America's Great Loop Radio Podcast Interview

We were interviewed for the America's Great Loop radio podcast that aired Friday, August 20.  The program is about 40 minutes.
Hope we inspire others to do the Loop!!

https://www.blogtalkradio.com/aglca/2021/08/20/great-loop-radio-looping-blind?fbclid=IwAR20LXlk32gePE2e6bsyTJMflcwD338TS2jWvJ6wgCUkQ63viBFGcTR2ePE

We Did It -- So Can You!

WOW!! SEEING THE FULL ROUTE MAP of our travels is remarkable!! 
If we can do it, you can too!!

Coming Home

Wabasha to Red Wing

Record low water on the Mississippi River.  The advice and key is to "stay in the marked channel.  Stay between the buoys.”  Our sonar is set to alert us at 10 ft below our keel... it is alarming all the time. 

Lake Peppin view.

Two eagles and an American flag on what in other years would be covered with water — not this drought year!

Tori is ready to be home.

We arranged a transient moorage at Ole Miss Marina in Red Wing at Bay Point.  This is where we departed in 2018.  We were guided to our slip by the young person at the fuel dock.  We took a few items off, filled our rolling cart and started on foot for home.  Lucky us — our condo neighbor and friend, Cindy Hovgaard, JUST THEN happened by to say "want a ride"?  SWEET!!  All items loaded into her AC car and off for home. 

It will take time to get us resettled on land and time to reflect.  Like our mantra of mile by mile, now it will be day by day. 

People ask, what next?  Stay tuned, we will let you know.  Right now, we are happy to be home.  Thanks for coming along with us via our posts ♡♡♡

BIG DAY of Travel

Trempealeau, Wisconsin to Wabasha, Minnesota — This would be a BIG DAY to travel the distance and go through three lock and dams. 

Dan and Tori walking back to our boat before we departed Trempealeau for Wabasha.

Green soup of algea.

Shallow water!

 

This is our final lock before Red Wing.  I called the lock before our arrival to see if there was much of a wait.  "No, keep coming and we will get it ready for you.”  I told the lockmaster of our loop and travels and that lock #4 was a BIG DEAL for us.  "Sorry I don't have any confetti,” she said.  She came out to chat with us while we rose in the chamber.  

Weather was excellent and no barges to contend with.
 

Trees were FULL of cormorants for 1/2 a mile!

Minimal current noted at the buoys.

Seeing more and more eagles.

Calm water as we travelled along.

ALSO not too many Weekend Warriors until, as we got closer to Wabasha, we got some diesel fuel at the Mississippi Parkside Marina.  (This marina was our 1st stop in 2018 as we began the loop).  The young woman attendant was hopping to attend to all the incoming boats.  She said she is going to apply to Nursing school.  I (Mary) always give my pitch for the BEST PROFESSION!! 

After settling into our slip, we walked to town to get dinner at Slippery's Restaurant.  It was in the film GRUMPY OLD MEN. 

One more night on Gammel Dansk before getting back to Red Wing. 

LaCrosse to Trempeauleau, WI

 Waking to fog in LaCrosse

Fogust is what we called it in Seattle!

Our walk down the dock to our boat... Houseboat after houseboat. 
Foggy morning.

Within an hour, and the sun came up, clearing.

Statue at entrance to marina.

This was our neighbor, who had departed to have a shore excursion.

Singular dredge.

Turtles sunning themselves.

Green algae soup of the Trempealeau harbor.

