Quad Cities

The Quad Cities has been passingly referred to as "forgottonia". Without a sizable core city, a major sports team or even formal recognition as a single urban entity from many planning commissions, it remains undetected on the national radar. As a result, it is frequently derided for its lack of stature when it achieves national attention. Such derision is more a reflection of the ignorance of those outside the area than it is legitimate fodder for amusement. Visitors are encouraged to check their biases at the door and explore everything the area has to offer.

Despite its relatively small size, the politically fractured nature of the area has eliminated central planning for the most part, making the area unusually difficult to get around in. For the public benefit, most gas stations post large, comprehensive free maps near their restrooms.

To aid the process of navigating the Quad Cities, a wayfinding color code system has been established for signs that direct people to various venues and attractions in the area. The area is divided into quadrants with their own colors and identifying headers on direction signs have the appropriate color for each quadrant so that travelers know, by color, which quadrant you are in and to which color you will have to travel to reach other attractions. The northwest quadrant (Davenport) use the green color in the header, the northeast quadrant (Bettendorf) is yellow, the southeast quadrant (Moline-East Moline) is blue and the southwest quadrant (Rock Island) is red.

Though not officially named, the Quad Cities could well be another city called "The City of Bridges". Several pedestrian-friendly bridges span the Mississippi River, providing breathtaking views of several downtowns. Additionally, the "Skybridge" in downtown Davenport provides a bird's-eye view of that city's immaculate core while treating street-level pedestrians to an ever-changing array of colors from light-emitting diodes embedded in the bridge's structure. The area lies in a steep valley, allowing those approaching the Mississippi an astonishing view of the surrounding area.

Any visitor to the Quad Cities should know that the world headquarters for the familiar yellow on green John Deere farm equipment is in Moline. A visit to the John Deere Pavilion is a must - you can view the history of John Deere plows and tractors in one big room. This is also a fantastic gift shop with everything from t-shirts to golf balls to paper plates for your next John Deere party!

The downtown Moline area includes the original 1908 Lagomarcinos, a confectionery shop with delicious homemade candies and chocolates.

Visitors are strongly encouraged to explore the Village of East Davenport, a converted residential neighborhood that now houses a thriving arts community. Isabel Bloom Studios, where world famous sculptures are created, is here with another location by the John Deere Pavilion in Moline.

Another notable shopping experience is the District of Rock Island, a pedestrian mall which hosts several exotic bars and coffee shops, and maintains a near continuous series of music and ethnic festivals throughout the summer.

Arsenal Island is a federally owned 900-acre island in the Mississippi River. The dreaded Civil War era Rock Island Prison (to which Ashley Wilkes is sent in the novel Gone With the Wind) was located here, and a cemetery of nearly 2,000 Confederate soldiers and a National Cemetery reside on the island.Other island attractions include the Colonel Davenport house, huge limestone buildings over 100 years old, and a lock and dam system that includes a swing-span on the iron Government Bridge. Public entrance is from Moline only, and visitors must register at the gate.

A visit to Black Hawk State Historic Site in Rock Island brings you to an area that served for millennia as a location for Native American villages, particularly Sauk and Mesquakie.

The area was in the forefront of the riverboat casino movement in the 1990s. It now supports two casinos in Iowa and one in Illinois. The Isle of Capri is located in downtown Bettendorf and the Rhythm City Casino is located in downtown Davenport. Jumer's Casino Rock Island is at the intersection of Interstate 280 and Illinois 92 in southwest Rock Island.

For those interested in a more engaging experience, the Quad Cities plays host to the world-class Bix 7 road race, Sturgis on the River motorcycle rally, and the chance to use those golf balls at TPC Deere Run, home of the PGA John Deere Classic (held each July).

Moline's TaxSlayer Center (formerly the Mark of the Quad Cities and iWireless Center) is the main concert and event venue, with concerts played year-round, and the Quad City Mallards hockey team. It also hosts the Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament each March.

At Modern Woodmen Park (formerly John O'Donnell Stadium), spectators can watch the Quad City River Bandits baseball team (formerly the Swing of the Quad Cities) devour their opponents. It is near the north end of the Centennial Bridge, along the Mississippi River in Davenport.

An article in the popular satirical newspaper The Onion once questioned where the gay district of Moline could be found. Moline's gay district is a few minutes away, in nearby Davenport.

Observe the bald eagles feeding along the Mississippi River in the wintertime. The most opportune locations are locks and dams.

