Beauty in the Quad Cities
Do you ever visit a place where you did not have time to stop and immerse yourself? But you were in the area and taken by the beauty you saw along the way? That’s how it was for me a couple of weeks ago. I visited the Quad Cities., We took a trip to see an old friend, and watch my granddaughter play volleyball. There wasn’t time to tour. However, there was time to enjoy some of the lovely places, the architecture, murals and scenic beauty.
The Quad Cities is a cool combination of Illinois and Iowa. Quad Cities towns include Davenport and Bettendorf in southeastern Iowa. While Rock Island and Moline make up the Illinois quadrant.
It’s all about the bridges
The Bridge into Bettendorf is a piece of architectural beauty! Called the Interstate 74 Bridge. It is officially known at the Iowa-Illinois Memorial Bridge. With basket -handle arches the bridge brings motorists from Illinois into Iowa. Construction of the original bridge began in June 1934.
Near Rock Island, we had fun traversing this area. Many historic buildings are located here. If there was time, I would love to visit Rock Island and the military museum there.
There is so much history in this area. It begins with Blackhawk and the Sauk Indians. The beautiful downtown Davenport Hotel the Blackhawk holds that name! This area was a Meca for Riverboat traffic. The Mississippi River pulled industrial giants to the area like John Deere. In 1848, John Deere moved his business to Moline. His business was incorporated as Deere & Company in 1868, and for years, Deere & Company is the largest employer in the Quad Cities.
Sadly, recently that has changed with Deere’s move to Mexico. Deere does still have a magical presence in the area with the John Deere Pavillion. Here you can see the latest in innovation, along with John Deere history. The best for me is the Charles Deere and Butterworth mansions, truly worth a visit!
Architectural beauty
The Abbey, a former home for the Carmelite nuns is so lovely. The golden dome rises high above the area catching the eye!
For the Abbey, I took a page from the Kid’s Encyclopedia Facts. They share “Regina Coeli Monastery is a historic building located in Bettendorf, Iowa, United States. It has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1994. The building currently houses an addictions rehabilitation facility called The Abbey Center. The Discalced Carmelite nuns who built the building relocated to a new monastery in Eldridge, Iowa in 1975. The monastery was originally established in Davenport, Iowa by James Davis of the Catholic Diocese of Davenport.”
The beauty and history of this building caught my attention
Public Art
I am a big fan of public art and murals. They are a great way to enjoy this art from the passenger side window. Entering Davenport, this fun mural greeted us.
I love the beautiful colors and vibrancy of the artwork. Riverbend Signs tells the story of mural. ” The great city of Davenport just got even better with a brand-new sign welcoming Iowa bound drivers as they cross the arsenal bridge into downtown Davenport. The new welcome sign is eye catching with vibrant colors and a beautiful design. Even better, every piece of this sign was made locally. This sign wouldn’t have been able to happen without artist Johnnie Cluney, the Downtown Davenport Partnership, Davenport Electric, QC Chamber of Commerce, Rock Island Arsenal, Truss Plus, Seaburg Industries, and One Step Printing. Riverbend Signworks was honored to be a part of such an amazing project that will be around for years to come.”
This was just a drive by vision of this historic area. Quad Cities has river history, industrial history, and much more. During COVID, this was one of the ways we enjoyed sightseeing. This time it was just lack of time!
Where have you been and what have you seen in the Quad Cities that I need to add to my list?
