Trempealeau, WI

Trempealeau is only our second stop and we have already realized that every town will have something very unique and surprising about it.  The surprise at Trempealeau was the discovery of an archaeological dig going on across the street from the coffee shop. Closer investigation told us that the Cahokia people commonly known to have build a huge city east of St. Louis, MO, on the Illinios side of the Mississippi, traveled up to Trempealeau and resided here for a number of years.  The night we were here in Trempealea, the archaeologists were talking at the community center to explain their findings from last summer's dig in Trempealeau and what they plan to do this summer.  We attended and found it fascinating.  For more information follow this link... http://www.archaeological.org/fieldwork/afob/3910  The two speakers were the directors of the dig - Ernie Boszhardt and Danielle Benden

This is a photo of local Trempealeau resident, Terry's (guy below with purple shirt) yard where much of the artifacts have been found. There is also, a mound on the east side of his house in the second photo.  One afternoon, Terry showed us around his property and in his 5(?) car garage where he rebuilds & restores old cars. He retired a few years ago and does a fantastic job with the restorations. The one that really caught Bob's eye was the 1970 Dodge Dart.

Finally, the photo with the mound.  The students spread these plastic tarps out and will use them to cover the dig overnight. But the mound is shown right in the center of the photo.  Right now there are iris' growing on the top of the mound, so it doesn't show up as easily.

A cool old boat in Trempealeau

                           Bob had to get a close look at this old boat. It was in excellent condition.

It is 37'.

Wicket's new friend

The friend was a little shy.

Barge in Lock Video

Video of a barge going through the lock at Trempealeau, WI

The barge & tug were too big to be lowered at the same time, so the tug pushed the barges (6 total) in and then backed out of the lock.  Once the water level inside the lock was low enough to equal the south end of the lock the south gate was opened and the barges were pushed out with only the current of the river.  Then the water level in the lock was raised to equal the north end of the lock, the north gate was opened and the tug entered.  Once again the water level was lowered (only about 1 foot), the south gate was opened and the tug was hooked up with the barges (huge cables) and the whole thing went on down the river.

The whole process took about 2 hours.  This goes on every time it goes through a lock.  It could easily go through all 27 locks along the trip.  The tugs have housing accommedations for the crew and have a cook or two and full kitchen.  They work around the clock 24/7 so there must be enough guys to cover all shifts.

The locks & dams were created because there were sections of the Mississippi River that were too shallow for most barges/vessels.  So the water was dammed up, sometimes as far upstream as the next dam and the locks were created to get the vessels from one side of the dam to the other.  Okay, that is a very simple explanation for a very complex system, but you can get more info at http://www.mvp.usace.army.mil/navigation/default.asp?pageid=145

La Crosse WI tomorrow

We will continue down river tomorrow and plan to stay at a marina in La Crosse tomorrow night & Saturday night. We are looking forward to getting a really good pizza in La Crosse as we haven't had pizza for a few weeks now.  It is approximately, 14.5 miles to La Crosse via the Mississippi, so it should be a short ride.  They are expecting rain off & on, but we are hoping it holds off until we get settled at the marina.  More later.  Oh, BTW... I have a video of a barge going through the lock here at Trempealeau, but I still need to edit it.  Should have it posted later this evening.

Trempealeau Expedition 2011

Trempealeau, WI has a population of about 1,500. We left Pepin, WI at 8:45a.m. and arrived in Trempealeau at 6:00p.m. We covered about 60 miles over that 9 hours. Our average speed was about 6 miles an hour.  We went through 3 locks. Our longest wait was at Lock #1.  We waited about 20 minutes.

To Trempealeau

We left Lake Pepin at 8:45 Wed. a.m. The sky was cloudy and it was only about 50 degrees, but time to get the show on the road/water.  So off we motored.  The main navigation channel was on the Minnesota side of the lake so we went pretty much straight over to that side.  There came a barge around the bend.  He stayed on his side & we passed without any problem.

Above you can see the barge in the distance and below he is getting nearer.  You can click on a pic to enlarge it.

Below the barge is passing beside us.

Then just before reaching Alma we motored past this nice houseboat (below) which must have spent the night here along the Minnesota shore. Nice quiet spot.

We were motoring about 5 - 7 miles an hour.  Bob turned the boat upstream to see how much the current was helping.  It added about 3 miles an hour to our speed.  Nice!  We decided we would never take this trip going up river.  Too slow going against the current.

Lots of dredging activity going on between Winona and Lake Pepin.

The first lock went very smoothly but the anticipation and not knowing what to do was stressful.  You can see by the second lock (Lock 5), we were old hands & fooled around with the camera. My job was to climb to the bow and anchor to the side of the lock with a line and Bob ran the motor & anchored the aft end of our boat. 

It helped that no other boat traffic was around the locks.

Easy peasy.

The first lock dropped us about 3 feet, the second one (lock 5) about 5 feet and the 3rd one, we only dropped about 2". No kidding!  We thought it was a joke.  Pretty interesting, though. There are 27 Lock & Dams along the Mississippi.  Those 27 are all located along Missouri and north to St. Paul, MN.