The Quad Cities is home to two unique styles of pizza. The first type is found at a number of restaurants, but the best example is Frank's Pizza in Silvis, Illinois (a small town abutting East Moline.) Founded in 1949, Frank's was one of the first (if not the first) pizza parlor in the Quad Cities. It serves a fantastic pizza, with a crispy-chewy crust and a great tomato sauce. The iconic version is the sausage, but you can get other toppings as well. It really is a unique style of pizza (it is even cut a different way -- in long thin strips) and is a treasure of the region. In addition to Franks, other local restaurants such as Harris Pizza serve a similar style pizza.

The second unique style of pizza can be found at Happy Joe's pizza. This small chain offers a well-loved taco pizza (not traditional, but still tasty) and a pizza topped with Canadian bacon and sauerkraut. You can get more typical toppings at Happy Joe's too. It also doubles as an ice cream parlor, and is very family-friendly.

Speaking of ice cream, Whitey's Ice Cream provides numerous flavors of delicious premium grade hard-pack ice cream and should not be missed. An excellent alternative is the less expensive local soft-serve ice cream shop Country Style which offers a variety of fresh ingredients. Both establishments can be found throughout the area, and any local would be happy to direct visitors to the nearest one.

The Iowa Machine Shed celebrates the American farmer, cooking from scratch right down to peeling the potatoes.

Tappa's Steak House west of downtown Davenport has been a family-owned and -operated steakhouse since the late 20th century.

The Quad Cities is host to a variety of Thai restaurants, including Soi, Lemongrass Cafe, or Miss Phey's Cafe.

For those seeking something with a more unique flavor, The Filling Station provides delicious American fare at low prices. Visitors are strongly encouraged to pay it a visit.

The Blue Cat Brew Pub serves very good fare ranging from burgers to seafood. Be sure to check out a few of the beers brewed at in the in-house microbrewery.

Those seeking a more upscale experience can visit the Woodfire Grill (previously called Centro), in downtown Davenport. John Deere Commons in Moline also hosts an upscale dining establishment, Johnny's Steakhouse.

Moline Centre (which is next to the John Deere Pavilion) is a host to a wide range of food, from pizza to Thai.

A traditional spread native to the Quad Cities region is the space jam, which is named as such due to its galaxy-esque coloring thanks to the mixture of milk and blackberries that goes into the production of it.

For coffee, the Quad Cities region has a variety of independent coffee shops. Cool Beanz and Redband offer a wide range of espresso drinks. 392caffe in Davenport is a modern, urban coffeehouse with upbeat music and a kitchen offering sandwiches and a bakery. Atomic is popular among the college students in the Quad Cities, offering energy drinks and coffee. Coffee House in East Davenport (frequently referred to as the East Village) is a quiet environment with bagel sandwiches and a wide range of drinks. At night on Thursdays, the shop hosts a trivia night and offers alcoholic beverages to adult guests.

Blue Spruce Bakery is in downtown Davenport, and offers fresh baked bread, pastries, sandwiches, and a selection of groceries.

The District of Rock Island, known locally as The District is a pedestrian mall which serves as home to numerous bars, and should not be missed. It also plays hosts to local several local festivals.

Davenport's downtown plays host to several large upscale nightclubs. Visitors need only park their car and follow the crowds.

Davenport's Rainbow District is a (very) small gay village located on the outskirts of the city's downtown. It consists of a handful of gay-oriented bars, nightclubs and restaurants, and is known for its popular drag shows. As with many areas in questionable parts of town, visitors are advised to proceed with caution when visiting the area at night.

As with many other working class cities, Davenport has a number of small neighborhood pubs among its residential developments.

The Moline Centre is a good place to park and walk. There are several bars including Bent River Brewery, try out their house beers. Also, there is Bierstube in the Moline Centre and in the Village of East Davenport. Looking for outdoor music: go to the River House.

Like larger cities, visitors to the Quad Cities should make an effort to avoid traveling on foot when alone at night, especially in the west ends of Davenport and Rock Island. That said, the area's greatest dangers tend to be experienced on the road; in the summertime deer make unfortunate moving roadblocks, and most locals know of someone who has demolished their car against one. The winter months proudly represent the Midwest's unpredictable weather and leave much of the area icy and unnavigable with little notice.

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Peoria and Rockford in Illinois are all nearby. The Quad Cities are a couple hours west of Chicago, connected by Interstates 80 and 88 and a couple hours east of Des Moines via Interstate 80.