Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016 – Singin' One's Journeys

September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day Three

Busy day started with a stop at the : //dubuquearboretum.net" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. It seems that I missed much of the gardens, but the trees, shrubs and various decorations were enjoyable to view along the way.

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="588,576,577,578,579,580,581,582,583,584,585,586,587"] Back uptown, I found the Shot Tower a little bit off the beaten path. The building's original purpose was literally to make shot during the 1800's. [gallery size="large" columns="2" type="slideshow" ids="589,593,592,591,590"] Going back across town, I found the Mathias Ham House. It was closed, so I got a few pictures before heading back towards the river. [gallery size="medium" ids="594,601,600,599,598,597,596,595"] I eventually ended up at the Mississippi River Museum. I still didn't go inside, however, but I did take a few pictures of the riverboat paddles that graced the exterior. Then, I walked along the river bank a short distance just because. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="603,604,605,606,608,609,610"] Grabbed some lunch and finally headed back to home base. Traffic was definitely getting heavy and, unfortunately, there was a pretty bad car accident on the other side of the highway outside of Cedar Rapids. Still, the ride was otherwise uneventful, and I am thankful back in town, along with RB and Trek Bear. Now, I've got to get ready for work in the morning.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-05-15.29.46-1-300x200.jpg" alt="2016-09-05 15.29.46-1" width="482" height="321" />

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September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day Two

Even though I hadn't asked for a wake-up call, I was highly motivated to check out of the room early. Got some breakfast and did a little shopping before heading to my primary objective for this trip: the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. It was just after noon, but the museum was already full of families. Disappointed but really not in the mood for the crowds, I changed my plans and headed through town past various landmarks, to the dock where the American Lady was docked and prepped for its afternoon river cruise. The boat was not overly crowded, so it made for a nice, leisurely excursion. Beer and soft drinks were served in unlimited quantities as was a light buffet. Hope those who were driving carefully monitored their beer intake. (Don't worry about me, I HATE the taste of beer!) There were a number of other boats, including two other cruise boats, on the water. Along the way, we could see houses (see the "little one" in the picture below) perched on the top of the hills, and we passed a tree with an eagle's nest. I couldn't see it, but I'll take their word for it.

[gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="542,543,544,546,547,548,549,550,551,552,553,554"]

There was still plenty of daylight by the time the 1 1/2-hour cruise ended, so I next ventured over to the : //www.fenelonplaceelevator.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fenelon Place Elevator Co. Even as I drove there, I'm again surprised at how hilly Iowa is in general, with some serious hills near the Mississippi. As I climbed aboard the elevator going down, I could easily understand why it was built because walking up and down on a regular basis had to be quite daunting. Had a great seat coming back up. Definitely not an attraction for anyone who has issues with heights.

[gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="555,556,557,558,559,560,561,562,564,565,566"] I stuck around until after dark so that I could get some shots of the city scape from that vantage point. [gallery size="large" columns="2" ids="568,569,570,572"] My original plan was to return to Grinnell sometime Sunday; however, I still had things to see and do. I also had some thought about returning to the Mississippi River Museum, this time near enough to its opening time that it would perhaps not be so busy. So, I closed out the evening by going to see Ben-Hur all by myself at the local theater. Very different than the 1950's version, so now I'm curious about which one was closer to the original book.

September 5, 2016 by traveler 0

Dubuque-Labor Day Weekend 2016, Iowa Trips

Three Days in Dubuque–Day One

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Grin2Dubuq.gif" alt="Grin2Dubuq" width="414" height="265" />On Thursday morning, it suddenly hit me that the Labor Day weekend was approaching, and I REALLY didn't want to spend it in Grinnell. The answer: a one-tank trip. Relatively inexpensive and not too far away.

I decided on Dubuque because my previous visits there had all been for conferences with no time to play tourist and because it was only 2.5 hours away in RB.

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-11.40.29-300x225.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 11.40.29" width="329" height="247" />Got up early Saturday (well, early for me, anyway) and took care of some Star Trek party business--including picking up the party guest-of-honor and my new navigator, Trek Bear, before hitting the road around 11 a.m. Unfortunately, I didn't know that Iowa had a football game scheduled for that afternoon and, thus, I got caught up in it. I suspected it would only get worse as we got closer to Iowa City, so I got off in Williamsburg and got a manicure/pedicure. By the time my nails were dry, the traffic was back to Saturday normal, so the rest of my drive was uneventful.

My first stop in Dubuque was : //www.minesofspain.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Mines of Spain--a recreation park with several miles of easy to challenging trails for hiking and waterways for canoeing. A couple had just gotten married in a shelter near the interpretative center. Fortunately, the Julien Dubuque Memorial sets in view of the Mississippi at the end of one of the easy, short trails, so I walked down and got some pics.

I drove through the rest of the park and enjoyed the fields of wild flowers. The park was fairly quiet considering it was a holiday weekend Saturday, but I'd bet it gets far more active over the rest of the 3-day holiday. [gallery type="slideshow" size="large" ids="518,522,521,520,519,524,525,526,527,528,529,531"]

It was then too late to really spend time in the museums on my list of places to visit, so I next drove to the : //www.cityofdubuque.org/573/Eagle-Point-Park#!" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Eagle Point Park. The website describes it as: "one of the most outstanding parks in the midwest. One hundred and sixty-four acres overlook the Mississippi River and Lock and Dam #11, providing a spectacular tri-state view of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin." For once, I didn't think that type of comment was an overstatement. Loads of both outdoor--many with views of the river--and interior space for gatherings, plus an outdoor band shell. Only $1.00 charge to enter with RB. Watching all those folks eat suddenly made me hungry, so I quickly finished my tour and sought out a local eatery.

[gallery size="medium" columns="2" ids="533,536,535,534"]

: //singin1.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/2016-09-03-19.57.03-e1473124821236-200x300.jpg" alt="2016-09-03 19.57.03" width="276" height="415" />I ended up at Catfish Charlie's, which specializes in,... well, I think it's obvious. And the enormous and wonderfully prepared plate of catfish that was set before me provided more than adequate proof of the restaurateur's skill.

Wish my evening had ended so well. Let me just say that the motel where I settled for the night left much to be desired and let it go with that. Looking forward to seeing more of the city on Sunday.

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