OK, so this episode (#7) follows closely on #6...

Hampton , IL
Fisherman's Corner RV Park

Be careful what you wish for...!  These thoughts come to mind as the summer continues.  About a month ago, I made the statement "It seems a little wetter this summer..".  We had enjoyed a marvelous run of weather since my arrival at the end of April.  It appeared as if there was no end to the rain.  Every day brought another round of rain, thunderstorms, wind, wet and lots of dampness.  Well, that all ended, essentially, about 3 weeks ago.  There had been lots of warnings by the National Weather Service, about possible thunderstorms in Northeast Iowa, Northwest Illinois, Eastern Iowa, Western Illinois, Southeast Iowa, Southwest Illinois and Northeast Missouri since most of the moisture quit falling.  And we have had some spectacular lightning shows in the evenings.  But I have not experienced anything more than some spritzes of rain in that 3 weeks, just enough to require the windshield washer and wipers to clear the glass.  Lots of clouds build in the early afternoons, dark stormy looking towers of cumulonimbus type of clouds.  The trademark anvil shaped thunderstorms growing in the distance.  Taking bets on whether or not the storms will move across our location.  But they haven't.  They grow, get dark, even see some flashes of lightning in the distance, but by time they get close, they also dissipate to clear skies.  And clear or mostly clear skies prevail.  Temperatures have reached the 90's for the last few weeks.  Coupled with the damp air and moisture around here, makes for a really humid evening walk until the last two weeks.

Recently the wind has picked up a bit, the air seems to be drying out.  Playing outside isn't a task anymore.  We are not constantly receiving the warnings of "severe heat advisories" anymore.  Playing a round of golf is actually rather pleasant.  It all seems to be falling into place, good weather, wonderful sunshine, dry conditions, pleasant afternoon/evening walks, and for you folks living near the Mississippi River, no more Mayfly/Fish Fly to deal with anymore.  And another indication that the area is drying out is that the River level is continuing to fall.  Early this summer the River stage (the height of the river) at the Locks & Dam #15 was 14 feet, flood stage is 15'.  And the river remained elevated from the mid May until the beginning of July.  All that rain throughout the Northern Iowa/Illinois area was feeding lots of water into the river.  And the water receded very slowly.  There are still areas along the Mississippi River, especially down near St. Louis, that continue to deal with high water levels.  Apparently the riverboat American Queen couldn't make her first run up the Mississippi when it was scheduled because she couldn't fit under some of the bridges between St. Louis and St. Paul, even though her smokestacks actually tilt backwards to facilitate movement under some bridges.

by Marty Kittrell, submitted to Photo.net April 21, 2006

This is a photo of the Mississippi Queen, sister Riverboat to the American Queen.

The Locks at Locks & Dam #15 are open for anyone to pass through, going up or down river, in any boat or river conveyance available (except swimmers and folks in inner tubes).  In about a week, on Saturday, Aug 15th, the paddle extravaganza "Floatzilla" will be held on the river in the Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, & Bettendorf area.  This is a gathering of kayaks and canoes moving down the Mississippi River, through Locks & Dam #15, heading for Lake Potter/Sunset Marina, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi for a "Guinness World Record breaking attempt for (the) largest flotilla of canoes and kayaks, (which) will take place at 2:00 PM in Lake Potter [Mississippi River backwater] at Sunset Park, Rock Island, IL. The current record of 2,099 boats was set in Suttons Bay, MI in 2013"  So, if you are free on the 15th of August, have a kayak or canoe of your own, and want to spend a day on the Mississippi River paddling with 1500 to 2000 of your closest friends, sign up now.

This one view of some of the kayaks in Lock #15, main chamber, heading downstream, getting ready to ride down to the next level. (The building with the observation deck is the Mississippi River Visitor Center, where I volunteer.)

This view of the Lock is looking upstream with about 150 - 200 kayaks in the lock chamber.  The two red colored boats in the top center of the picture are Coast Guard vessels.  They are there to handle any emergencies.

And here are those 150 - 200 boats all trying to leave the lock chamber at the same time.  Notice that the  water level here is is about 12 - 13' lower than the last photo.  Last year, the paddlers filled the Lock chamber 3 times to move all the boats from above the locks to below the locks.

And here is a previous year's photo in Lake Potter of all the participants gathering for the World Record Attempt.  Alas they did not have enough boaters to exceed the existing record.  They are trying again this year.

