trying new things..

last year, matt and i went to a wedding a few hours south of our home. we decided to take the scenic route home...no highways, just windy country roads and then a road along the bluffs, we stopped to read the historical makers, hike up to the top of the bluff, and just was exploring. matt had always told me that there were ferries that you could take to go back and forth from IL to MO and back and forth, but i had never been on one. so, we decided to take a ferry across the mighty mississippi to IL. well, for some CRAZY reason, i was thinking "ferry".....
you know, the kind you see in movies. big, stable, big, strong ferry! so, we pulled up to the ferry dock...and i looked. wheres the ferry? i dont see my vision of a ferry....

matt, wheres the ferry? its across the river, coming back to us....

i look, then squint and see this!......

a tug boat! with what looks like a floating plank of wood attached to it....struggling against the mighty mississippi, chugging along towards us...

THATS the ferry?
yep!

i then explain to him what "ferry" i was hoping for....and i start getting nervous. i may have even gotten teary eyed.

he cant stop laughing. THANKS DEAR!

i cant believe that tug boat and floating plank is what is going to take us across the mighty mississippi!
here she comes, with her ONE van on it......

we pay our money (along with a pick up truck), drive onto the plank. they shut the gate, and we are off....

that gate looks nice and sturdy and strong....right?

and that land looks oh so far away!!!!!!

i opted for us we opted to stay in the car the entire ride. the father and 7 ish year old son in the pick up truck opted to get out and walk around the wooden plank and "enjoy" the ride.

the tug boat did place us nice and easy on IL land...

i was very thankful for the little tug boat that could!