Dubuque, Iowa

We had driven a long time today, about 8 hours, where a little late getting into campground, but there where more people behind us. The drive was very slow because of poor road conditions, hilly, whinny, and drove along side of the Mississippi River. We had stopped at Pikes Peak overlook, what a view of the Mississippi River and Wisconsin River joining together.


After arriving at camp, we had less than 3/4 hour to be ready to go on a Dinner Cruise on the "Spirit of Dubuque" paddle boat, the ride was 2 1/2 hrs long, the food and scenery was great.



Thursday morning, we all went to the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium, what a great museum. We had learned about the Indian people, river ways, rivers of the sea, river works, black water marsh, bayou, barge traffic, pilot, simulator, Mark Twain's River, Tom Sawyer's Cave, and watched guys working on a miniature steam boat they are building.













Ken at pilot stimulator



We had walked over to the Boatyard.


And then walked out to the William M. Black Steam-Powered Dredge Boat, The 34" pipeline dredge used to deepen the river. Labor-intensive nature of steam power and rising cost of fuel forced retirement in 1973.







We had spent the whole day here and were very tired til the end of the day. Before dinner, we had another GAM, and then off the rest of the night.

Today, we had left and went about 30 miles west of Dubuque to Dyersville, to see Field of Dreams. This is where the movie was made and released in 1989, this movie has inspired millions and became a Academy Award nominee for " Best Picture of the Year". "If you build it they will come.". And that is how it goes.







We had come back into Dubuque, and went visit the Fenelon Place Elevator. This was built by a banker, so he could go back and forth to work in a shorter period of time, since they only had 1 1/2 hours for lunch, and it took him that much time to drive his horse and buggy round the bluff to get to the top , even though his bank was only 2 1/2 block away. The first time it ran was in 1882, and today you can ride up and down for $2.00 round trip.



Off to the Old Shot Tower, this is where they melt down lead and make lead shot for shot guns, we understand this is still how they make them today.






After our trip to the Shot Tower we had driven another 20 miles to Galena, Illinois, someone on the caravan said this is a good trip, so here we go. This town is very quaint and all the store front where full with coffee shops, candy shops, clothing, jewelry, and restaurants, you name it was there, just really neat.











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