Our first stop was at the National Great River Museum at the Melvin Price Lock and Dam---an interesting museum about the rivers, locks and water. They also had telescopes for eagle watching.
We got to see a barge go through the locks. They also had a simultion to "drive a barge"---I confess to crashing into the side of the Martin Luther King Bridge.
Later we went down the Great River Road where we spotted the Piasa bird (it is an ancient Indian bird which has been painted and re-painted over the years)
While on our way to Pere Marquette State Park, memories began to come back. Our MYF (Methodist Youth Fellowship) group used to go to that park at least once a year. I think we just picnicked, played ball, hiked. I thought the Lodge was further up the hill and that it was larger. I do recall the chiggers I got rolling down this hill.
The exterior looked very nice. I checked a plaque and as I suspected, this was built in the late 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Inside was very warm and cozy, like I recalled, but the chess pieces weren't as nicely carved or as large as I had remembered.
We had lunch in the Lodge---Dave had fried chicken and I had catfish. Both were delicious.
While there, we tried to remember the last time we had been to Pere Marquette. . . .
It was 38 years ago when we got engaged! Dave proposed to me on the ski lift (no snow---we just were riding it up for the scenery). But the road is closed and the ski lift is probably gone, so we couldn't re-visit the scene.
We're thinking of staying at the Lodge for our 40th anniversary. Only 2 more years to go.
2 comments:
cool!!!!!!! i LOVE revisiting old places i haven't been to in forever. so neat. i guess i've NEVER heard about how dad proposed. weird, huh?
i think we probably never told you---if someone had asked, I would have remembered, but after 38 years . . .it's not a story like yours with Kyle, the roses and the bum.
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