Wine and Spirits Travel

My friend, Lynn, and I continued down the Mississippi River on the American Queen to our last stop in Iowa. We only had half a day in Burlington so we were up early to have a quick breakfast and get started on exploring. President Thomas Jefferson sent Lt. Zebulon Pike to explore the Mississippi River in 1803. When saw the bluffs of Burlington, he placed an American flag above them, and recommended construction of a fort. It was easy to see why this town needed to be a stop on the river. At one point this city was considered part of Wisconsin, but it earned its place in Iowa and downtown buildings on the National Register of Historic places. Before we got on the hop-on, hop-off bus, we had a preview of more of what the city had to offer.   The Port of Burlington Welcome Center was by far the most advanced port we had been to on this trip. It was filled with items made in the city as well as the state of Iowa. There was even a tasting of Lindon Wines and plenty of brochures ...

After an unexpected day on the river, we had a busy day on and off the American Queen . I got up early and went to breakfast in the dining room. It looked like another picture-perfect day and I sat by the window for my pancake breakfast. My friend Lynn joined me in a little while and then we headed off the boat to Clinton, Iowa . The low water levels on the Mississippi had kept us from Dubuque the previous day and had changed the Bettendorf stop to Clinton on this way.   I had made arrangements to visit Le Claire from our stop in Dubuque. It took some reorganizing, especially since the Clinton stop was shorter than Dubuque, but I was able to keep that appointment. I still wanted to see some of Clinton, so I took my scooter around the scenic waterfront and a bit of the town. I saw the Veterans Memorial and lighthouse in a town that once had more millionaires than anywhere else in Iowa. Lynn met me at the curb in front of the ship, where Bob Schiffe, Executive Director of the...

With the Mississippi River still running low from the lack of rain, we ended up with a day without a port. As much as I wished we hadn’t missed Dubuque, it was nice to have some time to rest and enjoy my American QueenVoyage . I have always liked small cruises and I think I like them even more now that I travel in a scooter. It doesn’t take long to find your way around and the elevators hardly have a wait. Lynn and I took our time in the morning with a room service breakfast. It was a day full of exploring what the boat had to offer. I went around the ship from the outside first. It was interesting to see the calm Mississippi river and its small islands as we went through. A steamboat goes a lot slower than a cruise ship and you get to really take in the scenery. The weather was about 70 and there was plenty of shade around the boat.     I settled in for awhile in a rocking chair on the Porch of the Riverview Bar and watched the Mississippi go by. After lunch, I ...

It’s not easy to sleep in a room with three kids, but the rooms at Grand Harbor Resort in Dubuque, Iowa, was a nice size and we were all pretty exhausted from the previous night. In the morning, we stayed at the hotel for breakfast thanks to the Dubuque Convention and Visitor’s Bureau .  They set us up at the  Tony Roma’s  in the hotel and I found out they do breakfast as well as they do ribs. I had the Banana Nut Pancakes and the kids also enjoyed pancakes with chocolate chips, while friend Amy went the low carb way and ordered a loaded omelet. We were all full when we left the restaurant. While Amy and the kids stayed at the waterpark at Grand Harbor Resort , I headed over to check out Betty Jane Candies. When I had mentioned on Twitter that I was heading to Dubuque , I got a few different messages about stopping at Betty Jane’s. I have to say that some of my best places have come from Twitter recommendations so I had to follow up. ...

I’ve loved living in the Midwest because I can get to so many different states within a few hours. One of the (very) few things I don’t love about Champaign, though, is the lack of good Italian food.  Coming from Long Island, you could find a pizzeria with great Italian on every corner. I have yet to find one place within two hours of Champaign that I can compare to those. On a recent trip to Dubuque, Iowa , I was happy to discover a new city and a restaurant that makes pasta like my aunts used to. I felt comfortable as soon as I walked into Vinny Vanucchi’s in downtown Dubuque.  The checkered tablecloths and family photos were very welcoming and I knew instantly it was a great family place.  That was what I was looking for as I had brought along my friend Amy, her two kids, and a third child. Amy was driving, but I tried one of their martinis from the cocktail menu. The Chuck Berry was simple and perfect, with vodka and raspberry liqueur. ...