The family went to the banks of Mississippi today and explored the Lock and Dam and the small river museum.
Sunny was really into the exhibits, and had to be forcibly removed from the inside of this one:
But the view from the observation deck was stunning:
In case you ever wondered what the lock part of a lock and dam system looks like:
And the other half—see that vertical cut in the side? It’s a ladder, in case anyone falls in. If you ever do, warned our tour guide, don’t swallow any of the water:
No boats or barges came through while we were there. One gentleman kept asking the Corps of Engineers employee whether they were sure nothing would arrive in time for his family to see. She kept telling him that no barges were due, and leisure traffic generally only warned them half an hour ahead, so she couldn’t predict anything.
This clearly wasn’t the answer he wanted. “Can’t you just fill it up for us?”
Ummm. No. “But there is a model over there with water,” she said, pointing to the children’s area, where my children were busy drowning the city in miniature.
I didn’t hear his reply—I had to save the city. And the floor.
And take one last picture of a nearby historic clock tower:
And then take us all for ice cream.
It was a Very Good Day. How was yours?
Earful of Cider 