Day 124 Taking it Easy in Ottawa

After yesterday's harrowing locking experience, we hem-hawed about leaving the marina till we decided not to leave. Jack was fine with this decision. Just a lazy, laid back day - necessary sometimes. Took the courtesy car to Walmart and drove around Ottawa a little with Sara and John from Free Bird then they headed out to an anchorage. Ottawa is at the confluence of the Illinois and Fox rivers and was a major sand and glass center for over 100 years. The first Douglas - Lincoln debate was held here in 1858. Then in 1910, William Boyce, a local resident, incorporated the Boys Scouts in his hometown - appropriately, there is a scouting museum nearby. Walked around the Heritage Marina's grounds. They have extensive development plans for their property - boat slips, town houses, cottages, recreational area, etc. They also have a big Asian Carp problem that bump the bottom of your craft and leap out of the water. While the kid was pumping out our boat, a big one jumped in his aluminum dingy and flopped around like a maniac. Found a fire pit at the top of the hill near the pool (center of the 3rd pic) so decided to have a bonfire tonight with some of the other Loopers. The next lock is about 11 miles away so we will get an early start tomorrow and see how many hours it takes us to get through.