We started heading southeast today towards Florida for Thanksgiving. Temperatures are dropping into the low 30’s F at night. We’ve been surrounded by farmland for days. As we crossed the Mississippi River at Davenport, Iowa into Rock Island/Moline, IL we found ourselves suddenly in an industrial area with factories, brick buildings and narrow roads.
JOHN DEERE PAVILION, Moline, IL
Moline is known as the “Farm Implement Capital of America” and is the world headquarters of John Deere Corporation. Nearby, they have a visitor’s center, the John Deere Pavilion, that tells their story, has equipment, a video and hands-on exhibits. We enjoyed climbing into the 2-seater combine, a giant bulldozer and the “Wheeled Feller Buncher” i.e. a tree remover. The coolest exhibits were the hands-on video simulators for an excavator, bulldozer and a backhoe! Peggy wants to go back to improve her skills.
Peggy and Terry on the big machines. Terry on the simulator (lower left).
Camping: Rock Island KOA, Rock Island, IL
Laundry, showers, electricity, water, WiFi, Verizon cell