Planning a looong river trip

[Bubba1235]

I have always loved the Mississippi river. Maybe its from reading Huck Finn.

A good friend and I have talked for years about taking a long river cruise and this year we are going to make it happen. He has a 42' house boat and lives in Prarie Du Chien WI. so we plan to launch from there with my ski boat in tow and make our way to the gulf and back. After doing some calculations we figure we can do it in three weeks easy so we set aside four weeks just for goofing off and sight seeing. (Last two weeks in July and first two weeks in August.)

Sooo, looking for suggestions on the "must see" things along the way. How about GREAT places to eat?

Oh yeah, taking the digital camera and a laptop so I should have LOTS of pics to post. With any luck we can find some WiFi hot spots along the way. Maybe I will be inspired and build a blog about the trip.

 

[External Combustion]

Re: Planning a looong river trip

What is your calculated average speed? On a 42 foot hull I figured you would keep it at 10 mph to conserve fuel. At 12 hours a day travel time that would give you somewhat less than 13 days going down and somewhat more coming up.

It is good to figure goofing off time in your trip. We will be doing the same this year, but from Catoosa, OK to the gulf which is just 1050 miles.

I have done it before in a 14 foot tinny. This time should be a bunch more fun!

 

[Dakota47]

Re: Planning a looong river trip

jump in and drive it thru

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Planning a looong river trip

No locks after St Louis. So maybe leave that boat there somewhere?

I've always heard that the lower Mississippi is not that friendly for boaters. That's why people that make the Loop, use the Tenn-Tom and go to Mobile, AL.

 

[12vMan]

Re: Planning a looong river trip

Sounds like a great adventure. Hope to read blogs as you go

 

[TilliamWe]

Re: Planning a looong river trip

Bubba, maybe I just caught the lockmaster on a good day, but I was allowed to go through a lock on the Illinois River while tied to the side of a larger vessel. I was even broken down at the time (changing my raw water impeller). I thought for sure he wouldn't let me in, but we explained and he said sure. I have also been locked through with a commercial tug w/barges, and they tied us to the side of the tug. Maybe if the towed boat was tied to the side, not able to move so much?

Also, right now the Miss is really high, might want to see if it will ever stop raining?!