I started Tuesday in Peoria, Illinois which is the headquarters of the giant truck/digger/earthmover company Caterpillar and so a trip to their visitor center was essential. Since much of their equipment is so huge there were only 4 large vehicles on display but the largest of them had been modified to contain a cinema, with over 100 seats, in the bed of the truck. In addition to vehicles you could climb into they also had several simulators of different types of equipment where you could test your skill and speed at completing tasks such as covering a pipeline in dirt. Unfortunately, I was not very skillful and don”t think any construction company would keep me on its payroll very long. There were also exhibits and information about other products that I did not know came from Caterpillar, such as power generators, locomotive and ship engines. Unfortunately, the tone was very corporate with too much company PR which bloated the reading and detracted from the clarity of the information.

After leaving Peoria I headed north to Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin  which is the oldest community on the northern Mississippi river. Ever since I was in Cincinnati I have been looking for scenic routes to use, rather than highways, but there were simply none around. Finally, I was able to get off the highway as I approached Prairie du Chien and I stopped at Eagle Point Park in Dubuque, Iowa for a spectacular view of the Mississippi river. Apart from the views, the park was beautiful, the weather was perfect and it was so relaxing to just sit while watching and listening to the river flow over the dam below.

Tuesday’s video and map are here and includes the drive through the park and crossing the Mississippi.

The Caterpillar truck with its bed converted to a theater.

Three views of the Mississippi from Eagle Point Park