ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Sunny skies and near 70-degree temperatures greeted Queen of the Mississippi’s arrival in Davenport, IA, where passengers could choose from two included tours – a visit to the John Deere Pavilion or the John Hauberg Indian Museum.
As I mentioned in the introduction to my blog, I have fond childhood memories of climbing around on my grandpa’s John Deere tractor during visits to the family farm in Illinois, so I was at the head of the line to board the bus bound for the JD Pavilion in neighboring Moline, IL. Mel chose to visit the Hauberg Museum – and I’ll share her thoughts on that experience in a moment.
It makes sense that you’d find one of the world’s major manufacturers of agricultural machinery located here in the heartland of America. It is logical too that this is the place where a blacksmith named John Deere would have fashioned the first commercially successful steel plow back in 1837. Deere’s innovative plow blade led to the founding of a thriving company bearing his name — one that in the early 1900s expanded into the business of building tractors and other farm equipment.
The Pavilion presents some fascinating exhibits, many of them offering a hands-on experience. You can touch the machines and climb onboard many of them. This is the largest display of John Deere equipment and technology in the world – thoughtfully arranged around the floor of the huge Pavilion – vintage machines alongside the latest JD agriculture, construction and forestry equipment. The John Deere Store, in an adjacent building, features a mind-boggling array of official John Deere gear, from key chains to clothing, and kids’ tractors to collectibles.
According to Mel, the John Hauberg Indian Museum interprets the story of the Sauk and Meskwaki tribes that called this area of the Upper Mississippi home from the mid-18th through the early 19th centuries. Among the exhibits are full-size replicas of Sauk and Meskwaki dwellings, dioramas with life-size figures featuring activities of these native peoples, and an excellent artifacts collection including authentic trade goods, weapons and jewelry.
Afternoon activities onboard the Queen included a galley tour; a presentation by Riverlorian Mike Jennings devoted to the early days of steamboating on the Mississippi, and another by JoAnn Funk entitled “Birds of Prey Along the Upper Mississippi.” Photo enthusiasts were invited to a class on creative digital photography conducted by Steven Marking.
