I’ve woken after a semi-conscious doze on the sofa at Medway… Virginia green all around. It was raining when Charley picked me up from …
U-Haul
I woke early (5am) – I already seem to be on river time. C and I went out for coffee and ate breakfast. C …
On the Road
We got an early start. After we’d said goodbye to Cat, Charley A and Dee, we hit the road, heading west on the Interstate Highway …
Super 8
Super 8 Motel, Stillwater, Minnesota. Yes, we made it all the way to Stillwater from Seymour in one day – a total of 1236 miles …
Stillwater
A good night’s sleep at the motel and breakfast next door. We drove down to Sunnyside Marina, Oak Park Heights, near Stillwater. Rick, the manager, …
Day 1: On the River
(We had great encouraging messages on the blog today, our first day on the river, from Mel, Rob, Chris Turnbull, Brian, Richard, Vanessa and others.)
We …
Day 2: On the Mississippi!
Waiting to go through our first lock/dam (number 3)… We had another broken but less troublesome night in the tent after a meal of rice …
Day 3: Into the Lake of Tears
I’m writing this on board… We locked through OK yesterday evening. We saw some ‘small’ tows yesterday and this morning – these are powerful tugboats …
Day 4: Leaving Lake Pepin
There’s a very heavy mist over a glassy lake this morning – we have to wait for it to clear and finally get going about …
Day 5: Rattlesnake Alert!
After a substantial breakfast at Slippery’s, we say our farewells to encouraging remarks from our neighbouring boaters at the marina. I feel more human after …
Day 6: The Little Getter
After breakfast, our usual oatmeal and coffee, we’re packed up and ready to leave ‘Snake Island’ by 6.30am. Charley rows in calm water for an …
Day 7: Got One!
We are on the river at 6.45am. I receive texts from Morag and Nick – later on I will have problems with my phone and …
Day 8: Leaving Minnesota
We get another early start. Charley rows for an hour, as far as Brownsville. There are three tows ahead of us now so it looks …
Day 9: Across Lake Winnishiek
We rise early, as usual, and disturb two bald eagles on their nest high in a tree near the water’s edge. I row for a …
Day 10: A Rendezvous at Prairie du Chien
We’re on the river at 6.30am. Charley rows for a while, then I take over. We’re on our way to Prairie du Chien, WI. It’s …
Day 11: Rock’n’Roll in Guttenberg
It’s a beautiful clear blue sky this morning. We get going around 6.30am and Charley rows for an hour, followed by me – this is …
Day 12: Onwards to Arrowhead Marina
We go for an early breakfast, with one or two locals for company, at Doug’s Steakhouse then leave Guttenberg behind and get underway. There’s no …
Day 13: Dubuque and Beyond
Brian posted some nice photos of Rosa on the blog today. We leave Arrowhead Marina/Mud Lake early as the sun begins to disperse the morning …
Day 14: Bellevue Rendezvous
There is a heavy mist on the river this morning which delays us all. We chew the fat with Scotty for a while, then he …
Day 15: Bird Island
We get an early start and row towards Savanna, Illinois. I take us a short way past Savanna and over to Sabula, Iowa which is …
Day 16: Meeting Skip and Kristin
We are up and set off early. I row us towards Albany, Illinois and, after pulling in too early and getting directions at a gas …
Day 17: The Great River God
We’re up early and, after our usual instant oatmeal breakfast, we head for Lock/Dam no14, which is not far downriver from the marina. An upstream …
Day 18: A Birthday at Ducky’s
Happy Birthday Me! And Nick, of course… Charley and I take the raft up the slough to moor at the public dock in Andalusia, …
Day 19: A Fairport Convention
Back on the river again… After coffee and breakfast at Ducky’s, we say our goodbyes to Chris and Roger and get on our way down …
Day 20: Past Muscatine
Rosa is four weeks old today. We get an early start (6am) and battle choppy waters to Lock/Dam no16 at Muscatine. We pass through without …
Day 21: The ‘Miss Helen J’!