Lansing, Iowa to LaCrosse, Wisconsin

Lock and Dam #8, Genoa, Wisconsin 

In 2018 as we arrived at this lock, there was a barge just entering the lock so we were told it would be nearly 2 hours for it to lock through.  Dan decided he wanted off the boat.  We were secured to the lock and dam jetty wall.  Dan exited the boat onto a narrow footing against the wall as he shimmied toward land (no life jacket, too narrow for Tori).  I called the lock and dam office and spoke to the Lockmaster, Jane, to explain my concern for Dan.  She said she would go check on him.  Dan tells the rest of the story that Jane "was the BEST SMELLING Lockmaster.”  So...2021 as we knew we were coming to her Lock and Dam, we were able to reconnect with her as we locked through.  Jane threw us our lines and we were able to chat a bit.  Dan reiterated his memory of "her being the BEST SMELLING LOCKMASTER.“  Jane was sorry we could not get closer today.  ’Til next time, Jane! ♡♡♡ 

Huge mounds of sand.  Note the size as compared to the pontoon boat!

More reeds vs. lily pads.

We stopped at the LaCrosse Municipal Harbor in 2018 as we began our Great Loop.  The manager of the harbor, Gary, found us a slip then and did again for our one night in LaCrosse.  He was SO EXCITED to know we had completed THE LOOP and made sure to stop by to hear some if our stories and ask some questions.  The neighbor boat owners were very helpful to catch our lines and provide friendly conversation. 

Marquette to Lansing, Iowa

Waking in Marquette to 60 degrees vs. the 80+ of past days.  

Markers, clearly showing location and drought conditions.

Views enroute to Lansing.

Dredge operations, working nonstop to keep enough depth in the river
for commerce.

Scoop by scoop of sand.

View from our port side, barge in the distance to collect more sand from dredge operations...the wakes from passing boats continued rolling towards the Lansing Harbor, the "no wake" signs were only for as you
enter the harbor.

Lansing coming into view.

Lansing Bridge that we traveled south under in 2018.

Mounds of sand at the distant side of the bridge from the barges working nonstop to keep enough depth in the river for commerce.

Calling Lansing to find lodging off the boat, we were told, "No Room at the Inn" in answer to every inquiry.  What we found out was this was Lansing's annual FISH DAYS.  This is a celebration of the town.  We also learned that people book their rooms a year in advance.  A B&B next to the marina said her 1st opening is in December.  So...we found our transient moorage, hooked up to electricity and got our little wagon off the boat and headed toward town.  This marina charges a dollar a foot and five dollars for electricity hookup.  We were not within the jetty wall so we were getting rocked quite a bit, but we were trusting that after sunset the water would calm down.  

We walked to SHEP'S RIVERSIDE restaurant. (Tori remembered from 2018, the door to enter, guiding Dan.) The owner, in 2018, took a photo from his restaurant above the river of the Gammel Dansk as we passed by.  He is now the town Mayor too!!  He also remembered us and followed the blog.   

The water calmed as we had hoped.  We did not close our doors early enough and were distracted, disturbed and bitten by mosquitos.  

I also got stung by a bee in the eve so I was figuring out what was in our first aid kit to help me.  One of the workers at the marina suggested, "go get some mud from the river and make a paste.”  Another person suggested tooth paste.  I had Benadryl gel and cortisone cream.  I could not find my baking soda to make a paste.  So...between the mosquitos and my arm... tonight, we will close up early before the mosquitos wake up!

Guttenberg to Marquette, Iowa

Not far traveling but again threatening weather and heat and humidity, oppressive!  

Guttenberg harbor, well protected.

Lock and Dam #10, Guttenberg.

Pelicans at the Lock.

Mining, stone.  Have to research more.

So... we found moorage, lodging and food near the hotel.  There were tornado warnings for the areas we were traveling.  The storm passed through by late afternoon and the river was calm.  We met and were invited aboard a neighbor house boat.  They also shared some filets of walleye and home brew beer that tasted as good as ALASKAN, in our opinion.  Three couples from Iowa were enjoying each other's company.  They were also curious about our boat, our Great Loop and us.  Kindred Spirits once again.

Our 8/12 am departure from Marquette -- our new friends got up early to say goodbye and help us cast off our lines.

Marquette bridge.

Army Corps of Engineers dredge operation on the move.