Joliet has made us feel very welcome. There is a cement wall lining the Des Plaines River with tie ups and electrical hook ups provided FREE to all transient boats. Water is available. The Chamber of Commerce is located at the head of the wall just below the bridge. What more could you want when you are "On the Wall"? Across the River are the Government Buldings, Police Station, Bus Station and Casino. Stores are not as close but the city has provided buses to most places we wish to travel.
We started the day with five boats On the Wall. After dinner three more boats arrived. We had another 5 p.m. "meeting" to coordinate our departure tomorrow morning. There is a bridge within a few hundred feet that needs raising and a lock in two miles. The group decided to leave at 7 a.m. so that we are not stopped by the bridge that cannot be raised between 7:30 and 8:30.
Bob and Peggy from Denver are in the lead boat "Baby Grand," you guessed it - a Grand Banks.
They will call the 
bridge and lock.
bridge and lock.
Next in line are Madison and Marlene from Fort Myers FL in Joy @ Sea, a Grand Banks.
Jack and Linda from Holland MI were with us at Benton Harbor MI. They are traveling in a 34 foot Marine 
Trader called Cynthia Faye.
Trader called Cynthia Faye.
In front of us are Rose and Gary from Portland OR in Rose's Pick, a 44 foot Carver Boat.
Last but not least (but definitely lowest) our very own Catrina!
It is very easy to get to know one another as everyone is interested in making friends with similar lifestyles. It does not seem to matter that we are in a sailboat or using gasoline rather then diesel. We are all "loopers" today located On the Wall together!
