Sunday, August 17, 2008

Day 26 - Eagles Nest

Saturday, August 15th - Pere Marquette
Today, Frank and Kathy took us up the Missouri/Illinois River basin to visit Pere Marquette Park... This park is near the limestone cliffs that are the breeding grounds for the American Bald Eagle. (This little guy is not a Bald Eagle... but pretty anyway).

In the visitor center, the girls got inside this mock-up of a Bald Eagle nest... They can be up to 10 feet across and weigh over one ton!

Inside the Pere Marquette Lodge built by the Citizen Conservation Corp (the same program that built Timberline Lodge), Debra stands near this giant chess board...

Another view of the Great Room...

Frank, Kathy, and Deb stand near a model of the world's tallest man (can't remember his name right now, Robert Wadlow, I think) who was a resident of nearby Alton, Illinois...

This is a view of the Illinois River basin from the park... much of this basin was flooded this spring and the damage is still evident as we travelled up the river bank...

These are cliffs where the Bald Eagles breed...

Another view on the way back to Belleville for the evening.

Wendy, Eddie and the kids came over tonight and it was great to visit with them.

Brandyn, Jen and the boys are coming down tomorrow for the day!

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