RUN THE ROCK EXPEDITION!

Just making it to the area where the race was to begin, was enough of an accomplishment for me to cause me to raise my hands in gratitude!  I live about three hours away from where the race was held, so that meant traveling to the area the night before, and staying in a motel.  (The event has to start very early in the morning, so that the course can be cleared in time for the regularly scheduled Lost Canyon Cave Tours, via golf carts, to proceed.)  I had driven to Top of the Rock about one month prior, in order to scope out the gated entrance to the expansive property.  I knew there was a normally a  fee for non-hotel guests to go through the gates, so I had contacted the race officials (fitness@basspro.com) in advance to ask if I still paid the gate fee, since I was a race participant.  I was told there would not be a fee for me to enter, and that volunteers would be at the entrance, to assure my admission onto the campus.  When I turned into the entrance area, it was completely dark, and instead of me going through the gated entrance, there was a person holding a flashlight, directing me to turn right, BEFORE the entrance gate.  So I followed several other cars down a dark road into, what seemed like a black hole, and kept going in the direction of people waving flashlights, until there were no cars in front of me, as they had all pulled off to park.  So, I too, pulled off to park, in what appeared to be an unpaved field, and got out of my car.  Still with no clue as to where I was, I followed a couple in front of me farther into the darkness, and asked if they knew where the registration packet pick up was supposed to be.  They said they did not know either, so I started walking in the darkness with them, in a direction where we heard voices. 

After walking a long ways in the darkness, we saw a line of people and joined in their line.  I asked one of them if this was the late packet pickup line, and they said, they did not know, but hoped that it was! This pre-dawn experience was referred to "late packet pick up", because registrants were told to pick up their packets on Thursday, before the Saturday race.  However, that would have involved a two-night motel stay for me, so that is why I opted to pick up my packet on the morning of the race. 

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When it was my turn to be at the computer checkin, I was delighted that they actually had my name on their list, and they gave me my race "bib", which had my number on it and the size teeshirt I had requested.  The race director, who I was introduced to later as Melissa Bondy, pointed me to farther down the table to receive my tee shirt, vinyl Bass Pro bag, and safety pins to affix my race number to my teeshirt. 

The gals giving out the bags and teeshirts assured me safety pins were inside the bags, but having once been in a 5K that ran out of safety pins, I did not leave the area, until I was sure I had what I needed.  The shirts for the three mile were lilac, and the shirts for the six mile event were blue.  The photo also shows the Bass Pro bags each registrant was given.  With it still being dark, and still being completely disoriented as to where I was, I followed a group of people who said they were going in the direction of the starting line. ( I did not want to use up my energy walking the long way back into "GOK"-where to try to find where I had parked my car, to put my bag into my car, so I had assumed I would be carrying that bag all during the 3-mile event.)

So, when I found the starting line, I took a few photos, then proceeded to find a rock to sit on to wait for the event to begin.  (That is the photo you see that introduces this blog)  After it got to be daylight, I spotted Brooke, who had been introduced as the social media guru for the Bass Pro Fitness Series, and I asked if I could get her photo. 

She proceeded to take my photo, and told me to be sure my race  number was showing for the photo.  I did not realize it at the time, but the computer timing chip was affixed to the back of the race bib.  For the 5K events I have participated in before this time, we were given the computer timing chips in our race packet, which we then affixed by tying them onto our shoes.  Then we were asked to remove the chips from our shoes after the event, and turn them back into the race officials.  

The runners in the 6 mile part of the event were scheduled to start at 7 am, whereas the runners in the 3 mile part were scheduled for 7:15 am.  The photo below shows the 6 milers lining up, with the sun just barely peeping over the mountain tops.  All of the pre-race information had alerted the participants that the course was VERY hilly, steep, and wet in parts, so they should not be expecting any outstanding "speed" times.  Rather, the emphasis was on enjoying the beautiful scenery. 

Even though this was not a "qualifier race" for something like the Boston Marathon, the professional timers were there with their specialized equipment that records each participants time as they cross the activated equipment at the beginning and the end of the race.  We were told in advance that everyone had to be off the course in ninety minutes, so the afore-mentioned tourist golf cart tours could begin. 

