There’s plenty to discover in the Quad Cities if you take the time to head to the river. National tourism statistics ranks the Mississippi among the top tourist attractions in the country (#2) and much of what makes the river a thing of legend can be found at the only point where it runs east to west (right here!).
Here are a few suggestions for those curious souls looking for local adventure:
Channel Your Energies in the Quad Cities
The center of our active-Mississippi schedule is bounded by the Channel Cat River Taxi’s stops on the Quad City riverbanks.
For $6 (adults; children 2-10, $3), you, your kids, and your bikes can ride the Channel Cat all day to Illinois (at the Celebration Belle and at the John Deere Commons) and Iowa (at Davenport’s East Village and at the Isle of Capri Landing).
The League of Illinois Bicyclists has published a detailed map of the best bicycling routes in the Quad Cities. It’s available at: http://www.bikelib.org/quadcities/. If you don’t have a bike, rentals are available at the Riverstation Visitor Center, near the John Deere Commons landing, and other places farther from the Channel Cat’s landing sites.
John Deere Commons and Celebration Belle Landings
Riding the Channel Cat is fun all by itself, but the adventures really start when you land on shore. Within steps of the downtown Moline landing is a childhood favorite, the John Deere Pavilion.
Mark Twain (Samuel Clemmons) has ties to the Quad Cities. His first newpaper job was working for the Muscatine (IA) Journal.
Few can resist climbing onto the tractors – these gloriously green icons of American agriculture. Families can learn all about the Heartland’s role in feeding the world through the interactive exhibits that feature actual John Deere equipment. The Pavilion creates a unique, hands-on and climb-on experience for visitors.
In addition to learning about John Deere history, RiverAction is now providing a cell phone-based tour from Ben Butterworth Park, near the landing, to downtown Rock Island. At numbered stops on the QC RiverWay path, dial in to a historical narrative. (More information, including user questions, is at www.riveraction.org/node/1.) If you start upriver on the Great River Trail that passes right by these landings, know when to stop. The trail covers 62 long miles of alluring scenery, drawing bicyclists around the next bend.
Isle of Capri Landing
The Mississippi River Trail runs through Bettendorf just to the Isle of Capri landing. Bicyclists (and inline skaters and runners and walkers) can take the path down river all the way to west Davenport or to any of its river crossings. Just upriver from the Isle of Capri landing is one end of the Duck Creek Path, which meanders through scenic sections of the Iowa Quad Cities.
If your kid companion isn’t impressed with the herons, gulls, ducks, song sparrows and many other birds that populate the riverfront, the Bettendorf Family Museum (www.familymuseum.org) is a moderate ride from the landing. Science and art classes and activities will transport your child while you browse the adjacent library or relax in its café.
Read the River
Don’t feel like getting out of the air conditioning? You can “read your river” by picking up a little Mark Twain at your local public library (among others):
Mark Twain’s Life on the Mississippi is a big read and not for the faint of heart, but it offers some fascinating historical tidbits about our stretch of the river, some surprisingly current:
“The charming island of Rock Island . . . belongs to the United States, and the government has turned it into a wonderful park, enhancing its natural attractions by art, and threading its fine forests with many miles of drives. Near the center of the island catch glimpses, through the trees, of ten vast stone four one-story buildings, each of which covers an acre of ground. These are the government workshops; for the Rock Island establishment is a national armory and arsenal.
“We move up the river – always through enchanting scenery, there being no other kind on the Upper Mississippi – and pass Moline, a center of vast manufacturing industries . . . and presently reach Dubuque, which is situated in a rich mineral region.
“All this part of the river is rich in Indian history and traditions. Black Hawk’s was once a puissant name hereabouts; as was Keokuk’s further down.”
Twain’s was not, of course, the final word on the river. A trip to the library or bookstore will reveal a number of great river reads, as well as a wealth of nonfiction publications – trail maps, state park information, and on and on. Illustrated books like The Mississippi River:
Father of Waters by James L. Shaffer and John T. Tigges (among others too numerous to mention) will help capture kids’ imaginations and get them involved in planning your outings. There are countless books addressing themselves to experiences along our stretch of the river, many dealing with surprising detail.
We didn’t have time to read, for example, Edward E. Smith’s intriguingly titled Memories of Geode State Park, Iowa’s Outdoor Gem.
