We have
always said the waters we cruise compare to some of the prettiest we saw
on our travels. Today was a gorgeous day with little wind and bright
sunshine. You can see why we think the Upper Mississippi ranks right up
there with other beautiful areas we traveled.
We lucked out and were able to get through all 3 locks without waiting for a
tow. There continues to be a lot of dredging happening all along the
Mississippi as the Army Corps tries to keep the channel open. In one
particular area there was a ton of heavy equipment. Also we could see
the results, the huge mounds of sand along the river! Dodging all this
equipment adds to the challenges of the river for the tow Captains.
Several friends had contacted us wanting to meet us in Wabasha to welcome us
home. It was so nice of them. We decided to meet for dinner at our
favorite Irish Pub. The walk along the river in Wabasha is as pretty as
it gets. Here are a few pictures of the walk into town a few blocks
away. Beautiful homes right along the river!
Wabasha, MN is home to the National
Eagle Center which we have toured several times. The exhibits in the
center plus several Eagles used in live demonstrations make this a
wonderful place to visit. It sits on the bank of the river and hundreds
of visitors come every spring as the Eagles migrate back to the river!
I started my Eagle count again as I hit the IL river. So far the count
is -
Illinois River - 3 Eagles
Mississippi River - 30 Eagles - amazing!!!!
They are such magnificent birds! I never tire of seeing them!
We enjoyed visiting with friends from home. Merritt and Iva and Steve and
MaryAnn. Thank you for coming to see us. We really appreciated it!
Tomorrow we will wait here in Wabasha
for friends Joel and Debby that started the Great Loop on Sunday in St.
Paul, MN. They are in Lake City tonight and will stop here in the
morning on their way down the river. It will be so fun to share some of
our adventure with them first hand, give them a few tips and wish them
safe travels and calm waters. This year we can relive the trip by
following their blog.
Then..............we will cruise the
final 30 miles to our home marina in Red Wing. We will take Wednesday
morning to organize our “stuff” - what to take home in the first load
and what can wait until another day! Brian and Melissa will pick us up
Wednesday afternoon to bring us home. I am so excited to see them!!!!!
There really is no place like home! We are ready to be there!!!!
Tomorrow
is our last day on the water ending our wonderful adventure - we really
have lived the dream! Stay tune for our final post before we say “The
End”! Pat
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