October 19, Thursday Hoppies Marina in Missouri to the Kaskaskia Lock in Illinois

It certainly is easy to move from Missouri to Illinois and back on a daily basis – just cross the river! We started off the day in a sweet town in Missouri and now we are back in Illinois at a dam and lock in the middle of nowhere.

Today, as planned, we got a late start so that we could enjoy the famous Blue Owl Cafe and wander in and out of the many craft and small shops in the little town of Kimmswick. The breakfast was delicious and the display of pies and cakes were very inviting. I took some photos of the Levee High Apple Pie and we bought a small version  to eat later. Our new friends traveling the loop on a Hunter sailboat joined us for the Blue Owl adventure.

There are so many little shops that the town put up sign posts…

The Mississippi River was very helpful today – with the current’s assistance we were speeding along at 13 mph (versus our normal 8mph)! It was mostly a serene ride with occasional cement and stone factories. We even felt and saw some blasting. There were also some interesting homes along the way.

The Kaskaskia Lock is on the right side off of the Mississippi, and we won’t be going through it but it’s a good place to stop overnight. We tied up to the lock walls once we arrived and joined  boat friends Paal and Betsy for a dingy ride to shore and a walk around the nice park.