Monday, September 16, 2013

A Mississippi River Institution - Hoppies


A Mississippi River Institution - Hoppies

From the early days planning this trip we have heard stories about Hoppies “Marina” on the Mississippi River.  It is located south of St Louis on the river below the tiny town of Kimmswick, MO. To get there we navigated the last two locks on the Mississippi River – one at each end of the chain of rocks canal also passing the confluence of the Missouri and the Mississippi.  Then we floated by the Arch in downtown St Louis while dodging barges staging for trips up or down the river.  From this point south the barges can be configured with larger loads than the 15 (3 by 5) loads which fit the locks up river. A lot of this “re” and “un” packing occurs in the St Louis area making for a busy stretch of river.  Sadly, St Louis does not have any pleasure boat marinas or even any place for cruisers or boaters to stop and enjoy the city.  Visits here are conducted from Alton or Hoppies.




 








 

 





We pulled into the famous riverside Hoppies marina about 1 in the afternoon – making 11 MPH on the river after the last lock due to the strong river current in our favor.  Hoppies is a unique marina with a long history of serving river traffic.  The current establishment is run by “Dame” Fern Hopkins and consists of multiple barges tied to the bank while floating on the river offering fuel, electric hook ups, and places to tie away from the passing barges. Truthfully the amenities are basic, thin, and rustic, but this is the last marina for 250 miles heading down river. Fern is famous for her nightly briefings where we  listened and took notes on her advice for the suitable anchorages and conditions we could expect down river.  She has lived here her whole life and keeps a close eye on the water using her network of guests and tow operator friends to provide up to date information on water levels, current, and obstacles. For us the news was not good as water levels are currently low, so we planned a few long days to get to the lakes. Complicating our trip will be several lock closures so stay tuned to find out how long it takes us to pop out on the other side…..







 

 

 


 Rustic but functional and full of fun friends
 
 
 
 
From Hoppies docks, there is a ramp and steep hill to climb and a short walk into the town of Kimmswick. This town is also interesting and a huge tourist draw.  The community dates back to before the Civil War and owes its revival to the patronage of Lucianna Gladney Ross an heir to the 7UP Company. She had spent time in her youth in the area and began revitalization in the late 70s. Today there is a vibrant community of shops and restaurants housed in 44 historic buildings.  We enjoyed lunch at the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery famous for its Levee-High Caramel Apple Pecan Pie – the pictures and Steve’s smile say it all. Even he had to bring leftovers home. We were disappointed to miss the Thursday tour of the Anheuser estate next to the marina but did enjoy their horses used for therapy and a view of the house from the river.

 











 








 
 




 

 

 
After a couple nights in Hoppies and fortified with brunch at the Blue Owl, we reluctantly unhooked the power cord – our friend in the days of 90+ degrees – and headed down river in a convoy of fellow loopers hoping for cooler weather and swift currents.

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