Lock & Dam Tour with John Deere Employees - July 21, 2015

The fine looking gentleman in the baseball hat and bright red shirt is the tour guide and the most dynamic individual on the tour...ME!  Those tours are part of my duties as a volunteer at the Mississippi River Visitor Center.  I get to talk to people, I get to give presentations, and everyone who knows me knows I enjoy talking.  So why don't you come visit the Visitor Center and take one of the tours?  Every Saturday and Sunday until Labor Day, 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.  Open to the public.

And now the food portion of the narrative.  Our selections this episode are from the Filling Station in Davenport, Iowa and from Grandma's Kitchen, also in Davenport.

While the size of the sandwich in the picture looks normal for all the rest of the previous sandwich discussions, this sandwich is very large.  The bun is an 8" bun and the tenderloin is still larger than the bun.  This sandwich is breaded as opposed to battered.  The difference, as I continue to search for that Ultimate Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, is significant.

This sandwich was simply awful.  Both my Brother-in-Law, Al, and I sent our sandwiches back to the kitchen and drank our beers instead.  To be fair, this was a Saturday evening, the restaurant was crowded, it took a bit to get service and somewhat longer to get the food, but I hadn't, until that moment, felt it necessary to send my food back to the kitchen.  Al remarked, after we left, that the sandwich tasted like it had been sitting in a warmer for a bit.  It hadn't been hot, like just out of the fryer.  The sandwich was so dry that you had to choke it down.  I managed to consume less than one half of one half of the sandwich.  I would not ever attempt a return visit for another Pork Tenderloin sandwich at the Filling Station.  Also, the volume of the noise in the restaurant was quite loud.  We had to almost yell to talk across the table.  Not my favorite place.

This next selection, from Grandma's Kitchen was excellent.  I apologize for the quality of the photos, but there was a  picture window immediately to our left and these were the best I could do for photos.

I can't say anything bad about this sandwich. It easily compares to the sandwich from Morg's Diner in Waterloo, Iowa or the sandwich from Mid-Town Marina in East Dubuque, Illinois.  The sandwich taste was wonderful, the sandwich itself was meaty and juicy and the batter was crisp and crunchy.  This sandwich is  pushing for the #1 slot.

Before I began this quest, the Pork Tenderloin Trail seemed somewhat simple.  Eat a bunch of Pork Tenderloin sandwiches, pick the best sandwich and crown a winner.  It hasn't turned out quite that way.  In the scheme of all things about the Pork Tenderloin sandwich there are three choices for preparation, grilled, breaded or battered.  A friend of mine, with whom I worked before my retirement, was from Iowa.  It is his belief that when judging a Pork Tenderloin sandwich, there is only one - breaded.  I beg to differ.  The breaded and the battered are often intermingled.  Folks often don't care.  However, having eaten a bunch of Pork Tenderloin sandwiches this summer, I can assure you of some interesting points.

First, regardless of my friend's insistence that breaded is the only way to judge, I have found grilled sandwiches that are in the running for the best.  The sandwich from the 11th Precinct restaurant in the Village of East Davenport comes to mind.  A grilled Pork Tenderloin sandwich with grilled onions, swiss cheese on grilled Marble Rye.  It was marvelous.

And of all the sandwiches that I have eaten in this quest, the breaded tenderloins have been the most disappointing.  The breaded sandwiches have been on the very bottom end of the scale.  Among all of the breaded selections the Boonie's sandwich was thin and crispy, had good flavor and was a good meal, and the hand cut, still warm, potato chips didn't hurt.  But the sandwich was somewhat hard to chew.

And while I have eaten four grilled sandwiches, only the 11th Precinct treat was in the running for top sandwich.  However, the battered tenderloins, to a sandwich, were in the top percentage of those in the running for Ultimate Pork Tenderloin sandwich.  The battered Pork Tenderloin sandwiches were rich and juicy, tender meat, and seemed to retain the flavor of the sandwich throughout the meal.  The breaded sandwiches just don't match up. 

The point of the story here is, if you have a choice between grilled, breaded or battered, the battered Pork Tenderloin sandwich is, on average, going to be the better choice.  I will continue to profile those sandwiches that I am testing, tasting, and eating.  I will have a couple more selections in the next episode of the blog.  So, until then, let me know your thought on the state of the Pork Tenderloin Trail.  Go out and try a different Pork Tenderloin sandwich and leave a comment on the blog about your results.  Maybe I can include your selection before I head back to Arizona.  If you are in the area of the Quad Cities of Iowa & Illinois, stop into the Mississippi River Visitor Center at Locks & Dam #15 to chat or take a tour.

Until next episode....

