Peoria Illinois

October 14, 2016

It's a chilly 41 degrees outside. We can see our breath inside Mystic’s cabin which is dripping with condensation. We will have issues with mildew if we don’t stay on top of the moisture. During the day we open the v-birth skylight to allow airflow. It helps, but it’s still a battle.

We left the Hennepin barge wall and headed for Peoria following Mucho Gusto. They come into view now and then as they lead us down river. Eagles, blue herons, snow geese, pelicans and carp that leap out of the coffee colored water make for a peaceful day. We pass Lake Senatchewine, near Henry, Illinois. It is huge and lined with maples that will be gorgeous once fall colors arrive. There is just a hint of color in the trees now.

We have just over a half a tank of gas. Dave calls ahead to check depths at several fuel docks; all are too shallow for our 5’5” draft. We will have to find diesel south of Peoria.

We arrive around 2:30, putting 45 miles behind us. Mucho Gusto is already there and Scott motions us in front of them. The dock here is for boaters visiting Peoria. It sits below a park and close to downtown. You pay for dockage here by the hour. The policy states that overnight stays are not allowed but this is ignored by all. There is a riverboat tied up nearby. You can tell this is a busy place during the summer. It will be our home for the night.

Our first view of Peoria

Mucho Gusto tucked into Peoria Municipal Dock

Spirit of Peoria

Peoria, Illinois

Mystic and Mucho Gusto at Peoria Municipal Dock

Beth aboard Mystic, Peoria, Illinois

Spirit of Peoria

Two boats on the wall

Rhythm Kitchen ~ Peoria, IL

It’s noisy here with the Tows and barges passing under the I74 bridge. People in the park tend to stand at the park fence and chat. It sounds like they are yelling but it’s just how their voices carry down to the docks below. As we were securing Mystic for the night we hear a little girl yell, “Hey people, how ya doing?”

Dave and I walk to town to visit the Rhodell Brewing Company a short distance away. It has been in business since 1998 but has just moved into a brand new building. It is very nice and we enjoyed the Oktoberfest. When we get back to Mystic we uninstall and reinstall our TV receiver on the computer. We have not been able to capture any channels since Knife River. Instead, we have been listening to the windup radio that I bought Dave years ago. We were able to watch Dateline after the reinstall!

Rhodell Welcome