Carissa's Journal

{June 22, 2017, 06:30}

This morning our group woke up to a warm and delicious breakfast at the Comfort Inn & Suites. Everyone woke up a bit more on the bright side today. Our luggage was downstairs and we were ready to go at 07:30. We loaded the cars with our luggage and rolled out around 07:43.

{June 22, 2017, 07:45}

Rolled out of the hotel parking lot at 07:45 after deciding who rode in what vehicle. We are now headed to the National Great Rivers Museum and Research & Education Center where we will learn about the water basins and dams. This will be about an hour drive from the hotel.

{June 22, 2017, 08:29}

We have arrived in East Alton, IL at the National Great River Research & Education Center. We also visited the museum which was right next to the education center.

 

At the NGRREC on their Green Roof

{June 22, 2017, 11:20}

We left the museum and education center and are now headed to Hannibal, MO which is the home of notorious author Mark Twain. While at the river though we learned about several things.

“Unquestionably the discovery of the Mississippi is a datable fact which considerably mellows and modifies the shiny newness of our country, and gives her a most respectable outside-aspect of rustiness and antiquity.” ― Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

Learning from Dr. Sloan about soil sciences, ecology,
and the history of the Mississippi River

Pieces of information like how the Mississippi River has only 2 lock and dam systems left to move barges through efficiently. The lock and dam that we saw today was lock #26. We learned that the Apollo 8 mission was when the first view of our planet was photographed and shown to our entire world. I learned that the mulch that farmers put on the soil with their crops is there to protect the soil from cracking after long hot and humid days, and helps keep moisture in the soil. We were told by Dr. John Sloan, that global climate change events are becoming more and more frequent. Some BMPs (Better Management Practices) that farmers can use are cover crops, no till farming, riparian zones (tree line along crops), and buffer strips as well as sampling their soil. We learned that the water on the Earth’s surface is 2.5% freshwater and 96.5% oceans. Of that 2.5% freshwater, 68.7% is glaciers and icecaps, 30.1% is groundwater and 1.2% is surface and other freshwater. Out of the other surface freshwater, 3.0% makes up the moisture in the atmosphere, 0.26% makes up living things, 0.49% make up rivers, 2.6% are swamps & marshes, 20.9% are lakes, 3.8% make up the soil moisture and 69.0% are ground ice & permafrost.

Solar Tubes allow sunlight to be magnified and directed to the labs below.

 {June 22, 2017, 12: 10}

Stopped at McDonald’s for a quick lunch before heading off to Hannibal, MO. In Hannibal, we will visit the home of the famous author, Mark Twain.

{June 22, 2017, 12:32}

On the road again, this time our travel time from McDonald’s to Hannibal, MO will be about 2 hours and 15 minutes.

“The Mississippi River towns are comely, clean, well built, and pleasing to the eye, and cheering to the spirit. The Mississippi Valley is as reposeful as a dreamland, nothing worldly about it . . . nothing to hang a fret or a worry upon.” 

          ― Mark Twain, Life on the Mississippi

{June 22, 2017, 14:35}

After 2 hours of naps we have finally made it to Hannibal!!! I learned there that Mark Twain was a very famous literature author. He was very well known for his short stories and books like ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,’ ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,’ Life on the Mississippi River,’ and ‘The Prince and the Pauper.’ We also saw Mark’s childhood home and neighborhood.

“When I find a well-drawn character in fiction or biography I generally take a warm personal interest in him, for the reason that I have known him before--met him on the river.”- Life on the Mississippi, Mark Twain
  

{June 22, 2017, 16:00}

At this time, we went on a neat boat tour along the Mississippi River. We had the best opportunity to take photos of things such as breathtaking landscapes and the lighthouse of Hannibal.

The Mark Twain in the background was our vessel for the river tour.