Quad Cities/Dubuque, IA

Has it been a week since I had an internet connection?                 

Hurricane Irene has gone through, leaving very little damage in our little corner of the world, other than downed limbs and power outages. Jan and Eddie report all is well at home, and the power was out for less than a day.  That's a miracle!  The bad news is from our friends in New Bern...two trees on the house, much damage.  And, far more damage farther north, I'm sad to hear.

We spent two days in the Quad Cities, IA area.  This happy scene is at Credit Island, in Davenport, IA.  Happy figures, "Sunday in the Park".                                                                                           



 We headed north, along the Great River Road, on the west of The River.  The MS River Distilling Company sits just above the river in Le Claire, IA.  We didn't hang around for the noon tour, but did have a taste of their efforts, and walked away with two small  bottles.  Nice young man, former weather forecaster from Lafayette, LA, who understood our angst about the storm heading towards southeastern NC at that time.



The drive along the western bank of the river was beautiful, corn fields and rolling hills.  We followed the train track,always busy train tracks, to Dubuque. I know, we always to to the most exotic places!  We found a county park, just north of town.  Eighteen miles north of town, up and down roller coaster roads, past cow barns and cornfields.  Did me miss a turn?  Are we getting into a place we can't get out of?  The river suddenly appeared, a wide sandy beach.  It's hot this afternoon, Friday afternoon. Thankfully it's early and there is plenty of room in the campground.  There are only 26 sites with water and electricity, and we get a nice, level site.
                                                                                                                                                                        
This is where I get my very first swim in the Mississippi River!  A Very Strong Current kept me close to the beach.  The drop off was sudden:  one foot deep to out-of-sight-deep.  Yippee!!     


Saturday morning finds us in downtown Dubuque, catching a ride up the incline car, for a view over the city. Mr. Graves lived at the top of the bluff, worked at the bottom of the bluff, making his trip home for lunch and nap difficult. It took half an hour each way to wind up the bluff in a horse drawn carriage, which meant he didn't have time for lunch, and a 30 minute nap. Of course, he can't walk up that hill! This is the late 1882. Mr. Graves is a former mayor, former State Senator and a promoter of mines and a banker. He built this incline railroad, after seeing one in Europe. He even heated it with a little coal stove. His gardener would use the coal fired steam generator at the top of the hill to lower his boss to work in the morning, pull him up to his lunch, send him back to afternoon work, and back home in the evening. He was the envy of his neighbors! Of course ( you could see this coming), the little coal fire destroyed the car about 3 years later. He rebuilt. Fire, again. No money. By now, this time, his neighbors had begun to pay him a nickel to ride up and down, and they combined financial energies to rebuild, adding a forth rail in the middle and a second car to counter balance the first car. And, most importantly, a metal cable that wouldn't burn. The car still runs today, $2 round trip, for a great view of the river bend, the Ice Harbor and city. www.dbq.com/fenplco




Just one of many sculptures on display along the Dubuque River Walk....I just couldn't resist! The head is built totally from scavenged limbs. Tomorrow, Goose Island at La Crosse, WI.