Off to see the river!
Trip Start
Jul 22, 2010
1
3
9
Trip End
Aug 01, 2010
Dubuque, Iowa
Saturday, July 24, 2010
My neighbors at the campground had said that I should be sure to see Eagle Point Park high atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. They also told me that the Dairy Queen had the best pork tenderloin sandwich ever. They were right about the park. Not so much about the pork.
What a view! So much to look at and daydream about. What would it have been like to live here long ago? Would I have found the riverboat traffic to be as fascinating as I do now, or would it have been commonplace? How did the pioneer women view the river? Did they see it as a river of opportunity or a means of possible escape from the struggles of life?
Just below the bluff is lock and dam #11. There are 27 locks and dams on the upper Mississippi. To my good fortune, a barge was in the lock, heading upriver. This is such a long process, but I never get tired of watching it.
After an hour passed, a bus filled with young Chinese school girls unloaded in the parking lot.
They all came running to the fence squealing and giggling to see the river. Only God knows how many pictures they took of the river and of themselves. It had to be hundreds. I learned that if you are a Chinese school girl, when having your picture taken, flashing the peace sign is the standard pose. Just when the giggling went from adorable to annoying, these 8-12 year old girls began singing in perfect harmony. And what do you suppose they sang? "I like to be in America," from West Side Story. I was instantly charmed! As they left I told one of the girls, "Thank you for the pretty concert." She bowed and said, "Yes, pretty." She melted my heart, they all did.
I also saw an eagle in flight that day. I'd never seen one in the wild before.
My picnic there lasted longer than I'd planned, but isn't that the glory of vacations!
How in the world do you top that day? Maybe a full moon at night.
