Date: September 5, 2013
Day on the Cruise: 143
From: Heritage Harbor Marina, Ottawa, IL
To: Heritage Harbor Marina, Ottawa, IL
Statute Miles: 0.0 SM
Time: 0.0 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 3,421.8 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
We stayed in Port today at Ottawa, IL.
Ottawa is an old Illinois town at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox Rivers. It also sits along the I & M (Illinois and Michigan) Canal that was the first waterway connecting the Illinois River and Lake Michigan. Over the years, this county seat of LaSalle County, IL has been know for its special sand that is found here and that is used in glass making.
Al and Charlie from "Always Five O'Clock", Bill and Lori from "Entree' ", and Susan and I took the marina courtesy car and went into the town of Ottawa. First stop was the Coin Laundry where we did wash. Between the washer and the dryer cycles, we visited the town park where the first Lincoln-Douglas Debate occurred in 1858. A lot of history in this square and this town. The fountain and statues in the square are awesome!
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| View of the Park |
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| Great View of the Lincoln - Douglas Statues. |
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| Which One is Lincoln? |
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| Looks a little like Newt Gingerich |
Lunch was at The Cheese Shop in town. This is a little deli and restaurant that features collectibles and antiques. The sandwiches were excellent! The homemade potato chips were also excellent!
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| A great place to eat! |
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| The Cheese Stop |
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| My kind of place! |
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| My kind of place 2 |
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| My kind of place 3 |
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| My kind of place 4 |
After lunch we rode about six miles to Starved Rock State Park. This Illinois park is right on the Illinois River below the Starved Rock Lock and Dam. The cornerstone of the park is Starved Rock. This is a high rock outcropping that dates back 10,000 years. It was discovered by Marquette and Joliet when they claimed this entire area for the French. The rock once had a big fort on its flat top. What a commanding presence it projected over the surrounding valleys!
The rock got its name when one band of Native Americans forced another band to the top and laid siege to them, keeping them on the rock until they starved them out. We climbed to the top using the sidewalks and wooden steps at the site. This area hosted three CCC Camps back in the 1930's and 1940's. The workers at these camps built much of the infrastructure in the park, doing much of the stone and carpentry work that included a big lodge. The original paths to the top of the Rock were developed by the CCC.
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| Starve Rock State Park |
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| Climbing up to Starved Rock |
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| Going the right way? |
The views from the top of Starved Rock were awesome. We enjoyed the natural beauty of this park and the surrounding countryside very much.
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| Starved Rock Lock from atop Starved Rock |
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| Starved Rock Dam looking North from atop the Rock |
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| Add caption |
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| Lover's Leap from atop the Rock |
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| Looking North up the Illinois River from atop the Rock |
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| Loopers atop the Rock |
After a stop at Wal Mart,we headed back to the marina for Docktails on Five O'Clock. Thanks Al and Charlie for a great day!
Tomorrow we head about 45 miles further down the Illinois River to Henry, IL.
Thanks for Reading!
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