Jul 31

Last day of July. Been out twenty-five days and nights, slept in a bed four of them.

Left Marietta about nine, had a good night's sleep in the Lafayette, and eggs Benedict for breakfast. Hard to beat that. There is a stern-wheeler festival the week after Labor Day - wish we could attend, maybe next year.

Wanted to get to Parkersburg, West Virginia today but when I got there, I found the entire river side of the city is one big gigantic flood wall, with only one entrance that takes you right into the heart of downtown. Thought perhaps the little town in Ohio across the river, Belpre, would offer more opportunity so I paddled across. Started to rain about four o'clock and I pulled up on a small boat ramp that I could tell was private. But there was a guy cutting the grass in a huge back yard between his house and the ramp and I struck up a conversation. I asked if he would mind me pitching my tent down by the water, that I would not be a bother, and would be gone early in the morning. He was very agreeable to the idea and kept asking if there was anything I needed, but I told him his hospitality in allowing me to camp there was enough. So I spent a pleasant night.

There is an island just downriver from Belpre caller Blennerhassett Island. It has a long history which included being a stopping off station on the underground railroad during the civil war. There is a large mansion on the island but it is not the original - there was a fire which destroyed the first one but the state created a state park on the island and the mansion has been restored.

It was just a few blocks to a McDonalds - they're everywhere !! - so I ate there for supper and plan to walk there early in the morning for breakfast. Rain has stopped and I saw my first stern-wheeler. It was just a little thing that ferried people from Belpre to the state park on the island. Like to see a full-sized one but I found out the only one left that was an Ohio boat is the Delta Queen, and it is parked on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga.