The adventures of MR5 as she cruises America's Great Loop
Illinois River: Peoria, Bar Island, and Hardin
September 26 through September 28, 2026
Oh, my! We’ve only been on the river for a few days, and already we’ve seen and experienced such an amazing variety of things! Life along the river is full of surprises, fascinating sights, and little adventures around every bend.
Many, if not most, of the homes along the river are built on stilts, presumably to keep them above flood level. I can hardly imagine watching the water rise beneath your home and hoping it never climbs too high. What a different way of life, shaped by the unpredictability of the river.
Then there are the towboats, skillfully maneuvering four to six rows of barges, often two or three barges wide, beneath bridges and around winding bends. Watching these massive tows navigate the river with such precision is truly amazing.
And woven throughout the journey are all sorts of unexpected treasures, from the fascinating Caterpillar Museum to quirky little eateries like Kuchie’s, with its extravagant milkshakes and Bloody Marys, and the infamous Mel’s Illinois Riverfront Restaurant, serving up home-cooked meals and delicious desserts.
There’s never a dull moment. From the remarkable sights on the water to the delightful discoveries along the shore, the river keeps us entertained, all day, every day!
Houses on stilts are necessary given the common occurrence of flooding.Camping and campers seem to be the popular and loved pastime. Some even have their own porta potty. Here’s a barge coming toward us……and here’s that barge with its towboat as it passes away from us.A service yard fully dedicated to working on towboats (pushboats)This is no ordinary bridge. This one……has a welcoming bridge tender who entertained us with a musical radio melody.Peoria is currently the home office location of Caterpillar, Inc. And as our boat is powered by two Cat 3208’s, it was pretty much a required stop.Captain Nebel considers a new purchase?This monster truck can easily run over a “monster” truck…or carry several in its bed.The tires are approximately 13 feet tall and weigh 5 tons each. A flat tire would be a bummer.While in Peoria, we stayed at the Kuchie’s dock. It was a rickety old dock barely big enough for our two boats, but they have some top notch shakes.They also have extravagant Bloody Mary’s topped with a complete meal such as this one topped with meatballs, cheese, sliders, pickles…This sign needs no explanation.I guess this place is as good as any for making a nest.A spectacular harvest moon rises over our anchorage at Bar Island. The only sound in the anchorage was the howl of coyotes.And a colorful early morning sky as we make our departure…at 6:30!!We made room and rafted together to fit everyone along the Barefoot Restaurant and Mel’s Illinois Riverfront Restaurant docks. (Rambler is to the far side of the first boat from the left.)An interesting bird the pelican. His beak can hold more than his belly can.
