Wed, Aug 29th – What a way to spend my Birthday!

We spent the day on the Hellrungs’ houseboat (see pictures) on the Mississippi River where we motored up the river and then drifted back down. The current was pretty strong and the river very muddy with lots of floating logs because it was considered at flood stage and they had the dam open down river. We saw many tows with barges going up the river. This area of the Mississippi is where the Illinois and Missouri Rivers flow into the Mississippi. The Mississippi flows east at this point in the river too, instead of north/south. We ended the day with a wonderful dinner at the Mississippi Half Step Restaurant in Grafton; melt-in-your-mouth filet mignon with a bourbon mushroom sauce, rosemary potatoes and asparagus!