One of the nice parts of being retired is doing things on the spur of the moment. We decided to take a little road trip - not too far, only about 100 miles. We found an airbnb rental and headed south to Rock Island, Illinois. We thought Ray might find a few eagles; I might find some fabric; we could visit the Rock Island Arsenal and visit the museum, and ...
We left in rain and fog on Monday morning.By the time we reached LeClaire, Iowa, the sun was peeking out and the temperature was in the 50's! We visited a couple of quilt shops (more in the next post) and hunted for eagles - we only found 2!
When we got up Tuesday, the weather was no longer in the 50s. It was 30 and COLD. We visited another quilt shop and headed for the Quad City Botanical Center. It was a fun stop and Ray got to take a few photos; I did to:
One of the guys working at the Botanical Center told us where he had seen some eagles that morning and also gave us ideas for lunch. We ate and then headed to Arsenal Island. On the way, we stopped at Gathering Point and found some eagles! It was so cold that I was only out of the car for a few minutes.
Once on Arsenal Island (it is a military post and you have to have a pass), we headed to the museum. Thank goodness the government shut down was over so the museum was open. Ray loved seeing the museum and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. No pictures since we were within a military installation.
We visited the Mississippi River Visitor's Center. It is on Arsenal Island and overlooks the lock and dam. We enjoyed visiting with the fellow on duty and seeing the lock and dam although there was no river traffic.
This morning the temperature was again around 30 but didn't feel as cold. We headed towards home with a number of stops on the way - most to see eagles. We did find some in a few different places all the way home. This is my only good shot but I think Ray took a couple hundred pictures!
In the next post, I'll tell you about the fabric shops - the important part of this trip!
We left in rain and fog on Monday morning.By the time we reached LeClaire, Iowa, the sun was peeking out and the temperature was in the 50's! We visited a couple of quilt shops (more in the next post) and hunted for eagles - we only found 2!
When we got up Tuesday, the weather was no longer in the 50s. It was 30 and COLD. We visited another quilt shop and headed for the Quad City Botanical Center. It was a fun stop and Ray got to take a few photos; I did to:
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| There were many quilts on the walls! |
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| There were a few colorful blossoms. |
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| In the winter they have a sand area for the children! |
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| Another colorful blossom |
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| A beautiful orchid |
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| The waterfall |
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| There were koi ponds |
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| More gorgeous orchids |
Once on Arsenal Island (it is a military post and you have to have a pass), we headed to the museum. Thank goodness the government shut down was over so the museum was open. Ray loved seeing the museum and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. No pictures since we were within a military installation.
We visited the Mississippi River Visitor's Center. It is on Arsenal Island and overlooks the lock and dam. We enjoyed visiting with the fellow on duty and seeing the lock and dam although there was no river traffic.
This morning the temperature was again around 30 but didn't feel as cold. We headed towards home with a number of stops on the way - most to see eagles. We did find some in a few different places all the way home. This is my only good shot but I think Ray took a couple hundred pictures!
In the next post, I'll tell you about the fabric shops - the important part of this trip!
I've been to a quilt shop in LeClaire. It's been a while, since it was when my oldest was still in college (he graduated almost 5 years ago).
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