Hardin to Grafton, IL

Muddy water makes a good silhouette

With only about 20 miles to go to Grafton we weren’t in a big hurry to leave (9/27). Grafton was a necessary stop because it’s the start of the Mississippi River portion of our trip. On the Mississippi good places to stop are widely spaced, and we had our strategy set. It was also a good place to meet up with Kristi’s sister and brother-in-law.

Tows are getting larger

More tows were encountered, but of course just a taste of what was to come. If we’re near a curve or narrow portion of the river we radio the tows and ask what side they’d like us on. The tow drivers answer with “one whistle” if we’re to pass with them on our port (left) or “two whistle” if they’d like us to pass them on our starboard (right).

Grafton, IL
Pearl Lee at Grafton Harbor

Billed as the “Key West of the Midwest” we had high hopes for the Grafton Harbor Marina. We were there in their off season, so… not so much. We heard from others that it was pretty wild just the week before. Maybe that’s a good thing.

Grafton Harbor has nice docks and are relatively inexpensive, which is good. They even gave us a “buy 3 nights, get two free” deal. Many people making the trip down the rivers stop for a while, as we did, to rest up before the Mississippi.

The Ruebel Hotel

Grafton is an interesting little town with a rich river history. The Ruebel Hotel in particular intrigued us with stories of watermen, hauntings, and a fire where the townspeople saved the imported bar and backbar. They have great pizza too, always a plus.

The Loading Dock

We also visited the Loading Dock a short bike ride away. It’s billed as the only waterfront bar in the St. Louis area. It’s a very eclectic place, and anyplace that pays homage to the bicycle is fine with us.

We didn’t see a lot of the famous jumping Asian Carp on the rivers. They’re an invasive species that are often startled by boat motors and jump high out of the water. I guess old four cylinder diesels don’t scare them. However, Kristi was startled by sudden splashing next to the dock in the dark. By the time I went to investigate, we had more light and the source was obvious. Feeding Asian Carp were startled at her approach.

Grafton Sunset

We enjoyed our long stay at Grafton, but eventually it was time to move on. After all, it was October and the weather would start getting cold here soon.

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