The photo below was on Facebook page of the Bass Pro Fitness Series.  I found myself in the photo---the one in the yellow, long sleeved jacket.  (I had realized that I could flatten the Bass Pro bag I had been given at the start of the race, and stick it in the back of my tights, so I could have a "hands free" walk along the course.)  

Notice this gentleman carrying a youngster in a backpack, had also flattened his Bass Pro bag, and put it away, behind his 33 race number.  I was huffing and puffing going up this long hill, so I had great admiration for this man carrying so much additional poundage on his back, as he also walked up the hill!

When you go up a hill in the Ozarks, you can be sure that you will eventually be going down, and this hill was so steep, it needed a warning sign!

The race director told us when she was greeting the crowd before the event started, that heavy rains had washed out the paved golf cart road along part of the course, so we would be crossing gravel terrain for a bit, so I was not surprised when the pavement ended. 

However, what DID surprise me, was making my way down an improvised path in the woods, to reach the lower level of the gravel road.  I am guessing that this mother, who had been pushing a child in a stroller for the 3 mile event, did not know an off-trail passage was part of the deal!  Fortunately, several volunteers and other walkers, assisted her in carrying the stroller down to the next level. 

Top of the Rock started a "Nature at Night" golf cart tour last year, that expands the operating hours of the golf cart tour through the Lost Cave Canyon.   To enhance the experience, they have added some sculptures to the course, that are quite dramatic, when lighted at night.  The bird in flight (shown below) is one of those features. 

The space across the canyon is made accessible, first by a trail that leads down to a switchback, that will take one to the entrance of the bridge over the canyon.

Photo below shows runners exiting the Amish-built covered bridge.  (If you visit www.BigCedar.com , you can learn about additional Amish-built structures within their nature preserve)

Below a walker is approaching the entrance to the cave, that sits at the bottom of Lost Canyon.  The volunteer standing at the door is alerting the man to slow down to let his eyes adjust to the darkness, and let his feet get prepared for the slick, wet surface he will be going over. 

This is the photo of the four-story tall waterfall inside the cave.   The entire acreage is a part of the Top of the Rock Ozarks Heritage Preserve.  It is a privately-owned operation by Johnny Morris, that is open to the public, and has an entrance fee. 

The blue lighting makes for a romantic moment for this couple to enjoy, as they pause for a selfie photo at the waterfall. 

I was told one cannot get lost inside this cave, so I kept putting one foot carefully in front of the other, in the dimly lit space, until I could see the proverbial "light at the end of the tunnel"!

When folks exited the cave, there were volunteers there to provide some water for hydration.  I had not been carrying a water bottle, so I was ready to take them up on their offer!

One of the incredibly scenic areas along the course is called Horseshoe Falls, and it has two different steel bridges spanning its sides, above some gushing waterfalls. 

Bass Pro retail shops are famous for having dozens of deer mounts scattered throughout their retail space, so possibly it is a Johnny Morris requirement, that there is a tribute to this antlered creature.  The one at Lost Canyon Cave Trail is humongous, and abides in front of the waterfall, with its legs hiked up, as though it has just landed from a steep jump.  I have seen photos of what it looks like when it is fully lighted at night, and it presents a very stunning scene! ( see www.explorebranson.com for more information)

There is a constant flow of water onto the pavement at this point, so a portable metal bridge provides a safer alternative to those who do not want to wade through the water. 

The photo below of a girl inside the covered bridge, gives you a good look at the carefully-engineered beams that make up the structure.  As you can see there are lights that line its trusses, so this must look like a tunnel of "X" lights on the nighttime tour.  (By the way, if you search on You Tube, there are videos that visitors have taken of the night tour, as they rode through on their golf carts, enabling you to have a preview of the experience.) 

Can you see the figure below of a lady passing in front of the waterfall?  That provides some dimension/scale to how gigantic this canine is, depicted howling at the moon (represented by globe on the hillside).  Again, this would be much more dramatic when it is lit up at night, and the globe does indeed, look like the moon. 

There was an official race photographer stationed near the last waterfall; and, since most of the other participants had passed this point much earlier, he had time to take a photo of my happy heart gesture with my cell phone. 

At the beginning of the race, the director encouraged the runners to take the time to walk out onto the overlook, although it was not a requirement for getting in the required mileage.   Of course, I was curious to see what I could view at the end of the overlook, and wanted to get a photo of the "bird" that guarded its entrance.  The poles in front of the walkway overlook, indicate one is NOT supposed to drive their golf cart onto the overlook. 

