Daytrippin' in the Quad Cities region: Maquoketa Caves, Wildcat Den State Park and more
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] When you're here, you are standing on top of it. You could drive right by and not even notice that there's a massive huge cliff face that leads you into an 1100t long cave.
[Music] Okay. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] That's probably the famous part of the caves. If you ever Google Makoga Caves, that's the picture you always see online is that rock arch of the natural [Music] [Applause] [Music] bridge.
Heat. [Applause] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] It's caves in Iowa in the middle of a corn fields that people from all over. We have people from all over the world. We have people from all over the [Music] country. I mean, it's a mad house. There's people all over the place. The
parking lots are all [Music] full. Something for everybody. This park is unique in its own because, you know, we have caves and it's a hidden gem of Iowa, we would say. [Music] [Music] They come from all over from Florida to ne from New York to the east coast to the west coast to the Midwest. I mean
every um we've had coaches from all over [Music] And you're on a theme boat from the old days that looked like something that Mark Twain rode on. So you kind of get the nostalgic feel of the river. [Music] It ain't no friend of mine.
And they said you were high class just [Music] like deck. Oh, I found [Music] we cruise rain or shine. And so, um, you're inside on the dining decks for the meals and the entertainment.
Otherwise, if it's nice and sunny and beautiful, then you can just go up to the top decks and enjoy the cruise and enjoy the [Music] scenery. The most common question is how deep is the river? They everybody just wants to know how deep it is. And then when you tell them it's roughly around 20 ft uh here in the Quad City area between the two locks, then they're surprised that it's only that deep. [Music] You do not have a better view than anywhere than on the celebration B.
[Music] So the area has a lot of history that shaped America and I don't think a lot of people realize that. [Music] I mean, if you haven't seen it, again, the best way that you can see the new bridge is on the Celebration Bell on the top decks and at night with the captain's dinner cruise with the views and the lights on it. It's spectacular. [Music] [Music] Where does it work? [Music] [Music] You can see miles an hour going around. [Music] So when they come to um come on board, they expect the food, the live entertainment, the beautiful, beautiful scenery on the Mississippi River. Um the
mighty Mississippi River is so historical and so to learn about that, to be able to say that they actually have cruised on it, um then the experience is is just wonderful. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Silver. Silver. [Applause] kind of just a really great hub um to have all this river history in one place and we're just so fortunate that Debuke is where that gets to [Music] be. On our 14 acre campus, we offer two buildings. So, one is considered the
freshwater building, which is the one with the iconic paddle wheel. The other building is our saltwater building um that has more of our oceanic animals. [Music] [Music] We also have our North American river otter. Those are always popular cuz they're super playful. [Music] [Applause] [Music] So that exhibit features 12 new aquariums, 100 species cheese. It's absolutely stunning and one that you definitely want to add to your list.
[Music] Go [Music] look. Heat. Hey. Hey. [Music] Hey. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Hello. Hey. Hey.
[Music] So you can see where the crew slept, where they made their food. You can head up to the pilot house. [Music] But even adults come and you see the amazing smiles, the wonder on their faces. They even learn something new when they come here. So truly something for all ages. And it's a really great experience. Something is going to be
different when you come to the museum. We're either going to have a new animal or we're going to have a new exhibit. Always something to explore. So we always say make sure you come back more than [Music] once. We are a hybrid institution which
is really rare and not something that you see most times. Usually you go somewhere and it's just an aquarium or it's a zoo or it's just a museum. And we have a little bit of both. Heat.
[Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey. Hey. Hey. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] The museum has really evolved into a regional history museum and uh so we have a lot of his river history the history of the pioneers who came here. [Music] Oh. Oh. Oh.
[Music] One we have now was built in 1890, ran till 1967 for 77 years, which is by far a record for a woodenhold steamboat of any kind. [Music] They can go through the whole boat. All it's all the machinery is still on it.
It's just pretty much like it was when they brought it here in 1968. Heat up here. [Music] They can look at the books of that time and write on the slates at their desks or write on backboards and they enjoy it and maybe learn a little bit at the same All [Music] right. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] The name is misleading. Nevertheless, it it does bring people in who know something about Buffalo [Music] Bill.
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Turn Oh, [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] there you really get a good view of the the Mississippi as it continues northward, you know, up into Wisconsin and and there also once again the lock and dam. You're literally right [Music] [Music] there. This is absolutely amazing. But everything that's created up there is just gorgeous. And uh it's it's a very much a uh you know a park that we're very par proud of.
[Music] Yes, you are. [Music] people were like, "Well, we would pay you, you know, to be able to ride it to to cut down our time also." So, that's how it got created and started and it still continues to this day. [Music] Oh my gosh.
