Choose from a long list of activities for all ages in an area with four nearby cities. A major river adds interest.
Bettendorf, Iowa, has one of the world’s longest highways. Route 6 stretches from Massachusetts to California, for 3,652 miles (5,877 kilometers). When you approach Iowa on this highway from the east, Bettendorf is the first major urban area across the state border. Enjoy a pleasant vacation in this Quad Cities area.
Get overviews of Bettendorf and neighboring Davenport by biking along leafy Duck Creek Parkway, which travels creekside for 13 miles (20 kilometers), passing numerous parks and golf courses. The Riverway Trail travels beside the Mississippi River through Bettendorf, Davenport and Riverdale. Hop on the Channel Cat Water Taxi in Bettendorf to continue biking on the other side of the Mississippi or cross the river by bridge.
The proximity of four urban areas, Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois, give the area the Quad Cities name. Choose from numerous resorts and casinos and find out what events are happening at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center attached to Bettendorf’s Isle Casino Hotel.
Spend a fun day at Bettendorf’s Family Museum. The site has interactive exhibits including a 28-foot (8-meter) Mississippi water-play table. Treat yourself to ice cream at Davenport’s Whitey’s Ice Cream, called “Best in the Midwest.”
Relax at Davenport’s Vander Veer Botanical Park and Conservatory with its nationally recognized rose garden and hosta glade. Tour Palmer College Mansion, once owned by the son of Daniel David Palmer who founded chiropractics in the 19th century. A re-creation of Palmer’s office, the Palmer Museum of Chiropractic History, is located in Davenport.
John Deere’s internationally recognized green tractors are featured in Moline, Illinois. Tour the John Deere Pavilion and World Headquarters, interesting for the whole family. Climb aboard agricultural, construction and forestry machinery and test your operating skills in a simulator. This free attraction appeals to young and old.
Visit Bettendorf and the Quad Cities to experience Midwestern life. You’ll have a better understanding of the Mississippi River’s importance to this area.
