Sunday September 28-Friday Oct 3, 2026
SUNDAY
We said our goodbyes to Trisha this morning as her friend picked her up at the Joliet wall. It was a decent spot for the night—except for the constant bridge drama. Every time they raised the bridge for a tow, it let out a loud, mournful wail, followed by the unmistakable rumble of machinery. Same deal when it came back down. Let’s just say it wasn’t exactly a lullaby. Sleep? Not so much.
Tonight, though, we’re anchoring—and what a difference that makes.
Our cruise to Sugar Island was smooth and easy—nothing too exciting, just the way we like it sometimes. We went through two locks, rafting up with a fellow Looper in one. It was blazing hot for late September—87 degrees! By the time we reached our anchorage, we were more than ready for a break.
And what a spot we found.
Tucked away in a quiet corner, we had the place entirely to ourselves. The water was calm, the air was still, and the world felt miles away. Jeff took the plunge—literally—cooling off with a swim. I opted for our outdoor handheld shower on the swim platform. Hot water was available… but absolutely unnecessary.
The evening was pure bliss. We both slept like logs, finally getting the rest we missed the two nights before.
MONDAY
Another scorcher today—temps pushing 90 😳. We said goodbye to our peaceful anchorage and made our way to the charming riverside town of Ottawa, IL. Just one lock on the way, and lucky for us, no waiting. We tied up at the free wall alongside another Looper boat we hadn’t crossed paths with before: Spirit of Adventure, captained by Greg and Deanna, who started their Loop from Tampa.
Shortly after we tied off, a solo Looper we’d locked through with rafted to our boat just long enough to grab some lunch in town before continuing on his way.
We had different plans—namely, a bit of local history—so we invited Greg and Deanna to join us for a tour of the Reddick Mansion. This beautifully restored home, full of character and rich stories, was well worth the visit.
Just across the street is the historic Washington Square, the site of the very first Lincoln-Douglas debate in 1858. Over 14,000 people gathered here to listen. Though Lincoln lost the Senate race, those debates helped propel him to the national stage—and ultimately to the presidency. The bronze statues of the two men, completed in 2002, stand as a powerful tribute: Lincoln at 11 feet tall, Douglas at 9.
The town itself is full of surprises—colorful murals scattered throughout, each depicting a slice of its rich history.
We capped off our afternoon with a late lunch at The Lone Buffalo by Tangled Roots Brewing Company (yes, quite the name!). The food? Fantastic. The drinks? Even better. A perfect break from the heat.
As the evening settled in, I spent time on the bow, soaking in one of those sweet, simple moments: a young dad fishing with his two little ones along the wall. The boy was about three, the girl not quite two. She kept waving at me, then giggling and doing it again—and of course, I’d wave back every time. Absolutely adorable. Watching them made me miss our grandkids even more… but November isn’t too far away now. It’ll be here before we know it.
TUESDAY
Jeff strolled up to the town bakery on a little recon mission—and came back a hero with four sweet treats in hand! He scored a custard-filled Bismarck for himself and a luscious custard eclair just for me 😋. Pure deliciousness!
After saying goodbye to our wall in Ottawa, we cruised out toward a quiet anchorage a little over 30 miles away. Just one lock today—smooth sailing with zero barge traffic in the lock. We even rafted up in the lock with a fellow Looper from Quebec, Ontario. Always fun crossing paths with new friends on the water.
Tonight’s anchorage? Absolutely peaceful. Serene. One of those beautiful spots that reminds you why you’re out here in the first place.
WEDNESDAY
Day’s Journey: On to Peoria!
Today’s leg of the Loop brought us 36 more miles downriver, rolling us into Peoria by early afternoon. But before we hit the city, we made a pit stop in a little place called Rome—specifically, Hamm’s Holiday Harbor—for diesel.
Now, let me paint the picture: this wasn’t your average marina fuel dock. No, this place had serious “towboat graveyard” vibes. We tied up next to an old, rusty towboat that looked like it had seen better decades, and flagged down the lone guy on duty to ask for about 30 gallons in each tank.
He nodded, disappeared somewhere out of sight with the world’s longest fuel hose, and hollered back when he was ready. We opened up, but instead of a satisfying whoosh, we got… a dribble. A weak, sad trickle. Barely a gallon, then—nothing.
We started yelling back that nothing was coming through, but he couldn’t hear us over the distance (or the ghosts of towboats past). Suddenly, he shouts, “25… 30!” Like it was all going fine. Jeff hustled over to check—and sure enough, the hose had come apart. Diesel was now pooling in the top of the barge like a mini oil slick.
Enter Guy #2, who jumped in to help. Together, they got the hose reconnected, and we finally got our fuel. The first guy took the hit for the spill—turns out someone didn’t secure the hose properly.
Yowza. Not exactly a “holiday” at Hamm’s, but hey—we’re fueled, floating, and forging ahead.
We finally make it to docking at the Peoria Boat Club for a two-night stay — time to roll up our sleeves for some long-overdue chores and maintenance.
Arriving around 2 PM gave us just enough time to knock out a few loads of laundry, tackle a few boat projects, and even swap stories with a couple of fellow Loopers docked nearby. It’s always great running into others on the same adventure.
THURSDAY
Peoria Pit Stop – Day Two
We knocked out a solid round of chores today — swapped out the fuel filters, tackled a quick Isinglass sewing fix, and got another load of laundry spinning. The to-do list is shrinking, slowly but surely!
With the essentials handled, we stretched our legs with a walk into town for some lunch and a visit to the Caterpillar Visitor Center. Peoria has been Caterpillar’s home base for over 100 years, and the museum doesn’t disappoint. They’ve got full-size simulators for a bunch of their heavy machinery — and yes, we gave them a go.
Let’s just say… I won’t be operating an excavator anytime soon 😄. Jeff, on the other hand, might have missed his calling!
Once we arrived back to the marina, I finished up my small chores and poor Jeff, who was sooo hot, washed the boat so we can get on our way in the morning! Thanks Dear!
FRIDAY
On the Move Again — And What a Day!
We’re officially back on the water, making our way toward Grafton, then Alton over the next few days. We’ll be anchoring out for the next three nights — and whew, it is hot. Another scorcher in the 90s today! Thank goodness for those cooler nights.
What started as a seemingly uneventful travel day turned into anything but.
We cruised right into our only lock of the day without much of a wait (a small miracle!), locking through with four other boats — including two fellow Loopers we met back at the Joliet wall: Jelly Bean and Avontuur. It was a quick drop, and we got to free-float in the middle — a first for us! Pretty cool experience.
Then — yank! Our starboard engine suddenly shut down. At first, we thought we’d run aground, but our depth read a comfortable 7 feet. Turns out, we’d snagged a steel cable running from the dredge to the shore — totally invisible in the water.
The dredge crew jumped into action right away. After some effort trying to free it from the deck after cutting it by our boat, the captain himself ended up jumping into the water to work it loose by hand. Talk about service. We were half-holding our breath, worried about prop damage — but once freed, the engine started right up with no vibration or issues. Lucky break!
The main channel was eventually cleared, and the rest of the boats were able to pass through — though our delay was about an hour, the dredge crews’ was likely longer. Judging by how quickly and calmly the crew handled it, this definitely wasn’t their first rodeo.
Just another reminder that even a “routine” day on the Loop can take some unexpected turns!
Now we are anchored behind Quiver Island with 3 other loopers for the night.
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