The flotilla pulled out at 7:30 this morning. Six miles downstream was our first lock of the day. We learned, that because of the high water, the lock itself was not in operation. They drop the wickets, which in essence means we drive over the dam, literally. Pretty anti-climactic, it was nice not having the normal experience of delays and miscommunications with the locks. Avoiding those delays makes the 68-mile day pass a little quicker.
Going downstream, the current is your friend. 9.3 knots makes me feel like a race car driver.
Barge traffic was also much lighter today. Seems this section of the Illinois is less developed along the riverside, so there are fewer barges hauling. Here’s a little trivia to bore you, regarding the barge traffic. I thought the barge world was passé, and not as relevant as it once was. One barge carries the equivalent of 16—18 wheelers or 15 jumbo hopper train cars. And an 8-barge tow, going .1 of a mile carries the same amount of cargo as a string of 18-wheelers 19.1 miles long, assuming 150 feet between vehicles. These guys move 10’s of thousands of tons with one tow.
The railway bridge at Beardstown. 
Colors colors colors. 
The high water was rough for some.
Though we were third in line when we left this morning, I was the last to arrive about 4:00 pm. We tied to a barge that was secured to the shoreline. This tow company supplements their revenue by allowing boats to tie here. With marinas and good anchorages spread pretty far apart in this area, the dirty old barges look pretty good after a long day. They are safe and out of the channel and you don’t have to worry if your anchor is going to hold all night.
We caught up with some of boat friends in the little town of Beardstown.
Please, it’s important you eat your oats…at least 2 pounds a day 
This is Lincoln country. 
And I thought dinosaurs were extinct. 
We traveled all the way from Peoria to Little Mexico on our boat today. 
Vintage gas pumps. 
Sunset over the Illinois. Our boat is the furthest away and hardly visible.
We explored the city block and walked to a restaurant for dinner. Amanda and I then went to the grocery, because our supply of Oreo’s and ice cream had reached a critical stage; and there is no grocery accessible tomorrow. Another crisis averted.
Our friends have decided to stay 2 nights, but we will pull out at day break Saturday morning, push another long day, and with luck arrive in Hardin, just in time to watch LSU and Auburn play, 2:30 local time. We called the restaurant to ensure they would have TV access for us, as this was a condition of our coming to their dock.
Sixty more miles under the boat.