Day 55 Mississippi River
Day 55 Mississippi River

Once again I slept in, lulled by the comfort of a soft bed. I walked downstairs to find a cup of Joe and Jane.

After a bagel and egg sandwich I began packing up all the gear scattered across Janes garage and began tossing it in the back of the Jeep. By 10:30am or so we were loaded up with the canoe strapped to the roof rack.

We hopped in the car and Jane drove me past Gary's work at Gardner- Denver and dropped me off below Lock #21 in Quincy, IL. Crashing waves splashed and teetered the boat with every pass as I worked to load the canoe. The rolling waves forced a quick thank you and goodbye between Jane and I.

I pushed off and hit the water around 11:30am, feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The day brought sun and a slight headwind along with a quick current.

I worked my way South, making it past Hannibal, MO and passing through Lock #22 a few hours before sunset.

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Illinois, MissouriWill CollinsQuincy, HannibalComment
Day 54 Mississippi River
Day 54 Mississippi River

After sleeping in, I walked downstairs to be greeted by Jane and a waiting cup of coffee. Scrambled eggs, fried breakfast sausage and buttered toast soon followed.

Garry had headed back to the lake earlier in the morning to attend to a few tasks before heading out to Milwaukee for work in the afternoon.

Following breakfast and small talk I came to the conclusion that it made sense to stay the night with Jane and Garry again this evening. Game 2 of the NLCS, plus the opportunity to go to the grocery store and make the short trip to check out Hannibal, MO was all too good to pass up. After making the decision I retreated to my room to knock out some writing while Jane worked on finding recipes and ingredients for a family get together at the lake this coming weekend.

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Missouri, Illinois, Good PeopleWill CollinsHannibal, Mark TwainComment
Day 53 Mississippi River
Day 53 Mississippi River

I woke up early to cloud covered skies and enough of a headache that I contemplated my decisions the night before. The forecast called for on and off rain throughout the morning, with it picking it in the late afternoon. 

I packed up the tent and made breakfast under the cover of an overhang that protected the deck of a beautiful log cabin home that Pam rents out on a nightly basis (the cabin was unoccupied.....I hope). 

I hit the water and began working my way South toward a rendezvous in Quincy, IL. An old college friend of my Moms (whom she hadn't seen in 25+ years!) had been following the journey and offered to put me up for the evening. 

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Illinois, Iowa, Good People, Video, MissouriWill CollinsQuincy, CantonComment
Day 52 Mississippi River - The Warsaw Brewing Company
Day 52 Mississippi River - The Warsaw Brewing Company

With sunny skies and a slight breeze I did my best to dry out wet gear.

As I paddled through the day my solar charger replenished both my phone and speaker battery, meaning music was rolling in the boat.

The river hard turned into what for all intense purpose was a massive lake. Extremely wide with no islands to duck behind for wind cover, I paddled into a slight headwind. Passing Fort Maddison, IA and Nauvoo, IL the river was at its widest point to date. A beautiful, large white church peered out towards the water from a hill near Nauvoo.

Around 5pm I pulled up to lock 19 near Keokuk, IA. As I entered what is the longest lock on the Mississippi, I asked the Lock master if he knew of a good spot to pitch a tent for the night. First, he recommended some of the islands down river, then he told me of a restaurant just down the way, the Warsaw Brewing Company.

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Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Good People, Mississippi StoriesWill CollinsNauvoo, Keokuk, Fort MadisonComment
Day 51 Mississippi River
Day 51 Mississippi River

I woke up after a cold and damp night hopeful for sun. I unzipped the tent door and peaked outside to find heavy cloud cover and mist once again. Dang it.

After the discouraging start it took me an hour or so to get moving and pack up my belongings inside the tent. With the rainfly still soaked from the the past 3 days of moisture I decided to keep it separate from the rest of my sleeping essentials in an effort to mitigate any seeping that could/would occur had they been packed together.

