Announcement: 09/06 - 09/09 - Mississippi River 2018 Gathering
Posted: texasair @ Mon Apr 09, 2018 11:11 am
The 9th Annual Mississippi River Gathering will be held as usual the weekend following Labor Day, September 6-9th. This year we are returning to Alton, Illinois, on the Mississippi River just north of St. Louis.
If you have not visited the Alton Marina, you must do so just to see what a first class marina is all about. Sharon and I have stopped at many very nice marinas and and in a lowly 22’ C-Dory sometimes get the Rodney Dangerfield treatment (no respect). But at Alton we get the royal treatment every time. Swimming pool, 2 hot tubs, covered slips, and rest rooms and showers so nicely appointed and clean your mother-in-law would be pleased.
For the gathering, the marina gives us the use of the bar-b-que grills and the pavilion.
There is a very nice casino in walking distance of the marina.
The boat ramp is on site with plenty of parking for trucks and trailers.
There is also RV parking allowed on site (no hookups).
C-Brats and Wanna-bees are welcome.
The core group of Mississippi River Gathering regulars have a huge knowledge of running the major rivers and cruising the major lakes of North American and there will be many interesting stories told and much wisdom shared.
Launch at Minneapolis and have a great 2-3 week cruise down river to meet us in Alton, or meet up with the group in Alton and continue down the the big river to New Orleans or down the Tenn-Tom to Mobile.
Consider a cruise along the Illinois or Missouri rivers before or after the gathering. South of the Mel Price Lock you can beach your C-Dory at the confluence of the 2 greatest rivers in North America, the Mississippi and the Missouri just as Lewis and Clark did in 1804.
Several years ago we launched in Pittsburgh, PA and came down the Ohio River to the gathering in Alton, We were then able to catch the Amtrak from the train station near the marina in Alton back to Pittsburgh to retrieve out truck and trailer.
Plan to come early and stay late to see the sights and do some river cruising on the Mississippi, Illinois, and Missouri rivers.
Although the schedule is flexible, folks usually start arriving on Thursday and most depart on Sunday.
We usually go with the flow on activities. In past years we have toured the Mel Price super lock and Mississippi River museum south of Alton and boated down through the chain of rocks canal to the gateway arch in St Louis. If the river levels cooperate we may have another hot dog and ice cream sand bar picnic. In the past both Mark Twain and Elvis have made appearances at the Gathering.
Ken is currently working on some special activities and will fill us in in the coming weeks.
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