A challenging day ahead

This morning we will pull anchor and head for Trempealeau, WI.  Trempealeau is about 50 miles down river. We will go from novices to experts navigating through the locks as there are 3 between here and there. Unfortunately, we will be heading into rain, possibly storms, with temps only in the lower 60's.  I'll take photos and movies so stay check back later.  Should get them on tonight if an internet connection can be had.

4 walleyes in one evening

The walleye start bitin' up here between 6:30p.m. and 9:30p.m. Monday evening I caught 4.  Only one met the 15" length limit.

Notice my shirt.  Heston bought Bob & I matching shirts for Christmas.  They say "I'm On a Boat I got my swim trunks and my flippie floppies"

Old Clipper Ketch

This old 38' clipper ketch came sometime while we were in Iowa last weekend.  It shares the other side of our dock.  It would be a very cool boat if it had a little TLC.

New Fishing pole

After using a clunky cheap rod and reel for 4 years, Bob decided it was time for me to get a new combo. He was right.  This and the mimmic minnows recommended by Tony, caught that 21 inch walleye last night.  By the way... don't you just love the pink on my fishing rod.  The rod is an "Ugly Stick" and the real is a "Pflueger".  When I aim to cast, it actually lands my bait in the lake now, not on the dock or in the tree or on someone elses boat.

Susie's 20 inch walleye

I love fishing.  Caught this 21 inch walleye off the dock right near our slip.  It came in at 2.5 lbs and is now filleted and in the freezer for tomorrow nights supper. Yummm!

Back from the Iowa weekend

After errands and appts. on Friday, we attended niece, Ali's graduation party Sat. evening.  On Sunday morning we drove to Laurens where we picked up Susie's son, Taylor.  Taylor rode to Pepin with us, dropped us off and drove our pickup truck back to Laurens, IA.  The pickup will stay with Taylor while we spend the next year on Heron.  Seems very odd not having "wheels", but we were without "wheels" only an hour when one of the friendly local residents offered his car, should the need arise.  Thanks Wally.  I'm telling you... this is a MUST visit destination.

The men checking out our home, Heron. Taylor is in the baseball cap & Bob kneeling.  Thank you Taylor for making that long ride up & back.  We hope you will meet up with us somewhere along the river for a ride on the boat. 

Pickle Factory Homemade Chips

The warm crispy homemade potato chips at The Pickle Factory are one of the most unique things served here.  They just come with every burger, sandwich, etc.  Oh so good!

Heron's first sail

Smooth sailing.  Things went very well until we were 1.5 miles from Lake City, MN and then the wind died.  Bob lowered the sails and we motored back to Lake Pepin.  All in all, no problems but found that a few minor adjustments in the lines will be made.

360 degrees around the marina jetty

Set sail today

Capt'n Bob?

Instilling confidence?  Mom, you are trusting your daughters' life with this guy?

Oh, that was him playing Ralphie from "A Christmas Story".

Here's Capt'n Bob.

He loves me.

Capt'n Bob at the helm.  Well, at least his feet are.  Isn't he talented.

Above you can see the tanbark sails after Bob removed the sail covers/bags, getting them ready to set sail.  This was a first and a very successful adventure.  Found that a few things need adjusting, but it was beautiful out there. That reminds me...there has not been one cloud in the sky for the last 2 days.

Above the dodger, looking into the main sail.

Way up yonder is Lake City, MN.

Bob gets his feet wet

This jetty was pretty much all under water when we came 14 days ago.

Bob stepped on the stones through this mostly flooded spot, but did get his feet wet along the way.

Hard to see him, but he is waaaayyyy out there.

 

And here is a huge and very heavy chain I found buried by the shore.  Bob says it is likely used to tie up barges.  The other end is anchored into the ground.

Note:  There is no humidity today.  My hair is as straight as it was when I combed it this a.m.  For those of you who do not know me, my hair is extremely curly and therefore, wild, as you will see when the humidity gets high.

Self-guided tour of homes in Pepin, WI

The original downtown was on both sides of First Street (closest street to the lake), but when the railroad bought the land on the lake side of First Street many businesses closed, while many moved to Second Street.

The house above was built in 1858 by George Densmore, this house was occupied in 1870, (and for many years after,) by a widow, "Aunt" Maggie Porter and her children.

This was the home of Benjamin Allen, an attorney and Civil War Colonel from Vermont, who was one of Pepin's early developers.  The house was built in 1857 and was purchased in 1876 by Philip Pfaff family.

The house above was built in 1876 as a family home by C.D. Nehlson, a German farmer, cabinetmaker-housebuilder and partner with Fred Stahl in the grain elevator business.  Of course, the white front porch is not original.

John Fuller, a marine engineer from Ohio, built this house for his family in 1874.

Hiram Fuller, machinist, marine engineer and farmer from New York built this family home in 1857 -58.  Anna Berry, who taught the class at the Barry Corner School in which Mary and Laura Ingalls were registered in 1871, later lived in this house until her death in 1941 at the age of 95.