I moseyed around the morning mist in my rain gear, feeling a bit down about my circumstances. I was cold and wet, and had spent the past 3 days in the same condition, and to top it all off I had missed rendezvous with helpful folks offering warm beds the past two nights.

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Iowa, Illinois, Hard times, StormsWill CollinsBurlingtonComment
Day 50 Mississippi River
Day 50 Mississippi River

I wasn't able to get much shut eye through the night due to a litany of events caused by rising water levels. By the time morning rolled around I had a few hours of on and off again dozing under my belt.

By morning I laid in the tent and tried my best to catch up on some writing. Halfway through finishing a journal entry I heard the sound of small rolling waves uncomfortably close to tent. I opened up the vestibule to see that once again, the water had nearly surrounded my shelter. At a moments notice I sprung into action, packing up the tent and all my gear, racing against the clock before the water completely engulfed the sand bar I was camping on. Less than 12 hours prior the sand bar occupied the space of about half a football field.

I got the boat loaded and pushed off, paddling over the area that only last night I had pitched my tent on. As the water forced my hand, I left camp earlier than normal, and without time to make breakfast.

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Hard times, Mississippi Stories, StormsWill CollinsComment
Day 49 Mississippi River
Day 49 Mississippi River

The morning sky was painted with a blanket of dark grey clouds. The forecast called for rain and wind today, and based off the cool air and uninviting cloud cover it looked as though the prediction was spot on.

After a quick breakfast I broke camp and hit the water at a decent hour. Much of the morning consisted of on and off again rain showers. By noon the rain fell consistently, with a fair headwind chipping in as well. In my rain jacket, pants and boots I continued to paddle, and by mid afternoon arrived at lock 16, just above Muscatine, IA. As I entered the chamber I asked the Lock master if there was a good place in town to stop and dry off at. He recommend the Mississippi Brewing Company, and with that I heeded his advice.

As the wind picked up and the rain rolled on I ferried across the river to the local marina. Pulling up to a public dock, I unloaded the boat and lifted the empty canoe up onto the floating walkway. A short jaunt across a railroad track and down a few blocks of downtown Muscatine put me outside the neon lights of the Mississippi Brewing Co.

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Good People, Iowa, Storms, Hard times, Mississippi StoriesWill CollinsMuscatineComment
Day 48 Mississippi River
Day 48 Mississippi River

As I came to in the morning, I stuck my head out of the tent. A massive barge was parked just off shore from my camp waiting to enter the nearby lock. As I made oatmeal and coffee the engine fired up and a blow horn from the the lock signaled the all clear for the barge to enter. Shortly after hitting the water toward the Quad Cities I received a message from an old family friend, Ben L. I had forgotten that Ben lived in the Quad Cities, and he reached out, asking if I was available to grab dinner that evening. Being that it was still mid morning and East Moline was a short distance away, I told him that sadly dinner wouldn't work, as I would be cruising through town shortly. Luckily, Ben was able to get away for lunch, so we made plans to meet for a quick bite.

I paddled to a public boat launch and met Ben around 11:30am. He helped me to unload the boat, and we stashed the gear and canoe on a nearby dock. It had been years since I'd seen Ben, and it was great to catch up. He had stayed with my family for a time when I was in high school and he was working his first job as a psychologist at DeKalb High.

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Good People, Illinois, IowaWill CollinsDavenport, Quad Cities, East MolineComment
Day 47 Mississippi River
Day 47 Mississippi River

After a great night spent with my cousins, I woke up with plans of meeting them for breakfast. Sandy and I drove to the Mississippi Cafe in Albany, IL to meet them. A delicious meal of ham and eggs filled me up, as did talk around the table.

After the meal Katie, Bart and the boys headed back home toward Genoa, IL. Sandy and I drove across the river to Clinton, IA to hit the nearest grocery store. I stocked up on food for the coming days.

