SKOKIE — Thanks for the drive (“Our Side of the River”; June 20). I grew up in “dull” Rock Island, and miss the river, the big boats and all those whistles echoing through the valley.
I’m glad to see that you agree with my opinion on the view from the Mississippi Palisades Park at Savanna. Absolutely wonderful. We’ve usually lucked out and gotten there just at sunset, which is a great time to be there.
Years ago we kidnapped my mother from Rock Island, used an AAA map for reference and zipped up to Galena and back. The map’s little dots for “scenic drive” show up on both sides of the river, north from about Clinton, Iowa. I’d recommend doing at least the Clinton-Galena loop sometime.
Bellevue, Iowa, is well-named. They’ve got an enormous hunk of rock there, which might pass as a mirror image of the Savanna outlook. Drive up the narrow road to the top, walk to the edge and you can see the town and river way down below. You’ll spot occasional riverboats and the palisades. It feels as if you could see people over at Savanna looking back, even if they’re not really lined up on the map.
All that catfish: I hope you recovered! Thanks to you, I’m starting to pine for the Moline American Legion catfish fry (every Friday, as I recall).
— Jim Tolson
Wrong side of the river . . .
I have been to many of the places you were at on the Illinois “River Road.” I can confirm that this is definitely the wrong side of the river to travel (even Galena is a tourist trap except for a good bakery and a handful of other shops).
You covered a very dull subject with wit and charm, the most difficult feat in writing. May God bless you (by getting your dumb-as-a-rock editors to send you back to Bali or some place worthy of your talents).
— Grant Noble
P.S. Thanks for taking on the myth of Route 66. It’s the dullest 2,000-mile drive in America — U.S. Highway 6 may only have a single 6, but it’s many times the highway of Route 66. But I guess “get some kicks on Route 6” didn’t fit the rhyme (or probably the hack who wrote the song didn’t know it existed).
. . . Or was it?
DAVENPORT, Iowa — As a pharmaceutical representative, I am intimately familiar with the stretch of the Great River Road from just south of Nauvoo all the way to East Dubuque. When I first read you were going to write on the road, the first thing I said to myself was, “Most of that road isn’t along the river.” However, it beats the heck out of driving on the Iowa side, where Highway 61 is so boring that Bob Dylan wouldn’t even consider revisiting it anymore. As a matter of fact, the next time I’m in Keokuk, I’m going to go home on the Illinois side (I love the part from Keokuk to Nauvoo) and take it all the way up to Davenport.
— Scott Lindholm
Small-town attractions
CHICAGO — I grew up in Oquawka, Ill., and was delighted to hear about your visit. It was so enjoyable to read about small towns and their attractions rather than the obvious ones in the bigger cities.
The next time you go, stop at Ruthies in Dallas City on a Friday night for the catfish. And there is a wonderful tavern, the Lighthouse, in Keithsburg where a fella can wile away an afternoon with a beer and a spectacular view of the river.
— Linda Hamilton Hawbaker
A rare find in England
BELOIT, Wis. — On a trip to England in May, we discovered St. Ives, a fishing-village-turned-arts-center tucked away on the southwestern coast of Cornwall. What a delightful surprise it was — a welcome change of pace for visiting Americans with its wide beaches, centuries-old buildings, narrow streets, galleries and small shops. It affords easy access to St. Just, Land’s End, Penzance and the historic villages of Mousehole, Marazion and Mt. St. Michaels.
Part of our enchantment was Sowena House, the guest house in which we stayed. It was located in old town, just a few minutes from shops, galleries and beaches. On the outside the house belongs to the ages; inside it is quite comfortably modern. (For booking information, call Peter Voss at 01736-797748.)
— Edward M. Esler
Demonstrating democracy
MADISON, Wis. — (Re: Alfred Borcover’s June 20 column in which a State Department spokesperson advised travelers abroad to “avoid any kind of demonstration. If you see one, go the other way rather than wading in to see what it’s about.”)
Demonstrations are probably the best way for a visitor/tourist to find out how democratic a country really is. This blanket advice precludes an ordinary traveler from gaining this information.
Should the traveler exercise some elementary cautions? Yes! Are there police armed with batons or firepower present or just some police standing about observing? Is someone handing out leaflets that will inform the traveler of the purpose of the demonstration? Can the traveler engage someone on the fringes of the demonstration in conversation?
These same cautions exist in the United States.
In observing the customs of a country (my own and others), I have often asked what a demonstration is about. I have photographed such demonstrations; listened to the speeches; compared foreign and domestic policies with the demonstrators; and come away with information and perceptions, I would not otherwise have had.
— Lea Zeldin
Wandering Turkey
WESTERN SPRINGS — Enjoyed your article about Turkey (“Getting Around Istanbul”; June 20). Unfortunately most foreign tourists limit their visit to west Turkey. They are missing some great historic and tourist sites in central and east Turkey.
I just returned from a 3 1/2-week trip that took me from Istanbul to Ankara, Kars, Erzurum, Igdir (Nakhchevan Autonomous Republic) and Van. It was one of my greatest trips in my 50 years of professional international travel.
The Russian, Armenian, Ottoman and even Roman influences in construction, Mt. Ararat (Noah’s country), churches, fortresses, castles — all made the trip worthwhile.
— Harry Lepinske
Capital crimes
MATTOON — I read with amusement and amazement your “Owner’s Manual for D.C.” (Great Cities of North America — July 4). I worked in the heart of Washington for eight years (while living in more-civilized Virginia). That’s the same as two presidential terms — which is enough for any human being and no doubt what prompted term limits.
You neglected to include crime, which is rampant and pervasive. The fact that you walked in the city at night more than a few hundred feet and without becoming a victim of crime is, well, unusual.
There is a giant cover-up by the “locals” who want those tourist dollars and invite outsiders to add to the revenue. The grunts — like me — who trudge to work, look over their shoulders, trudge home and don’t venture out at night know the truth about D.C. It may have museums, memorials and attractions we have all seen in the media. But it’s a hell of a dangerous place to go under any circumstance. The fact that I escaped without being a victim of crime (a rare claim to fame there) is remarkable. The fact that you completely overlooked that aspect of the Nation’s Capital is appalling.
— Maggie Bayne
Another D.C. `must’
STICKNEY — Your article brought back happy and pleasant memories of my second trip to Washington, D.C., in 1998. However, you didn’t mention the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. Words such as beautiful, inspiring and spiritual do not do the shrine justice! (Also, the Franciscan Monastery — the Holy Land of America is just a short trip away.)
— Helen Cermak
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