Day 276

Daily Stats
Start: 6:15 AM - MM 361 IA/MO border mouth of Des Moines River
Finish 12:00 PM - MM 327 Quincy, IL
Time: 5:45 hours
Daily dist: 34 miles
Lock 20: 9:15-9:45
Total dist: 5400+
Companions: None
Weather: Clear blue skies, 70’s, W wind 10+
Notes: A great day on the water

Admittedly worn out from pulling into the wind all day yesterday, I was grateful to have a comparatively short and much easier go of it today. In addition I ended the day not on a sand blasted river bar like yesterday, but instead at the home of the father and step-mom of my good friend Duane.

Approaching Quincy, IL on the river

Last fall when I was driving back to Wisconsin from San Diego I had a bunch of kayaks to deliver along the way. [It’s rare for any of my paddling friends to do a cross country drive without at least one extra boat to deliver somewhere]. One of those deliveries was right here in Quincy Illinois for Duane. The boat I was delivering was his home made “mini me” kayak he wanted to keep at his father’s house so he could have something to paddle when he comes to visit (which isn’t nearly often enough Duane). Duane’s parents, David and Esther, were not home but I did meet their next door neighbor who let me into the Strosaker’s garage. Becky was very interested in the trip I was about to embark on and she made sure I added her contact information to the Strosaker’s just in case I should need help when I was passing through Quincy. With very few contacts on the Upper Mississippi at that time, on what I knew would be a very cold run down the river, their offer as a potential source of help was a treasure.

As it turned out winter shut me out long before Quincy and my re-start was below, so I never did need Becky’s number. As I came in to town on a very beautiful day with sublime weather the stopover was much more social than logistical, yet (as you know) I always appreciate a comfy bed and home cooked meal. Ahead of schedule, due to the river pushing me incredibly fast, I arrived at the boat launch at noon less than six hours after starting out 34 miles above. David knows this river well and figured I’d be moving faster than I expected and he and Esther were there right on time to pick me up. Once the Ikkuma was emptied of gear and loaded on their van, David whisked me back to their house where I got cleaned up before we headed down to Hannibal Missouri.

David and Esther at Lovers Leap

Hannibal is a little river town who’s claim to fame is being the childhood home of Mark Twain. We started our tour of town with a stop at “Lover’s Leap” which provided a panoramic view of town as well as the river valley. From there we made our way to the Mark Twain Cave where I enjoyed a walk through the famous cave that appeared in the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin.

From the cave we made our way downtown where we saw Mark Twain’s childhood home and the famous white fence. Capitalizing on it’s Mark Twain connection a short walk down Main Street in Hannibal also allowed me to see; The Mark Twain ice cream parlor, The Mark Twain bookstore, The Twain Pub, The Mark Twain diner, The Mark Twain drycleaner… I think I even saw a Mark Twain septic pump drive by. It was a neat little town and one worth visiting if you get the chance, especially the cave.

The Mark Twain Cave