We drove the 20 or so minutes back to Sandy's and began packing up the gear I had set out to dry, refilling my water bottles and loading the boat. With the sun shining for the first time in 3 days it was almost as if it was meant to be that I had taken the weekend off with Sandy and family and was set to hit the river once again. I gave a heartfelt thank you to Sandy for her extreme generosity in hosting both me and my family, and pushed off from shore. Sandy stood on the raised bank, waving as I coasted away. A few doors down I recognized one of the gentlemen who had throw his wife the 60th birthday party. He waved and gave me a shout - I returned it with a "Thanks for having me to the party!!".

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Illinois, Iowa, Good PeopleWill CollinsQuad Cities, Albany, ClintonComment
Day 46 Mississippi River
Day 46 Mississippi River

After a late morning of sleeping in I walked next door to Sandy's house for breakfast. Today would be an off day on the river. My parents planned to come and visit in the morning, while my cousins planned to drive out in the early evening and stay the night.

After several cups of coffee my Mom and Dad arrived at Sandy's place mid morning. The four of us sat around the table and talked while taking in the view of the river. Rain, wind and cloud cover dominated the area, making my day off seem even more satisfying. After sharing conversations and watching College Game (where my brother was seen on TV waving a Colorado Buffs flag outside of his hometown of Dallas, TX), my parents and I set out to grab lunch and check out the river town of Le Claire, IA.

The downtown area of Le Claire was full of activity on this Saturday, despite the light rain sprinkling on and off again. We walked the street, popping into shops here and there and grabbing lunch at the Blue Iguana, a local Mexican joint. We also stopped by American Archeology, home of the TV show "American Pickers". Being as none of us had seen the show, other patrons seemed much more enthusiastic about the shop, taking pictures with the sign and buying souvenirs to prove they had been.

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Good People, Illinois, IowaWill CollinsLe Claire, CordovaComment
Day 45 Mississippi River
Day 45 Mississippi River

I woke up to a thick cloud covered sky. The plan for the day was to paddle and camp a few miles above Cordova, IL. My Aunt had put me in contact with Sandy G. who lived in Cordova and had offered to put me up tomorrow evening.

After a quick breakfast I pushed off from my sandbar and started my way South. The forecast called for thunderstorms and wind for much of the next two days. As I paddled the low hanging clouds brought a fine mist. Enough to warrant rain gear, but thankfully not enough to completely soak me.

After a few hours on the water I realized I was closer to Cordova than originally anticipated. I gave Sandy a call and told her of my location. Turns out I was only about a half hour or so away from her place. She told me how to locate her house, just after mile marker 508.3. Look for the wooden structure on river right with a flagpole flying an American and Illinois Flag.

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Good People, IllinoisWill CollinsCordovaComment
Day 44 Mississippi River
Day 44 Mississippi River

After waking up at the house in Sabula, IA, Lisa and Sue said their goodbyes and took off early. My mom, sister and I decided to hit the one restaurant on the island, the sandbar grill. Like much of Sabula, the building looked as though it had seen better days. We had been told however, that the food was great.

After ordering and enjoying French toast, hash browns, bacon and coffee we got talking with the only other patron in the place. The older fellow had grown up in Sabula and had a memory sharp as a tack, telling us the names of family's that's used to live in particular houses, and stories about his interactions with them as a kid. He also mentioned how buzzing Sabula used to be. 4 gas stations, 2 grocery stores and even a bakery. Today all of that was gone other than 1 gas station. I asked the fellow what caused the fall and he mentioned something I had never thought of before. Route 64 runs from Chicago right through Sabula. When interstate 80 was built folks from the city no longer passed through town. Traffic, and therefore business, now bypassed Sabula.

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Iowa, Good PeopleWill CollinsSabula, ClintonComment
Day 43 Mississippi River - Sabula, IA - Iowa's only Island City
Day 43 Mississippi River - Sabula, IA - Iowa's only Island City

Sabula, IA - Iowa's only Island City

I woke up on the sandy bank of an Island across the river near Bellevue, IA. I had stumbled upon the site the night before, after going through Lock and Dam 12 at dusk. As I pulled out of the lock, a barge was waiting on downriver side. With my headlamp showing a small red light, I exited the lock and paddled directly next to the waiting barge. On my Marine radio I heard the Lock Master call to the towboat.

