Very hot and
humid again with no wind, so the water was calm as we cruised the short 17
miles to Alton. The bluffs are higher and the river wider still. Illinois Highway 100
runs right along the shoreline now.
Randy used to visit Grafton with his family via this highway from
Granite City, IL.
As we passed My River Home Harbor and Sioux Harbor we saw a tall statue at the entrance named “Our Lady of the River”.
As we passed My River Home Harbor and Sioux Harbor we saw a tall statue at the entrance named “Our Lady of the River”.
Next came Eagle’s
Nest Island. The Grafton area is a
wintering spot for bald eagles.
Just north of Alton is the Piasa Bird painting and a large
cave in the bluff. The painting of the Piasa
Bird on the bluff is somewhat faded and all you can clearly see are the wings –
as you can tell from the photo below.
We arrived at Alton Marina at 11:50 AM, hot and ready to
float around in their very nice pool through the heat of the afternoon. Later, Randy’s sister, brother-in-law,
brother and sister-in-law arrived to take us to dinner at Fast Eddie’s Bon-Air. Randy had not been there in years, but it was
much the same, only bigger. They bought
the adjacent street, put a roof over it, and made it their outdoor seating
area. Inside, it is pretty much a dive,
but the food is very good and very cheap and the drink service is good. You go up to the window to order and they
call your number when it is ready. They
serve shrimp for 29 cents apiece and various “meat on a stick” such as chicken,
pork and steak. Nothing we ate was more
than $3 and the portions were hearty and tasty!
They keep the prices down by taking cash only and not allowing
carry-outs. Quite the experience!
Our Wi-Fi here is intermittent on the boat, so ditto for the posts.
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