Slow Current

 

Geese in early morning mist

The river is very low, compared to times we’ve camped here in the past.

Julia took advantage of winds blowing upstream and spent some time in her inflatable kayak. She had to get out (and get wet) to get past the sandbars.

Callie is a fan of the river. I keep her leashed to avoid “exploring the other side” issues.

We ended the day at the Mississippi Brewing Company. The server started off with, “Don’t ask me about the beer because I don’t know anything about beer.”

Not a problem, I thought, ordering a milk stout from a Davenport brewery. Mississippi Brewing does not brew beer—just selling beers made elsewhere.  My milk stout turned out to be a coffee-infused beer that barely had enough body to taste like a porter—nothing like a milk stout. I was tempted to pour it down the drain of the very cool keg fountain above. Of course, being frugal, I choked it down. Blech!

Next up. Heading north!

Wildcat Den State Park

 The sunrises are worth getting up for at Shady Creek.

Wildcat State Park is less than two miles from Shady Creek COE, and we always make sure to hike the trails here.  When we arrived at about 9 a.m., there was a small wedding taking place.  We backtracked to a different trail so we would not intrude.  

Grist Mill

 

Time to Scamp

 Well, I didn't exactly win the Madtown Pickleball Open.  We won some games but we also lost enough to get eliminated before advancing very far. My foot has been bothering me, so that gives me a good excuse to take a break from pickleball and get hitched up.

Last week, we drove to Shady Creek COE, one of our favorite Mississippi River campgrounds and just north of Muscatine, Iowa.

The new sign is a gift from Julia’s brother Scott.

We didn’t have any big plans. I spent some time reading. Callie kept an eye on things.

We made it to our favorite happy hour at Muscatine's Contrary Brewing, where Monday beers are $4.

Julia had a hazy IPA.  I had a half pour of imperial stout, which I savored for just as long as Julia's larger beer.  I'm not a huge imperial fan, but this was probably the best that I've ever had. 

We made it back in plenty of time to enjoy an evening camped next the the big river.