Today, I thought I would show you all the industry along the Illinois River. We still saw great beauty but it is amazing how much industry goes on just around the bend. So today we say eagles, and carp jumping, and corn fields, but we also saw many tows. Take a look at the two men on the front of this tow, they saw me taking the picture and hugged each other.
We passed Peoria, Illinois. Here is downtown Peoria.
The railroad bridge there opened to let us through.
Then we went to the Peoria Lock and Dam. This dam is unusual. It is called a wicket dam. When the water is high, the wickets lay on the bottom of the river. The lock remains open. Instead of going to the left of the yellow concrete and through the dam, the lockmaster tells you to follow the sail line and to go over the dam. The lockmaster seemed very calm but the thought of going over a dam seemed unsettling. It was no big deal. I couldn't even tell we were over the wickets.
We passed some tows that are called large. That means that they have 3 barges across and 5 deep for a total of 15 barges they are pushing.
We passed areas where there are tows on both the right descending bank and the left descending bank.
Here there were 4 tows stacked on the bank of the river.
The chemical tows are very long but tend to not be wide.
The plants are huge here. They have barges ready to off load.
On land, they also have train engines ready to move the freight.
The sides of the river have been reinforced with levees. It must be scary when the water gets that high.
We arrived in Havana at the Tall Timbers Marina.
Havana was named for the city in Cuba, because the founder thought the island in the river resembled Cuba. They have a large park on the waterfront. A marker celebrates where Abraham Lincoln arrived here in a canoe.
They also have a marker showing how high the water gets. I was in the parking lot which has been covered by water before flood stage.
The town is small with a two street downtown.
The Tall Timbers is a small marina but this view in their marina basin is so peaceful.
Tomorrow, we will be anchoring out about one half way to Grafton, Illinois. That is where we will join the Mississippi.
Lat 40 degrees 18.34 North
Long 90 degrees 3.97 West
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