The Top of the Rock Nature Preserve is located adjacent to Table Rock Lake, near Ridgedale, Missouri.  Seeing this feature of stones along the trail, that looked liked table tops stacked on top of each other, it is easy to see where the name "Table Rock" originates!

This is a photo of me, holding the sign, indicating I had finished the event.  It was a photo I saw in September of 2023 on social media, of a runner holding the same sign, that first alerted me to a fitness event that takes place within a few miles of Branson, Missouri, and just a few hours of where I live; and, it motivated me to strive toward getting in better shape physically.    Perhaps this photo will also motivate someone, to start a training regime that will enable them to participate in the 2025 Run the Rock!  (More details of my training regime the last year is provided in blog dated, September 7, 2024, entitled "Grace for the Race Expedition")

The entrance sign at Top of the Rock is beside a bronze statue of a Native American lifting up a buffalo skull.  It can symbolize many things, one of them being an offering of thanksgiving for the resources the  buffalo provided to the Native American tribes.  It can also represent the resilience and survival of the Native American tribes.  Leviticus 7:30 also talks about holding one's sacrifice in your hands and lifting it up as a special gift to the LORD.  The sacrifice of Jesus on the cross is another example.  Romans 12:1 says in part, "....in view of God's mercy, offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God---this is your true and proper worship."  When one sacrifices their own comfort and desires, so they can make their body more fit to serve God, it is an act of worship.  When that is the motivation for my commitment to keep active, it gives me "MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

GRACE FOR THE RACE EXPEDITION!

For the last 12 months, it has been on my "Vision Board" to participate in the "Run the Rock" event at Top of the Rock, in Ridgedale, Missouri.  Today that vision became a reality, and I got to hold the sign that announces I finished the race!  It is such a unique event, with so many unusual features (and I took SO MANY photos along the way) that I will devote an entire blog to it in the future.  But for now, the picture of me taken on September 7, 2024,  will suffice: 

The information that follows tells about the thought process and training that preceded today:

I saw this photo on social media, and was curious about what it represented, since the headquarters of Bass Pro Shops, is not far from where I live.  I had driven the Top of the Rock Cave Tour course before in a golf cart, when it first opened, and wrote about it, in a blog called "Lost Canyon Cave Expedition", dated August 30, 2014, which is available in the archives of this blog.  Knowing what it was like in a golf cart, made me aware that it was not going to be a "stroll in the park" kind of event!

Then, I saw where a  young Branson performer I have been following since she was just a kid, mentioned the Run the Rock event on her Instagram feed, back in September of 2023.  The very talented musician, Catherine Haygood, is pictured below with the numerous awards she has received at various fitness events.

When I googled "RUN THE ROCK", I learned that it is an annual event, held at the Top of the Rock property, in Ridgedale, Missouri.  (See the August 30, 2014 blog I wrote about it in the archives, entitled, "Lost Canyon Cave Expedition" )

I learned that the Run the Rock event is part of the fitness series sponsored by Bass Pro Shops ( www.fitness.basspro.com ), and they had a photo of previous events on the Internet (see screen shot below).

I knew I wanted to participate in the event, so I made myself a note to register for it, as soon as the registration opened, because in the past, it has filled up, and had to turn away applicants.  I also printed out a photo of the poster, colored it, and hung it beside my treadmill, to keep me motivated to persevere in the training!

From reading their website, I saw that the Bass Pro Fitness Series has had a positive impact in promoting healthy living, as shown by the statistics from 2023:

I sent a message to the person in charge of their fitness series, asking if they could send me a photo of one of the medals, so I could add it to my "Vision Board", being used to keep me motivated.  They sent the photos below:

The race description emphasizes that it is a very hilly course, so I added the training regime of a one mile (half of it uphill!) round trip walk, to my time on the treadmill.  

I also made some "stones of remembrance" to remind me to be diligent in training, with my goal in mind and ever before me!

Weight management is part of the discipline involved in my training, because excess body weight puts more strain on the knees.  Likewise, weight training is important, so I put photos of the weight lifting equipment in the collage below. 

