Iowa

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This morning we drove from Peoria, Illinois to Dubuque, Iowa and we are now back to the Mississippi River. It was a bit harrowing getting here because we had to drive through an October snow storm. We changed our route somewhat, sticking to highways and avoiding the back roads that run nearer the river. By the time we made it to Dubuque the precipitation had stopped, but it was still pretty cold. I think the high for us today was 35 degrees. We are just glad that there is no accumulation of snow to deal with. We spent most of the afternoon in the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. It has displays about the river and ecology and is reasonably well done, but not as informative as some museums or aquariums we have been to. We are spending the night in the old, and well maintained, Hotel Julien. It is named for Julien Dubuque, an early settler in these parts. These grand old hotels are a pleasure to stay in when they are kept up as this one is.

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