We’re drifting with the current in a fairly strong tail/crosswind towards Oquawka, Illinois and it’s another bright, sunny day. We stop at Oquawka and have …
Day 22: Planet Mormon
A cool, grey morning but we’re sailing on a moderate tailwind. We head, in increasingly cooler weather, towards Fort Madison, Iowa where we pass under …
Day 23: A Long Way Down
It’s a bright, fresh morning. We lock through the enormous Lock/Dam no19 at Keokuk which has a drop of some 35 feet and gradually leave …
Day 24: 500 Miles
It’s another early start. I try rowing but the headwind is too strong so we motor into La Grange looking for a diner and breakfast …
Day 25: Independence Day
Independence Day in Hannibal. We walk into town and have coffee at the Java Jive. Then we split up – I go in search of …
Day 26: Meeting Tom and Scott
We get breakfast at the Mark Twain restaurant. I eavesdrop on the conversation at a nearby table between a local elderly guy on his own …
Day 27: Spiralling On Past Clarksville
We leave the sandbar about 7am and I row for an hour. It’s a clear, warm, windless morning right now. We have to wait to …
Day 28: No Man’s Land
It’s a lovely sunny morning, still and calm. We’re drifting with the current since we only have to cover about 20 or so miles today …
Day 29: Mudflats at Peruque
We’re travelling through areas where cell phone (mobile) coverage is very patchy and Charley hasn’t posted on the blog for a day or two. I …
Day 30: 600 Miles
We wake to a heavy mist. We wait for it to clear before we set off on the 10 miles or so to Grafton. I …
Day 31: Shopping at Walmart
There’s a bit of rain this morning. I lie in late and we have separate breakfasts at ‘Lilly’s’. C is trying to sort out transport …
Day 32: Saturday Night at Fast Eddie’s
We rise very early (3.45am) but don’t get underway until 6am because there’s a storm hanging around which is dramatically backlighting the clouds above the …
Day 33: Hello St. Louis – and Goodbye!
We’re waiting at Lock/Dam no26 ‘Mel Price’ to lock through. It’s a calmer morning right now. Will we get past St Louis and on to …
Day 34: 700 Miles
There’s a heavy mist this morning. We pack up and say goodbye to Hoppy’s and cut across the river on the motor to avoid a …
Day 35: Drifting Into the Blue
Bastille Day in France. It’s a beautiful, clear morning and we’re drifting with the current. Again, we alternate rowing and motoring when we need to …
Day 36: A Rainbow at Cape Girardeau
After breakfast, we sit on our sandbar waiting for some tows to go past and I make my fishbone spiral. Once the river’s clear, we …
Day 37: 800 Miles
We’re waiting for a heavy morning mist to clear. I disturb a family of frogs as I take the tent down. I find some old …
Day 38: Brown Muddy, Blue Ohio
It’s a beautiful sunny morning and we’re sailing along on a tail breeze – this really is the best way to travel. A mile marker …
Day 39: 900 Miles
I’m up early at 4.30am. I revive last night’s campfire and take a walk around our sandbar and its immediate hinterland, making an audio recording. …
Day 40: Better Git It In Your Soul
It’s another lovely morning – it was cold and clear last night. We’re currently motoring at speed and Memphis is less than 150 miles away. …
Day 41: A Perfect Spiral
It’s another beautiful sunny morning. We’re drifting again and it’s another 90 or so miles to Memphis. I spoke to Mel this morning and she’s …
Day 42: 1000 Miles!
This is our last full day on the river. It’s a cloudy, sullen looking morning but hardly raining yet. It feels nice and cool and …
Day 43: Memphis, Tennessee
Our last day on the river. We will have travelled a grand total of 1081 miles from Stillwater to Memphis. The sky is still very …
Memphis, Graceland and Back to Virginia
Memphis
After a blissful twelve hours in my unbelievably soft hotel bed and a leisurely hotel breakfast, I wander out into the sunny streets of Memphis. …
Getting There!
Let me take you down… the Mississippi River, from Stillwater, Minnesota to Memphis, Tennessee, a journey of just over 1000 miles. My brother-in-law, …