"Captain, just wanted to give you a heads up we have a real tiny canoe leaving the lock"

The captain radioed back "yup- I can see his tiny little red light"

Relived that my head lamp actually provided a small safety net, I cruised by the massive barge and began looking for camp. I found the sandy bank by accident when I literally almost ran into it. It was a pleasant surprise being that it was dark and getting late.

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Iowa, Good PeopleWill CollinsBellevue, SabulaComment
Day 38 Mississippi River
Day 38 Mississippi River

After waking up in Pikes Peak campground, Peter and I packed up his blue Chevy Colorado and drove around the corner to a lookout area from atop the Iowa Bluffs. As we peered out from the stone outcropping, the Mississippi River Valley stretched the horizon. A blue sky and gorgeous sun greeted us. Across the water on the opposite shore Wisconsin's namesake river meandered into the Miss, draining much of the States watershed into the valley. Upriver we could see Praire Du Chien, WI. Down river the trees and winding path of the Miss looked inviting. 
After talking and snapping a few photos we walked back to the truck and descended down the bluffs back to the valley floor.

We made a stop at Huckleberry's family restaurant for breakfast. A fitting name for a restaurant on the banks of the Mississippi. After grub and a few more stops along the river the two of us drove back upstream toward where Peter had originally picked me up. We unloaded all the gear from the truck, and with Petes help repacked the boat. With that Peter headed out with plans of driving south to Illinois for the weekend.

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Good People, Wisconsin, IowaWill CollinsPraire Du ChienComment
Day 37 Mississippi River
Day 37 Mississippi River

I popped my head out of the tent first thing in the morning to find a cloud engulfing the river. Thick fog had socked in camp, and hung around so low and dense that seeing the opposite shore wasn't an option, let alone around the next bend. Knowing that the mid morning sun would eventually burn off the haze, I enjoyed a slow AM that gave way to reading, knocking out a few posts, and a few cups of Joe.

With the Iowa/Minnesota border a mile or so down river I was soaking up my last breaths of Minnesota air. 36 days spent canoeing this great state. From the trickling headwaters at Lake Itasca, filled with swampland and waterfowl, to the swimming black bear near Grand Rapids, the turning tree tops of Brainerd, the city skyline of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the towering bluffs of the driftless, hundreds if not thousands of bald eagles, deer, beaver, and of course the amazing people. On a few occasions I heard folks toss around the phrase "Minnesota Nice", which is what I've come to realize as the norther equivalent of "Souther Hospitality". The past 36 days have proved to me that Minnesota Nice is more than a saying or a slogan. It's a northern way of life. And I'm damn thankful to have been able to experience it in its truest form- via canoe on the Mighty Mississippi.

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Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Good People, VideoWill CollinsPraire Du ChienComment
Day 36 Mississippi River
Day 36 Mississippi River

I woke up in Johns upstairs bedroom at 7am. I walked down to coffee, oatmeal and the apple cobbler I had missed the night before due to my early bedtime. With a bowl of cereal (fresh milk..hmmm), yogurt and cobbler John and I prepared to make a run back to the Marina and send me down river. Before we left, John gave me one of his 2 gallon collapse water containers. The night before we had talked about my limited water storage. Awesome.

As we got to the marina, John helped load my boat. Just as I was pushing off, a older gentlemen with a cup of coffee and gray ponytail walked up the dock near me.

"Where ya headed?"

"The plan is the Gulf of Mexico!"

The guy paused a moment.

"1978. My buddy and I paddled the river from Itasca with plans of hitting the Gulf. We had both flunked out of college and did the trip as a vision quest to try and figure out our lives"

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Minnesota, Wisconsin, Good PeopleWill CollinsLa CrosseComment
Day 35 Mississippi River
Day 35 Mississippi River

A slow morning made room for sleeping in, a few cups of coffee and some reading. After talking with my friend Marty from Winona about books and how I often struggle to dive into them he gave me some great advice. If you're laboring to get through a book, put it down and go on to a new one. With that in mind, Marty had left me one of his favorites, "Into Thin Air". Just a few pages in and I was already hooked.