The Lyman Fuller, blacksmith, and Mary Newcomb Fuller home was built in 1875. It once sat at this site but was demolished and this home was built

Now the Harbor Hill Inn, this house was built in 1891, when Edith Pfaff married Charles Francies.  They had this fine house built next door to her parents.

This information is provided in a brochure written by Martha Kuhlman & Catherine H. Latane.

Further details of these & other buildings in Pepin can be found in a book, also, by Martha & Catherine.

As you can see the homes are very well taken care of as are most of the home in Pepin.

Coming up!

Our plans for this week...
Sail Heron this afternoon.  Yippppeeee!  Watch for the post later this evening or tomorrow.

Thursday we are leaving the boat here & heading for Des Moines, IA in our pickup truck.  In Des Moines we will attend niece, Ali's, graduation reception from High School.  Way to go, Ali.  Then we will pick up son, Taylor and head back to Pepin, WI with him on Sunday.  Taylor will then drive our pickup truck back to his farm in Iowa, where the truck will be stored while we are sailing this next year.

Tuesday, a week from today, we plan to pull up anchor and head for Trempealeau, WI.  We should be there in time for the Blues Bash on May 28th.  How cool is that?

But the COOLEST is... Bob isn't working weekend nights in the summer!

Stay tuned!

Treasure Hunting

For Christmas Bob gave me this metal detector.  My first attempt was on the beach at Lake Pepin.

Here is what I found.

And here is what I found walking back from the shower in the morning. Hmmmmm?

The Weekend

The north end of Lake Pepin begins sixty miles south of St. Paul, MN. where the Mississippi River widens to 3 miles and extends south 28 miles. Lake Pepin is flanked on the Minnesota side by Hwy 61 and on the Wisconsin side by Hwy. 35. Both highways are marked with “Great River Road” green-and-white signs. There is a bridge crossing the river at Red Wing, MN and at Wabasha, MN.

The bluffs, covered with a variety of hardwood trees, rise up on both sides forming the river valley. In the fall, the bluffs appear to be covered with a fall colored patchwork quilt. In the spring, geraniums, marigolds, and impatiens bloom in window boxes hanging from the historic buildings paralleling the river’s shore.

Pepin, WI is only 7 miles north of the bridge at Wabasha. Pepin is home to about 900 very friendly residents and was birthplace of Laura Ingalls Wilder in 1867. Seven miles north of Pepin is a reconstructed log cabin at her birthplace. Memorabilia and displays of Laura and her work can be found in the museum in Pepin from May to October.

The first weekend in May brings out all the bargain shopper’s as they search for that unique treasure at the annual “100 mile garage sale”. The garage sale takes place up and down both sides of the lake.
The second weekend in May brings out all the art lovers for the self-guided “Fresh Arts Tour”. The tour is along the picturesque Wisconsin winding roads of Lake Pepin and Chippewa River valley. Fourteen artists’ studios and galleries are participating in 2011.

We are lucky enough to have 4 of those artists showing their work right here in Pepin. Johanna Berge will have her handmade jewelry displayed at Bnox, Tom Latane will be a block away with his metal work, Jane and Dave Smith are right on the river with creative metal yard décor and stained glass, and Leslie Stewart’s work will be displayed at the Lake Pepin Art Design Center. All are within easy walking distance. http://www.freshart.org/

Below is a metal piece crafted in the blacksmith furnace of Tom Latane in downtown Pepin. During the tour, we were able to see him working with the irons in the fire, etc.  Fascinating.

Tom's wife, Cathrine makes items out of tin.

Below is Smith Brothers Landing where Dave creates beautiful metal garden decorations. http://www.pepinsmith.com/gallery.htm

Pepin WI – www.pepinwisconsin.com

Bed & Breakfast – Harbor Hill Inn(below) and A Summer Place

Motels – Pepin Motel and Great River Amish Inn

Restaurants – Two Old Guys (huge yummy cinnamon roll $1.50, great pizza, homemade bread by two old guys who own the joint & one old guy who makes bread too.)

Harbor View Café (award winning riverfront elegant, yet casual) http://www.harborviewpepin.com/

We ate here on Saturday.  Bob had the Rattlesnake Beef Loin and Susie had the Chicken breast over pasta.  WOW.  It was terrific.  The next day we went back and shared a piece of Georgia Walnut Pie ala mode.  $7.00 and plenty for both of us. It had to be the best thing we have ever eaten.

The Pickle Factory (lakeside sports bar atmosphere with exceptional ribs, burgers, onion rings, Reuben’s, nachos. Oh, I give up…everything is very good.) http://www.pepinpicklefactory.com/

Dan’s Pepin Marina – our home from May 5th – May 24th. Peaceful, even though trains within 100 yds of our boat zoomed past sometimes as often as 3 times an hours. Believe it or not we actually got used to them.

On Deck Seminars and Charters, David Sheridan, owner. http://www.on-deck.com/

Laura Ingals Wilder - Birthplace - Pepin, WI

We would highly recommend this area for a long weekend destination.