Our Cruise to Lansing,IA

Another beautiful day for a cruise down the Mississippi River and this time we made it to Lansing,Ia. Along the way just south of Brownsville,MN and before Genoa,WI we observed several large gatherings of pelicans perched on wingdams. They must be gathering to head south for the winter. There were also a large amount of seagulls also. It was a bird watchers paradise to watch some of the pelicans take flight and soar along the river's edge, land in the water, and scoop up a small fish. We locked through Lock and Dam #8 and watched a commercial barge filled with coal park to get unloaded at Genoa,WI's Dairyland Power Plant. It takes a good captain to maneuver such a large vessel with a heavy load to get perfectly aligned alongside the dock.
We arrived at Lansing,IA and pulled into the Lansing Marina which offers gas and dock slips for overnight stays, pumpouts, and some supplies. It has a long dock to park at so you can walk to town but it is about a 1/2 mile walk. Further south down the river there is a concrete levy that you can tie up to and it places you right at the edge of town. At the southern most edge of town is S&S Rentals that offers houseboat rentals, pontoons and fishing boats and they also have a full service marina with marine repair. We parked at the River's Edge Bar and Restaurant docks to have lunch and we walked to town from there. It is only a few blocks to town where you can shop at the famous Horsfalls and Lansing Variety stores that have over 1 million different kinds of items to shop for and there is also Bartels Hardware and Service that has antiques as well as hardware items. There are several restaurants to choose from to get a bite to eat. We had dinner at TJ Hunter's Pub and Grub, the food was great, also is the Safe House Saloon and Milty's Restaurant,Bar and Lodging. If you want to spend the night the Scenic Valley Motel offers boat parking, and there is the Historic Thorton House which is located a few blocks off of Main St. Lansing's festival is called Lansing Fish Days and always takes place the 2nd weekeknd in August, it features music, rides and entertainment for everyone.
Continue to follow Houseboating Excursions in the Mississippi River Valley as we take you to another cruise destination and provide more information.