We found the Illinois to be a quiet river running mainly through green trees and small towns. One measure of this was the many stars that were visible at night from our anchorages as there were few, if any, lights. We found anchoring out to be a fairly easy chore. We never had to travel more than about five miles to find a spot. We were able to anchor well out of the channel. The current held the boat pointed up stream and only with a strong wind did we need a second anchor off the stern to hold the boat in position. The tow boats were large and sometimes plentiful, but were never a problem. It was very interesting to watch them at night as most had on very bright spotlights that light the river for about a mile. We saw only one where the pilot was going without lights on a night with very little moon. The pilots were polite and helpful on the radio and very friendly, even coming out of the wheel house to wave as we went by. We really did enjoy this leg of our trip -- seeing the commerce on the rivers and being part of it was a truly enlightening experience. We had planned on having only a three-day layover here at Alton, but Hurricane Ivan has dictated that we will stay a few more days. It seems that the upper Ohio River Valley received record rainfall causing the Ohio River to reach near flood stage and drastically increased the flow. We will be timing our turn 'up' the Ohio at Cairo, Illinois to come after the crest has passed and the current is back to normal. Alton has a wonderful marina and is a great place to get stranded--along with about a dozen other Loopers! We've rented a car and are enjoying the luxury of visiting the Lewis & Clark National Historic Site, the confluence of the Great Rivers and other places in the area. We hope to be able to leave here on Saturday the 25th and will begin the Mississippi River leg of our trip. Jim and Bobbie bobbie[at]wooll[dot]com or jim[at]wooll[dot]com
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