St. Paul to Muskegon MI on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers
It was mid September. The boat was ready enough, so we packed up some food and took off. Some high level facts:
- 26 locks and 626 miles on the Mississippi River
- 8 locks and 328 miles upstream on the Illinois River
- 110 miles across Lake Michigan from Chicago to Muskegon, MI
We spent around half of our nights at anchor and the other half tied up to either free municipal docks and a few marinas. Our longest stay was 7 nights in Chicago waiting for a fall gale to pass, so we could have an easier trip across the lake.
Many Firsts I promised we would just go to the gas dock and if it didn’t go well, we turn around. Locks and barges Barges and locks are prominent features on the river. We had a lot to learn in how to safely navigate the traffic. The good parts Traveling on the river is a lot of work, but the scenery is amazing to take in at 8mph. From Chicago to Muskegon We traded river current and barges for solitude and 6ft waves.