I started working on Day 6 of the trip yesterday. This was the day I visited the place I wanted to see most during the journey – the Chain of Rocks Bridge over the Mississippi River. This day was a huge exciting point in the trip and I spent the entire day sightseeing along the river, mostly on the Illinois side. I visited some amazing places, but the Chain of Rocks Bridge, for some reason, is a place that will stand out in my mind forever… or at least for a very long time.
I had found out about the Chain of Rocks Bridge when I was doing pre-trip research and was immediately fascinated. I even printed out a little information about it. However, visiting the site and now trying to do further research, I am totally blown away by it all. There is so much more to cover.
Usually in my writings I like to do little history segments about the places I visit. I gather info from the storyboards at the sites plus I review multiple websites. Yesterday’s detailed research is flooding me with more information than I could have imagined, and it’s no longer just about the bridge and the fact it was once part of Route 66.
There’s an entire history/issue with this section of the river. There were canals and dams built (which I didn’t realize before or during my trip). There are castle-looking buildings in the middle of the river and I didn’t know what those were. (While I was on the bridge, all I could think when looking at them was “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.”
One of my – ways – of traveling is to not do a lot of research beforehand of specific sites. I don’t want my visit to be colored by previously written articles and historical facts. I want to experience the feel of the site just for myself in that exact moment. Later I will study websites and photos of story boards to add to my own story. Sometimes, though, I might have spent more time at a place and explored further had I known some other facts. This was true about this place.
The Chain of Rocks Bridge and the subsequent research have my mind spinning. I spent hours yesterday viewing various websites. The websites are separate (bridge, history of the area, constructing the canal, Route 66, and other people’s accounts of visiting) and there are lapses in tying it all together. How can I write just about the bridge when there is so much more to it?
Oh, I know, I could, but I don’t want to. I am extremely fascinated by this. It could almost be its own chapter (sub-chapter). I may have to divide Day 6 into sections because there’s too much to write about for one chapter. Plus, I took soooo many pictures and I want to include a lot.
And if any of you have ever been here, please share your story.
Just wait until you read the whole story.
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