I keep a calendar beside my training equipment, and record the days I discipline myself to complete the training.  In composing this collage of the various aspects of my training routine, to stay fit for the event I am planning on participating in, the images bring to mind one of my First Place 4 Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) memory verses that says, "All athletes are disciplined in their training.  They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize."  1Corinthians 9:25

This leads me to the most important aspect of my training for the "Race of Life", and that is my daily quiet time with God's Word.  The Bible helps me stay focused on that ETERNAL PRIZE, mentioned in the memory verse above.  The First Place 4 Health Bible study I am currently working on, is called Grace For The Race, and a photo of its cover is shown below:

Notice the graphics show a running course, with the lanes and starting line, marked in white.  The end point of the race is left to the viewer's imagination.  For me, that end point, is being embraced by the arms of Jesus in heaven.  Decades ago, I made the decision to accept the fact that Jesus died on the cross, to take the penalty for my sins.  When he arose from death, it also meant that death is not the end for me---rather, it is the beginning of my time in heaven, to be with my heavenly Father, and all those who have accepted the salvation offered by Jesus Christ.  Now THAT gives me "MILES OF SMILES'!

FLOATZILLA 2024 EXPEDITION!

 A few years ago, I saw a friend wearing a tee shirt with this design on it, and not being able to determine what it was, I asked her, and she said, "Can't you see the kayak in the center?"  I had to readjust my eyes, but finally I could see a kayak.  She had just returned from a paddling event called Floatzilla, but still, the design made no sense to me.  It was way back in 2017, when Peggy V. first told a group I was kayaking with, about an event in her former hometown, called Floatzilla. 

The reason I did not connect with the design, is because I had not seen the movie Godzilla, which is about a creature of the deep, who is depicted in photo below (notice the scales around the eye, which are also a part of the tee shirt design).  The word is based on a Japanese word for "ugly monster creature of the sea", which sounds like "godzilla". to an English-speaking person. 

Fast forward to August, 2024, and I find myself in a group of nine ladies, who are headed from Arkansas, with kayaks in tow, to be a part of this event, called Floatzilla.  The name of our group (WHOyakers), is a "combo" name, in the same way that floatzilla is a "combo" name.  The WHO stands for Women Hiking the Ozarks, which is the "origin" story of this group of adventurers.  The group enjoyed being together, and when the Ozarks gets too hot to hike, it is time for the group to get together to kayak the numerous lakes and streams in our area.  On our drive northward, we stopped at Centennial Park in Missouri's Jefferson City capitol, for a picnic, in a scenic spot overlooking the Missouri River.

 

The park had a nice view of the Missouri State Capitol building:

 

The park was situated on a bluff directly above the train tracks that run beside the Missouri River.

Our next stop was The Dutchman's Store (www.DutchmansStore.com), in the small town of Cantril, Iowa.  I was especially looking forward to this stop, because Peggy had told us that they were famous for their inexpensive, soft-serve ice cream, where you can make your ice cream cone as tall as you want!

  On their website, they describe themselves as an old-time general store, bragging that if they do not have it---you do not need it!  Apparently, this is where descendants of Goliath shop (remember the Bible story of the giant David overcame with a slingshot?), because one of the employees was displaying a pair of GIANT denim jeans!

Our next stop was the swinging bridge (also called the Lovers Leap Bridge), located in Columbus Junction, Iowa (Louisa County).  It is a 262 foot cable bridge, with wooden planks, that spans a ravine, 100 feet below you.   One person can get it noticeably swinging, so you can imagine the effect that nine adventurous ladies have on the swinging action!

 

    

It was a few more hours of driving, but we finally made it safely to the rental we had on Campbell's Island, Illinois.  The large, paved driveway had plenty of room for "The Three Yakateers" trucks, and we were able to unload the trucks and store the nine kayaks securely in the garage.  

After a good night's rest, we took an early morning stroll through the neighborhood, down to the park with a huge monument, telling about a historic battle fought here in the War of 1812.  In 1814, a pro-British band of Sauk Indians led by Black Hawk, attacked a force of United States soldiers under Lieutenant John Campbell.  The U.S. soldiers were defeated by Black Hawk and his warriors.  Many locations in the area remember the victor of this battle, because they bear the Black Hawk name.  

