Key West of the Midwest-Grafton Illinois (Days 121- 124)

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Grafton calls itself the Key West of the Midwest. 

We were quite busy having a great time that I’m afraid I didn’t take enough photos to convey the ‘vibe’ of this town. It also rained quite a bit which does not encourage photo ops.  In spite of the weather this was a great stop and I’m glad we stayed here for 4 days.  

After a long cruise down here Mike enjoyed the hot tub and I went for a walk.  We had different needs after sitting in a boat all day. This town is really lit up at night.
We explored the town together the next day. We had a view from one bars deck down into another.  Can you see the outboard motors lining the deck rails as decorations?

There is an ice house in the back of one of the bars.  The original structure was built in 1834 and is one of two remaining in the state of Illinois.
We thought it was so cool, so it’s one of the first places we took our friends Jeff and Karen who visited us from Kansas City. Jeff is one of Mike’s friends from Bettendorf High School. He is also one of the 5 boys that cruised on their friends dad’s yacht in the story that Mike loves to tell.  Jeff added to the story.
There is a gondola and chairlift you can take up to a resort known for the view of the confluence of the Mississippi and the Illinois rivers.
On the way up we could see the marina and the Jackie B III!
The view was spectacular!

Mike and Jeff rode the Mountain Slide.
Karen and I rode the chairlift down.
The view was so wonderful that Mike and I went back up the next day with some Looper friends.
The view was a little bit better since the weather was a little nicer. 
I even went down the Alpine Slide. 
We really enjoyed our time here.





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