Page 16 - USA ROAD TRIP SUMMER of 2000

level rose. When they opened the front doors, the combination

moved forward. When the front two barges were out of the lock –
they attached them to the concrete wall extending beyond the

lock. The tug and first barge unhooked their side-to-side coupling.

With only inches between the lock and the tug on one side and
the free barges on the other the captain backed the tug back into

the lock. He then pivoted across the lock to position behind the
front barges. They recoupled them end-to-end again and off they

went – to the next lock where they would start the whole process
again. That explains why it takes 5 days to make the trip.

Each of the three barges carried as much fuel as 870 fuel tanker

trucks. They gave the number that a barge combination ¼ mile in

length would carry as much cargo as 18-wheelers lined up for 11.5
miles bumper to bumper.

The barges primarily carry fuel products, fertilizers, and chemicals

from south to north and grain, corn, and soybeans to the south. A
lot of the corn goes all the way down the Mississippi to New

Orleans to be exported out of the country. What stays in this
country is used for cow feed and for products made from corn.

Very little of it is sweet corn for table corn.

We went down to Prairie du Chien where we found a wonderful

state park. The park is on a high bluff overlooking the confluence
of the Wisconsin River and the Mississippi. A beautiful vista.

Crossed the Mississippi and drove into Iowa. Turned south again

and drove along the high bluffs. Tremendous views of the massive

river for miles and miles. We were then turned inland on a road
marked on the map as “scenic”. That was an understatement of

great magnitude. None of us had ever seen that sweep of

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