We arrived "home" in Alton Pool on Labor Day weekend. It felt really good to be back in those familiar waters. This really is where it all began back in the early 1980s (neither of us can remember the exact year but we are positive it was between '80 and '82) when we got our first boat, a little 22' Southcoast sailboat. We rented a slip in a marina at Portage Des Sioux and made friends with all the local sailors there.
It was within that helpful group of friends, sharing their love of boating with us and teaching us, that our love of the water and of quiet anchorages developed. Even though Alton Pool is less than 20 miles, as the crow flies, from the city of St. Louis it is a world apart in character. Here the scenery is natural, the stars bright and the wildlife abundant.
Twenty years ago there were few fancy marinas catering to transient boaters so our group outings included quiet anchorages. You might find it amusing that the first time we anchored overnight I didn't sleep a wink because I was certain that at least one of two horrible possibilities would beset us; #1 our anchor would not hold and the current would carry us downstream 14 miles to the dam where we would smash and perish, or #2 we would sink and drown.
My friend had told me that I could use a tree on the island as a reference and anytime during the night if I looked out and could see the tree I would know I was still safely secured. I spent the night lying on a settee in the "salon" (and I use the term loosely because, did I mention this was a 22' boat) with one foot on the floor waiting for water to come in and let me know we were sinking. Every 15 minutes or so I popped up to look out the window and check if the tree was still there. It was a long night! Larry slept like a baby, I guess he figured that one of us worrying was enough! This is ancient history but I share it so that you will understand that you don't have to be born with water in your veins to love boating; boaters are among the friendliest and most helpful people on the planet.
Entering the channel to Sioux Harbor, our "home" marina, where they had a slip waiting for us.
"Our Lady of the Rivers" Shrine was erected by a grateful community to honor the Virgin Mary after the tiny town of Portage des Sioux, MO was threatened by, and ultimately spared from the devastating flood of 1951. In only a few years the local Parish raised the funds for this 25' fiberglass statue that is set on a 20' concrete pedestal. The Shrine was dedicated in 1957 and has stood firm through many devastating floods. At the crest of the flood of 1993 (the worst one so far) only the head was above water. The current was fast, perhaps 6 mph,and debris as large as small sheds was floating down the river; when the waters receded the "Statue" was firmly in place and only clean up and electrical repairs were needed. Every summer boats from the area parade past the Statue for the annual Blessing of the Fleet.
The beautiful bluffs that stand on the Illinois side of the Mississippi in Alton Pool. Below the bluffs the Great River Road (a National Scenic Byway) runs along the water.
We remained for a month here while we visited with friends & family, traveled to Boise and caught up with Doctors & Dentists. And just so we would not forget the challenges of boating on the Mississippi there was even a flood while we were there.
