Internet connectivity is horrible. Just wanted to post location. Will post update after dinner. 88 miles today!

Back from dinner at the Oyster Bar, a riverside restaurant here at the marina in Grafton, IL. Food was pretty good, but the entertainment offered by a nearby, clearly drunken woman was better! Best line: “Your ego is not your amigo!”

Back on the boat using my cell phone to link to the Internet because we’re so far away from their WiFi that we can’t connect. We’re in Grafton, IL instead of Alton, IL. Why? Because this marina is about 15 miles closer (upstream on the Illinois River) than Alton (downstream on the MS River) and heavy weather is due in today / tonight. Though it was our intention to stop here to experience its robust marina scene, then go to Alton for fuel, other people had the same idea, and we couldn’t get a reservation here in Grafton. However, on the way down a fellow Looper texted to let us know of a cancellation. We’ll be here for 4 days to recharge ourselves. Although our travel on the Illinois River was without incident, the preparation, keeping a watchful eye for floating debris, unpredictable lockmasters, slow speed, and unknown anchorage takes its toll. For example, this morning I hailed the lock master at 0630 asking about locking through, he said he would let me know when he saw me in two hours. So, what does that mean? Should I show up ASAP only to wait for an indeterminable time, hail him again in two hours, etc.? I interpreted it to mean show up before 0830 and I’ll lock you through. As we were pushing off from the lovely barge to which we were affixed, a dock hand comes down and to say, “I wouldn’t cast off because the lock ain’t letting any pleasure craft through ‘til noon.” I told him that’s not what I heard but thanks for info anyway. As we made our way to the lock, we picked up four other Looper boats and were there at 0815. We locked through at 0845 and was told this was the last pleasure craft lockage for the day! Go figure.

Sunday morning.......

We are now located at the confluence of the Illinois River and the Mississippi River. In fact, immediately across the Illinois River from us is an overflow stream from the Mississippi. This is Illinois River mile marker 0 / Mississippi River mm 218. Alton, Illinois is mm 203. Our plan today is to take inventory of the things we need to do in this general area, which is slightly north of St. Louis. We need to check re-provisioning, engine room items, etc. The rain we were trying to avoid went north as we traveled south - Beardstown, Peoria, Ottawa, Joliet, all had big storms yesterday. We’re expecting rain this afternoon. Meanwhile, we’ll walk the docks and seek out some fellow Loopers as we leap-frog over one another. We can tell we’re headed south - yesterday we saw the Stars and Bars flying alongside the Stars and Stripes!