Bridges, Barges and Ferries

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Merrimac Ferry near Baraboo, Wisconsin

Even before leaving the Wisconsin Dells for Decorah, Storm and I began hunting for unusual nautical adventures.  On Lake Merrimac we found a fully automated cable ferry for a unique ride across the lake.  After our tranquil float on the Upper Iowa, Storm and I needed some bigger boat action so we headed east for about an hour to Lansing, Iowa and the banks of the Mississippi River.

Lansing Bridge across the Mississippi
Lansing Bridge across the Mississippi

I especially wanted to go back across the Blackhawk bridge which crosses the Mississippi there.  When we crossed it on the RV, I had my eyes closed. It is an “antique” bridge (in my  opinion) built before lumbering RV’s needed to cross the river and from my vantage point in the RV cab, it looked way too fragile to support us all the way across.  Apparently it was substantial enough as when I opened my eyes we were in Iowa and across the river.

We spent this day riding down and up the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi river sightseeing at Lock and Dam #8 and #9, watching the barge and train traffic along the river, then driving parts of the Driftless Area Scenic Byway back to Lansing.  There we dined at a bar and grill on the waterfront (the only one in town) and watched the  barges we had seen in the locks earlier glide under the Blackhawk Bridge to continue their river journey.

Riverside video with more pictures below:

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About Sunny Weathers

Pilot, motorcyclist and full time RVer. Follow me as I travel all over the US in my Country Coach RV volunteering, making new friends and pursuing a constant outdoor temperature between 70F and 80F. I'll share the fun and the tribulations and any great survival tricks I learn!

3 Replies to “Bridges, Barges and Ferries”

  1. Your bridge pictures are great!

  2. Sunny Weathers says: Reply

    Thank you – it was so beautiful there!

  3. In August 2011, French pilot Pascal Chretien achieved the first authenticated manned flight of a helicopter powered by an electric motor. The aircraft hovered for 2 minutes, 10 seconds. The Old Farmers Almanac

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