" Tour Guides On Buses were Great "…read more The American Queen Steamboat Company hires Tour Guides from the Quad Cities Convention And Visitors center to give lengthy tours around the Quad Cities areas. The Tour Guides are very knowledgeable about the different areas in the Quad Cities, and give extensive knowledge out to their passengers about the Educational and Historical sites. Great Job Tour Guides.

Was in town for work on a steamy July day but wanted to explore the path along the Mississippi…read moreRiver and decided that renting a bike might be a good idea. The Google machine brought me to the visitors bureau. For $7 an hour you can rent a nice bike to use on the miles of trails surrounding the river. The bikes are new seeming Trek bicycles and you're offered the option of getting a lock and a helmet. There's also a water bottle cage in case you think you're going to get thirsty. The visitor's bureau is more gift shop than bicycle rental shop, but...there's a lot of neat stuff to see. They also offer segway tours throughout the week. I didn't have time or I would have checked that out, too. Definitely worth checking out if you're in from out of town and want to go exploring.

We visited to specifically tour the Lowell Walter house, a.k.a. Cedar Rock, designed by Frank Lloyd…read moreWright. Cedar Rock does not disappoint!! Our tour guide Erick was great- knowledgeable and very engaging as was the other gentleman at the welcome center. Although we traveled by car, we loved that we saw a few guests actually arrived by kayak as the home's boathouse is right on the river- they did mention they called the park to prearrange their tour so as to meet the guide at the house. As avid kayakers we'll be doing this for a return visit. FYI kayakers/canoers- there's a sizeable sand bar forming a nice natural beach right across the river from the Cedar Rock boathouse that's perfect for a lunch stop/picnic. Thank You Cedar Rock staff!

I have been wanted to come here for years. Totally made for a nice day trip!!! All of the…read moreDNR employees were knowledgable and so nice !!! If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright make this trip. The house is so well preserved.

Unfortunately when I visited the visitor's center was closed, but I still had a blast! There is a…read morelot that you can park in, and then travel down a path to a bunch of informational displays about the flood in 1993 that carved out this gorge, revealing all of the fossils. Then, you proceed down the path into a gorge, keeping an eye out for fossils. I saw a bunch of fossils on the bank to my right, before I even made it to the gorge. There were a few people scattered walking their dogs, although one group was actively looking to spot fossils and had the brochure from the Army Corps of Engineers about the different fossils present. All in all, this was a great spot to spend an hour walking around. I did see evidence that people have poached fossils from here, which is a shame. Look, but don't take!

Open area with lots to look at. I'm surprised they let people walk over these fossil imprints. Much…read moreof the rock is cracked and loose. Much of the area has numbers imbedded into the ground to help you find the things.

A truly beautiful hike filled with caves to explore! There are a total of nine caves, ranging in…read moresize from massive walk-through caverns to smaller, single-person passages. Two of the largest caves let you walk straight from one entrance to another, while one of the smaller ones requires squeezing through two tight openings before you can barely stand inside--definitely an adventure! The trails are not wheelchair accessible. The full hike took us about three hours at a steady pace. I'd recommend bringing a flashlight for exploring, though it's not absolutely necessary. Between the unique caves and the gorgeous trails, this park is a gem. I'll definitely be returning to Maquoketa Caves in the future!

There is coons but they don't attack and are mostly friendly bathrooms may have roaches but i…read morecouldn't tell it was dark because I diddent want to find the unknown light switch but if you don't think of that it's a great experience

The National Park honoring the life of Herbert Hoover is inspiring and educational. The complex is…read morelarge and includes a Visitors Center, his original birthplace cottage, schoolhouse, blacksmith, gravesite, park and Presidential Library and Museum. We started our tour in the Visitor's Center. We were greeted by a friendly Park Ranger, who described the layout of the center. A twelve minute movie provides a nice overview of Hoover's life from boyhood to post presidential. The Center also has a room with interactive displays and artifacts. I confess that I didn't know much about Hoover prior to this visit. His story is memorable as he was raised Quaker, became orphaned at a young age, yet managed to attend Stanford University and become a successful geologist. Then, he became president and devoted his life to international outreach. What an inspirational story! Despite cold rain, we took the short walk to Hoover's boyhood cottage, the blacksmith shop where his father worked and the schoolhouse. Each stop was informative. Nice boardwalks connect all the buildings, which are wheel chair accessible. The museum was closed for major renovations and will reopen in 2026. The grave site (behind the museum) is peaceful, simple and lovely. There is nearby parking. The Park is easy on/off US 80. The site was free to visit (although donations are accepted). There were public restrooms in the Visitors Center. I encourage a visit if you like history. The Park is a great place to bring kids. Plan a couple hours.

Admittedly, I don't do much research before visiting an NPS site, as I would like to be educated by…read morethe informational displays present. If I have additional questions, I just look them up later. So, it was a huge surprise to me that this place was pretty sizable. Starting from the visitor's center, you can meander your way through the grounds containing the former president's house (and birth place), his school house, and his original Quaker church. There's also a blacksmithery which has demonstrations over the weekends. Finally, you can see his grave site. I unfortunately did not have time to visit the museum, but the NPS ranger had good things to say about it. There is also a small path to the prairie to give you a sense of what Hoover's family encountered before they farmed the land. Overall, this was a great visit!

Are you headed into Debuque? Need fishing spots? Need trails to the caves?…read moreThis is a great resource stop. There is all kinds of things going on here. Check out the monthly activities and hands on activities for the kids. We stopped for fishing info and got some great information from the gentleman working there. There is a great outside area for actions to walk around. This is just off the highway and full of good information. The bathrooms are super clean and there is a lot of animals on display in this building. Comes with a little gift shop that carries toys to wine from the local winery right up the hill. A must stop if you are not from around here.

What a wonderful place to visit! For so many reasons. Besides being free. A lot is offered here…read more There are exhibits which tells you about the natural environment in the area. My favorite is an enclosed bee hive with live bees. Awesome! I've been here at night to look at the stars. And I've walked the trail. Going past a pond and the prairie. Then I brought my lunch to eat at the picnic shelter. All very relaxing and therapeutic for me. Great for those with families. Easy to find. Right off Highway 61. I try to come here at least half a dozen times a year.

Beautiful and extensive trails over a surprisingly large area, many along or near pretty waterways…read more....there are several well marked parking lots near the trail heads. We did get lost trying to find the nature center which didn't seem connected to the part of the park we first arrived in...it seems there are two separate entrances? Fortunately we were near the cool castle-like tower, the Julien Dubuque Monument, which offers stunning panoramic views of the Mississippi and of the city of Dubuque. Definitely would like to come back for more hiking here!

Mines of Spain is a go to place for me and has been for years. A wonderful scenic outdoor space…read more Great for hiking.