6/17 Carlyle Lake & Cahokia Mounds

This very lovely Army Corps of Engineering campground was highly recommended to me, and I was not disappointed.  It was a bit crowded on the weekend, but quiet at night. Only error I made was going outside after darks and attracting a couple hundred bugs that I had to chase around and zap with the zap wand before I went to bed.  Oh, and then I had to clean up the bodies!  Nice campsite for only $8 for the first night where I had only electric, and $12 for the second night of full hookups in the newer area with my senior discount I get on federal facilities.  Gorgeous clean asphalt pad, so I was able to get some cleaning done on some of my underneath storage bins.

Beautiful marina here!  Actually, this Boulder Marina and campground is one of several on the lake. 

You can see how big this lake is--55,000 acres.  I will come here again for a cheap and very clean and pleasant place to stay.

I left here and headed about 60 miles to the Cahokia mound site.  Cahokia once had 20,000 people living in this huge city.  There is an excellent museum here built and managed by the State of Illinois.  It is a first-rate facility and well worth spending a couple of hours here. I am surprised that a state facility can be so well done!

 

OK, I admit to chickening out of climbing the big mound.  I had a long drive to make and it was hot and muggy, so maybe another day. 

Here is a very small sampling of some of the excellent exhibits inside the museum:

I liked this last exhibit showing how they excavated the mounds.