This was the first time I had ever seen a Mississippi River Mile Marker.  Now that I have seen it, I am eager to see the beginning of the Mississippi River, which is located at Lake Itaska, in Minnesota.  At that location, one can walk across the Mississippi, on some strategically placed stepping stones. (or so I have been told).  The Mississippi River is the second longest river in North America, flowing 2,350 miles from Lake Itasca to the Gulf of Mexico.  The closer one gets to the Gulf of Mexico, the smaller the river mile number.  For example, the Interstate 10 Bridge near Baton Rouge, is listed as Mile #229.3.  So based on the system, Campbell Island where we are located, is 490 river miles north of the Gulf of Mexico.

 

Below is a photo I found on the Internet of the stepping stones across the Mississippi River, at its headwaters.  I was able to walk across the headwaters of the Sacramento River in California with my son, and now I have the goal of walking across the headwaters of the Mississippi River, which means a visit to northern Minnesota.  I am assuming this goal will probably need to be met at a time OTHER than during one of Minnesota's legendary winter seasons!

After exploring the Campbell's Island park on the Mississippi River, we headed to another location along the river, which was the home where Christine and her husband lived, before they moved to the Ozarks.  The current owner was incredibly gracious, showing us around the property, and taking our photo. 

We continued on our tour of the Quad Cities area to this location downtown, where a four-story mural honoring Chief Black Hawk is being restored on one of the buildings there.

No visit to the Quad Cities is complete, without a stop in the John Deere Pavilion (www.johndeere.com).  The attraction is free, and I was overwhelmed by all the photo opportunities!  A staff member took the photo below of all nine of our ladies, standing within the prongs of a forty-foot- wide, John Deere combine. ( After this photo, all nine of us tried (unsuccessfully) to fit into the cab of the combine--remembering past fads of trying to see how many people could fit into a volkswagon "bug" car!)  In the photo below, a staff member showed us how to do the "corn pose", which is why we all have one arm lifted, to resemble a corn stalk. 

Besides giant farm equipment, they also had smaller vehicles that were more my style!

All that climbing around on farm equipment worked up an appetite, so we stopped at Lagomarcino's, and Peggy told us she had been in school with some of the Lagomarcino family.  It is a turn of the century ice cream parlor, and confectionery.  On their website (www.Lagomarcino.com) I learned that the family first arrived in Moline, Illinois, in 1908, and used their skills to satisfy the "sweet tooth" of the people of Moline.  I tasted their ice cream, and can assure you they have perfected their product!

Our next stop was to tour the Rock Island Arsenal, where Peggy's father used to work.  In keeping with enhanced security measures of military operations, we each had to complete a questionnaire, show a photo ID, give our SS# so they can do a background check), and be photographed.  This gave each one of us a plastic photo ID badge, that will be good for one year. (you can print out the form ahead of time by going to the website of www.Army.mil/ria to get complete instructions/requirements for a visitor pass).   So next time we want to visit, we can just put our card in the card reader at the gate, and not have to fill out all the paperwork again.  At the visitor center, there is an overlook of Lock #15, which was the lock that the gals would be kayaking through on Saturday.  As luck would have it, two of the park rangers were there, and told us about the work they would be doing at the lock on the day of Floatzilla, to assure safe passage for all of the kayaks.  They are shown in photo below, bookending our group. 

The floor of the visitor center is a satellite view of the Mississippi River area that we were visiting.  We were currently at the location designated as 12 in the green square.  A somewhat unusual aspect of this area is that the Mississippi River runs from the east to the west here.  Normally, one thinks of the Mississippi running north to south.  The city names printed in yellow, comprise what is know as "Quad Cities"--Davenport & Bettendorf in Iowa; Rock Island and Moline in Illinois. 

If one has done much exploring of the Mississippi River, you are probably familiar with the logo shown here, of a  steamboat , surrounded by a captain's steering wheel, proclaiming the Great River Road.  I have visited other Great River Road Interpretive Centers in areas around Memphis, Tennessee, and Vicksburg, Mississippi.  Each one has been a worthwhile stop, and there are many more that you can discover on their website at www.ExperienceMississippiRiver.com.  The Interpretive Center  on Rock Island was fascinating---It had displays showing the past, present, and future aspects of the river, a gift shop, viewing platform, and dioramas depicting areas of interest. 

