Rock Island, IL

It is a Sunday morning in Rock Island and the Visitor Center just welcomed the first visitors of the day.  The River traffic appears to be sparse today with only one Towboat and barges expected.  Sundays seem to be fairly slow recently, with some days experiencing no barge traffic at all.  Each day is different with the River traffic.  Yesterday we watched a steady flow of Towboats (6) with barges from the time we opened at 9:00 a.m. until we closed at 5:00 p.m.  There were over a half dozen recreational boats through the locks as well. And to accompany this traffic we welcomed over 140 visitors for the day.

Last Monday was a slow day, 19 total visitors.  I believe the weather was at fault for that one.

Just a wee bit of rain.  Couldn't see the end of the bridge and Davenport didn't exist. The downpour lasted about 20 minutes.  It was rather gloomy in the Visitor Center with all those dark clouds around.

Each week, during my days off, I drive the 5 or so miles upriver to Port Byron, IL.  Port Byron is a community of about 1650 folks, along the banks of the Mississippi River.  There is a laundromat which I use for my weekly laundry.  And while the wash is washing, I take a walk from the laundromat down to the Mississippi River.  While on the walk, I would walk the couple of blocks to the river front area and then walk along the river.  During one of my walks I found a memorial for the residents of Port Byron to honor those folks from Port Byron who died in service to their country.

The row of crosses closest to me is for the veterans of World War I.  The next row is for the veterans of World War II.  And the back row honors the veterans of Vietnam.  It is an exceptional memorial, neatly manicured, with an unrestricted view of the Mississippi River.

And of course we can't skip the Pork Tenderloin Trail discussion.  This episode's fare includes treats from the Iowa 80 Truck Stop, billed as the World's Largest Truck Stop and a re-visit to the Iowa Machine Shed for a different version of their Pork Tenderloin sandwich.

Our first selection is from the Iowa 80 Truck Stop.

For a pre-breaded, frozen Pork Tenderloin sandwich, this sandwich was quite edible.  Thick and juicy, it was a tasty treat.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The french fries, however, were atrocious.  I had asked for them to be extra crispy, but the kitchen apparently couldn't do two things correctly at the same time.  The cole slaw was tasty but not top of the list. I would call it a draw, not great, not bad.

Next, we sampled the Grilled Pork Tenderloin sandwich from the Iowa Machine Shed in Davenport, Iowa with my sister Anne and her husband, Al.  I had previously eaten a breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich at the Machine Shed.  It was splendidly wonderful and easily in the running for the #2 or #3 spot behind Morg's Diner in Waterloo, IA.  But this version of the Pork Tenderloin sandwich was seriously lacking in appeal. 

While the chunky applesauce and the cole slaw were as tasty as the first visit, the grilled Pork Tenderloin was tough and gristly.  It was not a pleasant experience.  The sweet potato fries were splendid and extra crispy.

And so it goes, the continuous search for the perfect Pork Tenderloin sandwich goes on.  The Pork Tenderloin Trail moves ever onward.  I keep hearing about new places to try, new places to sample the fare, new places to be surprised or disappointed.  Have you heard of a new place to try?  Send me a note, make a comment, let me know where to search.

Until next time...a photo taken during a flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to the Quad Cities.