absolutely beautiful.  We decide to travel another 80 or so miles to Beardstown.  Beardstown does not have a town dock or any other marina.  However, there is a tug service, Logston Tug, which allows you to dock on their work barge.  We arrive around 2:30 pm and dock behind another boat.  What an interesting stop.  This is a working tug service and we are actually tied up to a barge.  The charge is just a dollar a foot, but there are no services, which is fine with us.  

"At Last" tied to a working barge

The gentleman who helps us in tells Dave that the La Grange Lock and Dam will be closing tomorrow.  If we do not cross over it tomorrow before 6:00 am, we will have to wait at least a week to make a day crossing.  Not only is this lock raising its wickets as the Peoria Lock did, they are doing construction on the lock itself.  The only time the lock will be open is at night.  We thank him for the info and plan accordingly.  After a walk across the barges and up and down two sets of steep steps, we check in.  We are given a map and we walk to town.  We find a post office which we have been in search of for several days, go to the bank to get some rolls of quarters so I can do laundry at our next stop, and have a late lunch, early dinner at a Mexican restaurant.  The meal is good, but we bring more than half of it back to the boat.  We both eat much less than we used to and are very conscious of not gaining back the weight we have lost.  After all, it is much easier to walk, bike and simply move around the boat now.  After dinner, we return to the boat.  We meet our neighbors, Chuck and Diane, who are on a 42’ Eagle named Bear.  They are from Maine and are also on the Loop although they tell us they are not members of AGLCA.  Earlier in the day we have made reservations at Grafton Harbor for 3 nights.  We need a day to clean “At Last”; she is a mess with all the bugs and locking, a day to relax, and possibly a day to rent a car to visit St. Louis.  Grafton is the last stop on the Illinois River.  When we leave Grafton, we will be entering the Mississippi River.  Before calling it a night, Dave calls the La Grange Lock and Dam to verify that we must be there by 6:00 am in order to pass through.  He is told that is correct, so we make plans to leave the dock between 4:30 and 5:00 am in order to arrive in time.  It will be interesting since none of the buoys are lit, the tows and barges run at night, and sunrise isn’t until 5:45 am.  We will be traveling in the dark!