BLOG 4 -- JOHN DEERE PAVILION, MOLINE AND MORE

We crossed into the State of Illinois on Friday, 4/17 and arrived at the John Deere Pavilion in downtown Moline, IL about 11AM.  We were worried about parking here but the 2 bigger rigs with trailers found spaces big enough with no problems.  We also visited here last year but everyone was interested in seeing this showcase for John Deere farm and construction products as well as their history.  

 











History panels here start with John Deere's invention of a revolutionary plow in 1836. Floor displays show the earliest John Deere motorized tractor progressing to modern tractors. 

Old and modern tractors, huge harvester and impressive dozer

Maryke tried the dozer simulator and although awkward, we're happy to report she did not cause any monetary damage at all to the dozer!  The real life dozer is very impressive!  The largest display is a gigantic harvester that takes up a whole end of the pavilion!   We watched the movie showing the projected growth of human population and the vastly increased need for food and of course, agriculture, to grow the food!   Naturally John Deere's machinery were the solution to this problem, but they do make excellent products!  My favorite display was a large John Deere front end loader!   After going through the showroom, we wandered through the John Deere gift store and one member of our party was enthusiastically shopping!  It was fun to visit here and we all learned a little more about construction and agricultural machinery!

We left and went to Millpoint Campground, right on the Illinois River in East Peoria, IL, a Passport America park where we stayed last year.  What a deal--$13 a night for full hookup sites.  We got good sites near the river where we could see tugs and barges moving along the river. 

When Charli and Paul went shopping, we entrusted Scout to us and we happily took Scout for a good walk out to but not in, the river!   The 2 dogs loved it here since they could run off leash in large areas.  Note the photograph of Scout and Grommit playing and chasing each other and usually pulling Emily's arm off!!  Woody the cat also got to walk on leash!  

The “African Queen” pulled out of the river is a strange vessel! A number of Eastern Redbud plants were just coming into bloom and were very pretty! We saw a large pusher tug with 3 loaded barges heading downriver.  

A great sunset over the river with 3 geese flying over finished off a very pleasant day!

On 4/19 we were in Ohio and wanted to show the others the National Road/Zane Grey Museum  a few miles east of Zanesville but unfortunately the Museum was still closed for winter until May.   

We all had lunch in their parking lot and read the signs and saw the National Road (America's first road envisioned by George Washington) milepost display and an ancient tiny road grader and road roller.    

The dogs got a good walk and Scout found a huge tree branch and was strutting around with it in his mouth—very funny!  

Then we separated with the 2 Airstream trailers going to the Elks Lodge in Cambridge, OH overnight and we went to visit our son-in-law Kirk's parents, Wes and Shirley in Zanesville, OH.  We had a nice talk and an excellent dinner and not only was the food very good, but the nature show outside the window at the bird feeder with house finches, two woodpecker species, cardinals and much more, was spectacular!  We always appreciate our family and friends having a nice level driveway with space to park our Sprinter-based RV overnight! (Hint! Hint!)  Wes even supplies a 15 amp electrical socket!  Thank you both for a pleasant night! 

The next morning we drove to Cambridge, OH to find the others and stopped at the incredible 1881 County Courthouse with a terrific Civil War monument right in the center of town to take a few photographs and suddenly the parade of 2 Airstreams was rolling down the street toward us! 

I ran to the RV and raced after them, catching up in a few blocks!    

That night, we all stayed at the Hagerstown, MD Elks Lodge.  If you've forgotten what our 3 rigs look like, here we are! 

Watch for the next exciting chapter of our cross-country journey when we head for Gettysburg National Military Park and Eisenhower National Historic Site!   We like Ike!!