QUAD CITIES, THE FINAL DAY

One great mode of transportation is the Channel Cat Water Taxi. For $6 you can ride the whole day and even bring your bike. I was told that there are some people who will just ride without getting off while reading a book, just to relax and enjoy the river and views. There are five stops along the Mississippi River. Moline Landing - Ben Butterworth Parkway at Celebration Pier, home to the Celebration Belle, a non-gambling excursion boat. The Quarter - East Moline Landing - home of Beacon Harbor and the Visitors Center. Bettendorf Landing - Isle of Capri Casino. John Deere Commons Landing - just a block away from the John Deere Pavilion and iWireless Center. Village of East Davenport Landing - where you can take a Segway tour.



That's just what we did in Davenport. An IA Segway tour goes for about 2 hours along a bike path on the Mississippi Riverfront. We were able to view much including lock and dam #15. Mike Mott pointed out some historic sites at the Arsenal on Rock Island, Illinois, located across the river as well as the town of East Davenport.

Final lunch was at Front Street Brewery in Davenport where I had their signature cheddar cheese soup made with beer. Time to go home!

QUAD CITIES EVEN MORE!

Next day's itinerary began with a visit to the Country Corner Farm Market and Pumpkin Patch in Alpha, Illinois. Aside from their market of fresh corn and pumpkins, they also sell locally made or grown products as well. Take a horse drawn hayrack ride, pick pumpkins and stop at the petting zoo. Alpacas, chickens, pigs, goats, and miniature cattle. Ask owner Bruce Curry about the various types of corn like the kind you eat, ones fed to the animals, one that pops right on the cob and ones just for fall decoration. Country Corner is open from May to October, so I'm happy that I got there in September.



They sell the popping corn as a package in a brown paper bag with instructions for use in you microwave oven. Option is to pick off kernels and pop in a pot.

Exotic Thai was our lunch spot. I ordered an iced Thai coffee not just for the taste but also if the need to cool my mouth came into play. With too many starters to choose from I opted for the Siam Sampler: Marinated chicken skewers wit peanut sauce and cucumber dip; Seasoned shrimp wrapped in fine noodles and crisp fried served with a dipping sauce; Crispy Thai rolls stuffed with glass noodles and veggies served with a tangy plum sauce; Fried chicken wing stuffed with a mix of ground chicken, glass noodles, Thai spices, served with a sweet and sour sauce.

In spite of my not being drawn to the spicy side, I ordered the classic Tom Yom soup. Once I got used to the chili hitting the back of my throat, rather than my whole mouth, the lemongrass soup with chicken and straw mushrooms was Tom Yum.

I'm one to stick to Pad Thai, but decided on a different noodle dish, Pad See U. Stir fried flat rice noodles with broccoli and egg in a sweet black bean sauce.

Esther had the Asparagus Salad of asparagus, chicken breast, shrimp, roasted shredded coconut served with a Thai-style dressing.

Dessert was a banana crepe with coconut ice cream plated with raisins and cashew nuts and drizzled with chocolate sauce.

QUAD CITIES: DAY ONE

I recently returned from a second trip to the Quad Cities, the only area along the Mississippi River where the water flows East-West, basically consisting of two cities in Iowa (Bettendorf, Davenport) and Illinois (Moline, Rock Island).

Aside from exploring any of the attractions and restaurants that I had not done on my prior trip in 2007, I was looking to see how Iowa was doing in regards to having passed the same sex marriage law. I couldn't believe that it was legal in Iowa and not in New York. Go figure!

Boarding Air Tran Esther, Eunice and I were invited into the cockpit for a photo op with the pilot and co-pilot.

Lunch at Cafe Fresh, in Moline, was the first stop on my itinerary. Basic bistro with soups, sandwiches, salads and dessert. One of their signature foods is a kosher pickle spear rolled up with cream cheese and ham. I had a chicken salad half of a veggie sandwich.

The rest of the afternoon was spent getting info on ceremonies and receptions. I went to Davenport to meet with Pastor Rich Hendricks of the Metropolitan Community Church (MCC)in Davenport. Having had a Gay Pride event in the area, I was also looking to get in touch with some hotels that listed themselves as being "gay friendly". With Illinois so near, I was interested in hearing about those residents coming into Iowa to tie the knot. Rich said that they needed to know that when Illinois passes the law and couple later found themselves filing for divorce that would first have to take up residence in Iowa for a year.

The Clarion Hotel in Davenport and the Holiday Inn in Rock Island were the two hotels that I checked out. Given the short distance between the two cities, couples had the option for holding the reception in either state. With the two hotels giving the "gay friendly" listing, it has boosted their economy even with small receptions.

Dinner was at Johnny's Italian Steakhouse in Moline located near the John Deere Pavilion. Dining with friends allowed me to sample more items on the menu which began with the Bette Bruschetta, focaccia topped with fresh tomatoes, chevre goat cheese and shrimp.

We did a family style salad with spinach and bacon.

When it Rome...I had what was the most tender piece of steak going, Johnny's Bone-in Rib Eye. It was dressed Oscar Style with crabmeat, asparagus and bearnaise sauce. We all saved room to share a dessert of chocolate mousse.

Johnny's is reminiscent of a traditional 40's style nightclub, which may explain the poster of Dean, Sammy and Frank.

As for the hotel, I stayed at the Residence Inn in Moline. The studio is complete with a full kitchen which at times housed my leftovers. There is a fitness center located across a courtyard which has a pit for those cooler nights...the courtyard, not the fitness center.