The day called for a few thunderstorms and showers, but other than one small bout of rain I avoided the brunt of it. Paddling under a thick cloud cover I made my way to Lock and Dam 8. As I coasted up to the steel gates, a sign indicated that the pull cord used to ring the Lock Master and inform him a lock through was needed, was broken. It gave a number to call. Luckily I had battery on my phone, called up the lock master and was on my way through within a few minutes.

Around 4pm I arrived in La Crosse, WI. I had arraigned to meet up with John Sullivan, the fella who runs the Mississippi River Paddlers Facebook page, and a resource that I had used fairly extensively.

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Will CollinsComment
Day 34 Mississippi River
Day 34 Mississippi River

After another solid nights sleep at Marty's I woke up early to see Marty and Finn off to work and school. The amazing weekend had come to an end. As Marty gathered his things Finn and I quietly watched TV.

At 7:00am I said goodbye to Finn, and he walked out the front door to catch his bus at 7:15. Shorty after I gave my many thanks to Marty for hosting me, showing me Winnona, feeding me, and so much more. He mentioned that he got a kick out of hosting me, and I certainly got a kick out of hanging around for the weekend!

With Marty off to work I began organizing my gear. I intended to leave a few items with him that I seldom used and had been weighing me down thus far on the journey. In the end, I left an old guitar, picks and strings, a book "Entrepreneur Life", and some fire tending gloves I had yet to use. I also planned to leave my old canoe with Marty and Finn. Figuring that it made sense to get the new Wennonah, especially considering the way it came about, I told Marty that he could have the Old Town on a long term loan. My only stipulation was that he and Finn would have to go out on at least one overnight trip in it within a year from today.

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Good People, MinnesotaWill CollinsWinnonaComment
Day 33 Mississippi River
Day 33 Mississippi River

After a long night of bluegrass and good times I woke up on on top of my sleeping pad, curled up in a blanket with everything covered but my face. Tres, my good friend who had traveled a few hours to hang out and see some music, had set up his tent sometime just before sunrise. In the darkness of early morning he set it up to avoid the bugs and actually get a few hours of decent sleep in. I, on the other-hand, suffered half asleep and being swarmed by skeeters.

Following a quick morning swim to knock off the cobwebs we packed up Tres' mid 80s Jeep Wrangler and drove toward downtown with hopes of finding a spot for breakfast. A quick search pointed us toward a wonderful coffee shop, the Acoustic Cafe. A gigantic cup of coffee, quiche and cinnamon roll hit the spot.

With a couple of hours to kill before we met back up with Marty and Finn, Tres and I headed back to Gavin Heights. We took in the vast view and decided to give the hiking trail a shot. Walking down to the base of the bluff and back up through thick forest with steep steps, the morning hike worked out a few of the toxins consumed in liquid form the night before.

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Will CollinsComment
Day 32 Mississippi River
Day 32 Mississippi River

After getting a great nights sleep in a warm bed with real pillows I woke up around 7am and walked upstairs to a full pot of coffee. After settling into the morning the first stop was a local favorite, Bloedow's doughnut shop. Finn, Marty's son, loved the place, and as any 8 year old can attest, didn't get to go there enough. Waiting in a line that stretched out the door we stood in front of a few hunters in full camo and face paint, fresh off the water from opening day of duck season.

With 6 donuts for 3 guys, Marty, Finn and I headed for Garvin Heights Lookout, a popular hiking trail and overlook of the city. The view from atop the bluff put the main channel, the back waters, and the town of Winnona all in clear view. Standing at the edge, we took in the landscape, scarfing down donuts and pointing out buildings and landmarks from above.

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Minnesota, Good PeopleWill CollinsWinnonaComment