Think about this ... "be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle"





Sunday, November 8, 2009

This Cape not that cape

Cape Girardeau, MO ~ what a nice area this has been. As well as what a terrific Lodge! What a treasure.

Chad, the first photo was taken for you ~ it reminded me of one of an old Coca-Cola wall I took for you about a year ago in Sioux Falls.

The photo below is our campsite as seen from across the lake ~ oh so quiet and peaceful. The building you see behind the coach is a pavilion used, I imagine for Elks functions. On the side of the lake (the side where I took the photo) are two buildings, with kitchens I believe, that are also rented out from time to time. As well as twice a year the Lodge holds a camping weekend for its members!
Cape Girardeau is in central Missouri (well perhaps a bit more southern than central) on the very east side of the state. Cape Girardeau is separated from Illinois by the mighty, muddy Mississippi River.

We finally got the bikes out on Saturday and went for a short ride. We found a couple interesting stops along the way ~ below was a public fishing access area. Well the road was closed off (sort of) because the river had so spilled its banks. To the right of that pavilion building on the left side of the photo is something with a green roof ~ we had no clue what it was until someone told us it a raft built and being used by three or four young men who are rafting down the river. We were told they have a web site but for the life of me I can't remember it's name and couldn't find anything about it when I googled it. I bet that would be a great site to peruse!

Beyond the raft is a barge (well it was actually a total of twelve barges) being pushed up the river by two tugs. Hey, if they are pushing a water craft, rather than pulling it are they still called tugs?
The next stop we made was a really nice "scenic overlook" so up up up we went and son of a gun if the same group of barges didn't catch up with us!
After that we went back into downtown Cape Girardeau. We had been there on Thursday (I think it was) because I saw an ad for a Cajun restaurant (Broussard's) ~ oh MY what a Cajun restaurant it is ... I had the best etouffee I've had in years - crawfish etouffee of course! YUM YUM YUM.

When we were in the downtown area on Thursday the "gates" along the river were closed. They were open on Saturday so we had access to the river. There is apparently a walkway along there but it was underwater for the most part.

Looking south from the open gates is this huge bridge going to Illinois (the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge) - doesn't it look so similar to the Zakim Bridge in Boston?
I will close this post with an evening photo from our "campsite" looking over the lake to the Lodge up on the hill.

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