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] You can see the downtown area. You see a lot of the old historic buildings. You know, Debuke is the oldest community in the state of Iowa. So, you see a lot of
that, but you can look up and down the river. You know, you that absolutely beautiful, you know, majestic scenery that we enjoy here and looking into Illinois, looking into Wisconsin. It's just uh it's absolutely amazing. [Music] [Music] [Music] created a a friendship partnership with them and started to mine the ore and such. And that's really how the community of Debuke got started.
At that time, this this area was owned by Spain. In order for him to get a license to mine, he u applied to the uh to the Spanish governor of New Orleans. And that's why he called it minds of Spain. [Music] The Musquakei Indians sought so highly of him, they uh buried him on a a bluff overlooking the river. and he's still there. In the 8 late 1800s, the city of Debuke built a monument around him.
That's the Julian Debuke monument. It's absolutely gorgeous. [Music] you know, the wildlife, the luscious uh all the trees and hillsides and that. So, it would be pretty close, but you know, not quite the same. Three different areas, three different spots on the river really. you know that you're up at a height that you can really take in the whole breathtaking scenery of the of the Mississippi River [Music] [Music] Valley.
[Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Music] So, the pavilion really is John Deere's welcome center here in Molen. And we want to reflect uh what we're doing here in the community um the equipment we're building uh our employees and what impact we're having around the world while also telling our company's rich history. When you walk in the front doors, you can't miss it. And people are quite shocked at the size of it when they do walk in. [Music] This is for what counts as used to be green. We all know that John Deere hat
is very iconic. It's a way for us to showcase people and their pride and love for the brand. [Music] It's basically you're being the sprayer and you're stomping on the weeds as you go through the crops. And hint, you're probably not going to win because the other side is the John Deere sprayer spraying the weeds. [Music] We hope when people leave the pavilion is that they do realize that we're here in their community to build equipment to make their lives better. um to innovate on behalf of humanity.
[Music] You can go down to the pavilion and learn about company history and but people also want to see that personal side and so they come here to learn about the family history. [Music] The two homes are homes to the descendants of John Deere. John Deere did not live here. He would have visited here. Uh he was still alive when this
house was built. [Music] So, we know the elevator was in Greece by 1899. [Music] Well, the company was built on invention and so he was willing to try new inventions even in his own house. adding electricity quite early. Uh and uh the elevator, all those [Music] [Music] things.
[Music] [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Butterworth then had an architect design the room to fit the size and shape of the painting. So we have about a 400year-old painting right here in [Music] Molen. I think it's the best room in the
Midwest. It It's just a spectacular room. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Heat.
Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] It wasn't until 1936 six that the park became officially dedicated. Uh that was when the bronze tablet here behind us uh was erected by the state. [Music] without the states. intervention, the
grist mill wouldn't be standing today. So, it was a good time for the state to intervene before the grist mill uh became too far in [Music] disrepair. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] It was used as a way for uh the local settlers to get across the creek.
Otherwise, they would have to travel for miles around to find a place to wade the creek. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] The iron deposits in the sandstone kind to give everything a reddished hint, which is how it got the nickname Devil's Punch Bowl. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] I would say it's a really unique area for Iowa. You're typically not going to
see 40ft sandstone bluffs in the middle of a corn field, which is why, you know, Emma and Clara took the time to make sure this is preserved for future generations because it is such a unique area for Iowa. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] I think it's just a charming historic downtown with a beautiful riverfront and a slower pace of life.
[Music] We have a cultural and entertainment district downtown here. So, we have lots of little shops and restaurants and establishments. Um, I think that visitors find that to be very [Music] enticing. You can see the river and the bluffs, uh, especially the the leaves changing this time of year. Um there's some festive displays downtown. Um if you're into hiking, there's tons of hiking to do up at Pikes Peak.
[Music] From the overlook at Pikes Peak, you can see the whole Mississippi River Valley where the Wisconsin River meets the Mississippi river. Um, I would say from an eagle's view. So, it is an incredible view.
[Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Pinky has remained um and is still there today, although the the original hotel and restaurant are no longer there. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Laughter] [Music] It's a little different view with every season, but it's always beautiful. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] [Music] They're trying to create things that'll help make it easier and more efficient and so that we can continue to feed the world.
[Music] We have some very early like 1900s um some of the old wood pressed uh lithograph farm toys. Um so those are quite rare. [Music] Success.
[Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] probably over 90% of our museum has been donated or given to the museum itself. So yeah, we just have a little probably a little less than 10% that's on [Music] loan. Farm toy collecting is all about
those those connections, those people and their memories. It's really an awesome hobby to It's almost like family reunions when we get [Music] together. They forget all the hard work. They remember the the fun times and the connection that they made doing those hard chores and things like that. Heat.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music]
2025-04-25 10:41
