Talisman 2020

  WEEK TURNED INTO A MONTH ON LAKE BARKLEY / KENTUCKY LAKE We had planned on spending a week in Green Turtle Bay Marina but staying in the Kentucky Lake area for a month exploring coves etc. We ultimately decided it was cost effective to just stay in this marina and go out and anchor out when we wanted to. Staying in a marina for a month is ultimately the same price as staying in a marina for 10-ish days. Yes - Green Turtle Bay has turtles! Lot's of turtles that like when you feed them. We loved the quarry at Pisgah Bay ( grafitti bay) - notice the BIG I ( Illini)!  Our favorite is Duncan Bay - beautiful days and spectacular sunsets here on Kentucky Lake Grand Turtle Bay is 1 mile from Grand Rivers, KY - famous for Pattie's settlement which is a village of stores, restaurants known for the 2 LB Porkchop - which Doug indulged in.  We took the courtesy van from the marina and went back to Paducah one day and visited the National Quilt Museum - fantastic! Look at these pictu...

 We left Alton Marina early - saying goodbye to a fun summer. We made our way thru two sets of locks - Mel Price and Chain of Rocks with no issues and headed to St. Louis. Interesting fact - St Louis has NO marinas or tie-ups for pleasure craft.  We passed thru the Arch area with no traffic. St. Louis has an Earth Cam that has a live feed.....we had it on our phone and when we floated into the feed, I did a screen shot - pretty cool....and puts the size of the arch into perspective. THAT'S TALISMAN!....RIGHT UNDERNEATH THE BEAUTIFUL ARCH! We are headed down the Mississippi to the Ohio - North on the Ohio - then the Cumberland River - past Paducah - to Lake Barkley - Kentucky Lake area. The issue on this stretch of the Loop is getting fuel. After Alton, the place available for fuel flooded last year or the year before ...so still not available. We can get to Paducah, but because of COVID, they were not selling fuel - docks are owned and run by the City. We had to make arrangeme...

 OUR SUMMER IN ALTON MARINA, ALTON, IL We took the 3 1/2 hour trip from home ( Morris, IL ) to the boat  every two weeks all summer. In Alton, we  did maintenance items, had fun and met some really great people on J-Dock. Mary and Dale on "The Marydale" and Blake and Julie on " It's a Wonderful Life"  provided cooking tips and great entertainment. Special thanks to Mary, Julie, Penny and Nancy for recipes and advice on cooking in my micro/convection oven. The ladies from J dock are going to make sure Doug does not starve! In Alton, we had a bimini made for the back seating area ( for those sunny Florida Days ) and we also participated in " the Blessing of The Fleet". Our Friends, Tony and Beth Aussem, from Lees Summitt, MO visited one weekend. Had fun exploring Grafton and riding the car ferry. Our friends, Darren and Heather Melvin graciously came with us to Alton the last time and took our car back to Morris. Somehow we didn't get a picture, but ...

 Great 1st night at anchor - woke up to light rain  - slept like a rock. Brother and Sister-In-Law, Dave and Ann Galick, joined us for the Peoria to Alton run. Ran in rain on and off all day entering the Mississippi River at Grafton, IL . Mile Marker (MM) "0" on the Illinois River - MM #217.9 on the Mississippi. Light rain turned to torrential rain and NO visibility for 20 minutes. Radar and AIS ( Automatic Identification System ) came in very handy. Arrived safe and sound at 3:30 PM in Alton Marina, having traveled 183 miles in 2 days. We are staying here approximately 2 1/2 months

 Departed IV Yacht Club and planning on 2 days on the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers traveling to Alton Marina. We spent  our first night on the anchor at "Norfolk Southern RR Bridge" - 106 miles.

 Because of several Illinois Lock Closures due to rebuilds, we must get south prior to July 1. We have decided to stage in Alton Marina for the summer.  We are leaving Spring Brook Marina, Seneca, IL, our home port at 7 AM heading to IV Yacht Club in Peoria, IL. Trip uneventful - we went thru two locks - Marseilles and Starved Rock with very little delay. There was almost no boat traffic. We arrived at IV at 3:00 PM having traveled 84 miles.