We also toured the historic Colonel Davenport house (www.davenporthouse.org) while on the grounds of Rock Island Arsenal.  It is a circa 1833 structure and was considered a mansion of it time. 

According to our local guides, a stop at Whitey's Ice cream is a MUST.  (I am easily convinced that any ice cream store is a must see!)  They have more than one location, and you can find out more on their website at www.whiteysicecream.com ; I felt compelled to order the "Mississippi Mud" flavor, and I was NOT disappointed!

In addition to their hand-dipped ice cream, they also operate a soft serve store next door  We enjoyed using the photo prop, the "Country Style Ice Cream" store had, adjacent to their picnic tables. 

Our next stop was to go to Credit Island, to pick up our packets for Floatzilla.  There was a different table, for each of the different launch points along the river (Notice the green "Empire Park" sign, beside the table we were looking for)

Outside the building with the packet pickup info, there was a display of outdoor equipment, including these incredibly beautiful "Touring Canoes", that Canadian waters are famous for.  

Besides receiving a green Floatzilla tee shirt as part of our registration payment, our group was scheduled to serve as volunteers to help at Empire Park, early on the morning of the event; so. we also received a different tee shirt for volunteers.    The volunteers really stood out, wearing their bright red and yellow, tie-dye shirts!

After we all had our packets, tee shirts, whistles, and River Action litter bags, we headed to one of the parks close to the Iowa/Illinois bridge, that would serve as a launching spot the next day.  There happened to be a man there, who agreed to take a photo of our group, with the bridge, a full moon, and the commercial tourist boat, Celebration, in the background.  The low rays of the sun gave a a cheery golden appearance .   I like to say the photo shows the Mississippi River behind us, and the Mississippi mud in front of us. (Flood waters from a while back, had deposited some extra sediment near the riverbank)

While we were out sightseeing, we stopped at a produce stand that Peggy's family had patronized for decades, and bought some of the famous Iowa corn.  Diana and Peggy took it outside at our vrbo, to complete the task of "schucking" away the corn silks. 

 

 

Very early Saturday morning, August 17, 2024, we put on our volunteer shirts and headed out for Empire Park, where we would be assisting with parking, late packet pickup, and boat launching.  Photo below shows our group, along with the man who was the "supervising" volunteer, who had brought the packets not already picked up.  

There were hundreds of canoes and kayaks to assist in launching that day, and it was fun seeing all the different kinds.  This rig especially interested me, because its rack of boats was two deep.  Usually in our area, the trailers carrying kayaks are not this long. 

It was reassuring to see this fire and rescue boat in the launch area, ready to be of assistance if there were any mishaps. 

This photo below shows my WHOyaker friend, Dorothy, assisting drivers in showing where to go to launch their boats, and then where to move their vehicle to, after unloading.  Isn't that a cool shirt design??   Best volunteer tee shirt EVER!!

Parking volunteers were needed because, in addition to Floatzilla, visitors were driving into Empire  Park for a "Shine and Show" vintage car event.

This was also the starting point for a foot race going on that morning, called a color run.  The participants start out with a white tee shirt, then get doused along the way with all kinds of colored powders!

This trip was especially enjoyable for my friend, Diane, and I, because we got to visit once again, with a fellow hiker we had hiked many miles with, during a Road Scholar program (www.roadscholar.org) in Southern Illinois ( see my story about that experience in the Archives, dated October 27, 2013, and entitled "Road Scholar Expedition to Pakentuck!).  In the intervening years since the Road Scholar program, we were friends on Facebook, and I remembered that Clayton had mentioned years ago about participating in a paddling event in the Quad Cities area.  So when I asked him about it, and mentioned I was coming with my friends to Floatzilla 2024 (but did not want to paddle as many miles as they did), he offered to assist me in getting to a launch area with a shorter paddle required.  Photo below shows Clayton, with Diane and me. 

Clayton had arrived, as promised, at Empire Park, with his kayak already loaded on top of his car, and proceeded to load mine on the other rack. 

Clayton wanted to meet the other WHOyakers, and when I introduced him, he was visibly "taken back", by their showing appreciation to him, for transporting me and my kayak, to a less strenuous launch area!

Since Clayton and I had a much shorter paddle, we proceeded to the Dunn Brothers coffee shop (www.DunnBrothers.com), owned by one of the Road Scholar alums from our 2013 hiking group.

Some of the other Road Scholar alums from that trip, who still lived in the area, met us for a "reunion" at the Dunn Brothers coffee shop.  It was fun to get to hear about their lives, since we had all hiked together many years ago!

After leaving the coffee shop, we drove to Credit Island, where we unloaded our kayaks from the top of Clayton's car, and prepared to start our paddle across the Mississippi River!  I have to admit, I was somewhat apprehensive about paddling on such a daunting body of flowing water, and relied on praying God's Word to give me the courage to proceed.  I have this verse laminated, and keep it in my life jacket pocket:  "I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you"  Isaiah 43:2a  I assure you, I did NOT want to be overwhelmed (or overturned!) when I was passing through the Mississippi River!

God answered my prayers, and we made it safely across the Mississippi River!  I can now say I have paddled from Iowa to Illinois!  Photo below shows me giving thanks, after we had come ashore in Illinois.  The gathering place for Clayton, me, and all the other hundreds of paddlers was Lake Potter, a 50-acre protected lake, with an outlet to the Mississippi River.  Floatzilla participants who do not want to do any paddling whatsoever on the Mississippi River, can simply show up at Lake Potter,and be a part of the group photo. 

Floatzilla is marketed as the largest paddle event in the Mississippi River.  This crane is displaying all the flags of the states who have registered participants in Floatzilla, as well as all the states the Mississippi River flows through.   At a designated time, this same crane lifts a metal basket (about the size of a refrigerator) holding a single photographer, who is tasked with taking a photo of all the paddlers that have clustered together in Potter Lake for a photograph.  Originally, the stated intent was to break the Guiness Book of World Records for the most paddlers gathered in a single photograph.  Now, it seems that goal is secondary, and just having an enjoyable time on the water is the main emphasis. 

There were food vendors and live music on the banks of Potter Lake, so Clayton and I enjoyed a delicious taco, while we waited for the rest of the WHOyakers to paddle into Potter Lake. 

When the rest of the WHOyakers arrived, Clayton positioned his kayak so he could get a photo of the nine of us in our kayaks, having survived our Mississippi River paddling adventure!

The photo below shows me and my WHOyaker friend, Dorothy, patiently waiting for the crowd to clear out, after the photographer (suspended above us, dangling from the crane) had signaled to the crowd that he finished his photo assignment.  There was a camera drone flying over us and the rest of the crowd, and we were able to watch the event on YouTube, from the drone footage that was taken. 

There were still volunteer opportunities after the photo was taken, and the photo below shows Peggy, Dorothy, and Christine, hauling out one of the kayaks for a group I called The Sunflower Girls, because of their shirts and the sunsflowers on their kayaks. 

After all nine kayaks were loaded in "The Three Yakateers" trucks, anyone in our group who had the energy went to an area of the Quad Cities, where the Backwater Gamblers Waterski Show is staged.  We had visited the day before, because Christine's husband had been involved with the group, when they lived there.  The ski team leaders told us that on Saturday afternoon, they would be doing an annual event where they provide a waterski experience for special needs individuals, such as folks who are confined to a wheel chair.

There was a vast array of adaptive waterski devices, suitable for a variety of ages.  We talked to one of the individuals in a wheel chair who had just completed her time on the special water ski device, and she said it was one of the highlights of her summer.  Each participant is flanked on either side, by a trained waterskiier who can be of immediate assistance, if needed.  We got to see one of the youngsters give a broad smile, and wave his hands, as he breezed by his parents, who were watching in the bleachers.  The Backwater Gamblers put on a free water-ski show on select Sunday afternoons, and you can learn more about their organization on their Facebook page called, "Backwater Gamblers Water Ski Show Team". 

Our group of weary paddlers left the Quad Cities early Sunday morning, Southbound for the Ozarks.  The highlight of that final day was getting to see "The Finnegan Dinner Show", near St. Louis, at the relative's home of one of our kayakers.  I call it a "dinner show" because toddler Finnegan entertained us, as we ate the dinners we had carried into their house, from the leftovers we had packed in our ice chests, in Illinois.  And the best part, we did not have to buy a ticket to see this show---it was delightful!

This entire Floatzilla trip, with these wonderful ladies, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!