 

A Pause for a Visit to Seattle...

Seattle, WA
June 29 - July 4
I drove to Chicago on Sunday, June 28th, spent the night and climbed on an airplane at Midway Airport on the Monday the 29th.  Four hours, and a bit later, I walked off the plane in Seattle.  Now I just had to wait some for Deborah to arrive.  I arranged for the rental car, found something to eat and met Deborah when she came off the plane.  And off we went to the city.  We were staying with friends at their home near Lake Washington.  Except for all the trees, it is a beautiful view of the lake.

We were in Seattle to spend some time with our son Sean who is working as a chef for the Brave Horse Tavern in Seattle.  Brave Horse Tavern is one of several restaurants in the Seattle area owned and operated by Tom Douglas Restaurants.  The food was great and the location was just north of downtown, about 4 blocks south of Lake Union.  In the middle of Amazon country.  Amazon occupies much of the office space surrounding the Brave Horse Tavern.  Good food and a great location for dinner on a summer evening.

 This is Sean and his fiance Karli.

During our stay we managed to visit the Pike Place Market, (Unfortunately we took no pictures of the Market, but have borrowed a couple from Photo.net)

photo by Kirby Cole 8/26/2007

took a food tour of the market area, (including sampling food at multiple locations during the tour)

photo by Andrew Riegel 5/11/2003

rode a Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island,  (and back)

Deborah - my wife

 toured the Seattle Center, home of the Space Needle and site of the 1962 World's Fair,

and the Dale Chihuly Exhibit/Garden/Gallery,  

where the glass structures and exhibits were just remarkable.

We also spent some time at the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Ballard, a community north of Seattle.  This is the main lock, 80' wide by 760' long, used primarily for ship traffic transiting the ship canal from Lake Union or Lake Washington out to or in from Elliot Bay and Puget Sound.

And this is the auxiliary lock, primarily used by recreational boats to transit to or from Elliot Bay/Puget Sound via the Ship Canal to Lake Union or Lake Washington

A bit of a snug fit in the auxiliary lock...1 sailboat, 3 cruisers and 5 small boats in one lock thru.  And the Chittenden Locks also contain a Salmon Ladder, to aid the salmon to go from the Puget Sound to their breeding grounds up past Lake Washington.

These particular salmon are Steel Head, working mightily to make it above the locks and into the ship canal.

But enough about Seattle...how about that Pork Tenderloin Trail?  What has been going on with the search for the ultimate Pork Tenderloin sandwich?

Our first selection is from the Bluebird Cafe in North Liberty, Iowa, near Iowa City.  I went to lunch with my sister Anne and her husband Al on Thursday, July 9th.

 It was a significantly sized tenderloin on a Kaiser Bun with a side of cole slaw.  It was a generous portion of meat.  Unfortunately, the tenderloin was a little too well done.  It was a bit of task to chew and a quite dry.  However, the flavor was good.  The cole slaw was tasty also.  I would not consider going back for another tenderloin sandwich as it wasn't high enough on the rating scale to qualify.  The other food in the restaurant is quite good.

The next selection is from the Mid-Town Marina in East Dubuque, IL.  This marina is owned by a friend of mine, Arnie McDowell, with whom I spent three years of my life blowing stuff up in the Army.  He was originally from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and has owned the Mid-Town Marina for about 28 years.  I had gone up to Dubuque (East Dubuque) to visit Arnie and his wife Sandy on Wednesday, July 15th.   Arnie & I played a little golf and then headed back to the marina for a bite to eat. 

In the scheme of things on the Pork Tenderloin Trail, this Pork Tenderloin Sandwich was close to the top of the list.  It was thick and tender, juicy and flavorful.  It was an absolute pleasure to eat.  This one is pushing for top honors on the Pork Tenderloin Trail.  Morg's Diner in Waterloo or Mid-Town Marina...Tough choice for the the best.

And next week, we will talk about another splendid option.  Unfortunately, that story is going to have to wait for the next episode of the Summer Along the Mississippi River blog.  Right now, it is a dead heat between Mid-Town Marina and Morg's Diner.  One of the selections for the next episode is also in the running. 

Enough words and pictures for this time.  Leave me a comment, tell me what you think of the blog.  Come visit me at the Mississippi River Visitor Center.  Take a tour of the Locks and Dam #15.  I'll even guide you through the tour.


Until next episode....

It seems to be a wetter than normal summer...

Rock Island, IL


At least that is what the locals are talking about.  The storms seem to just keep on coming.  We are supposed to be looking at possible thunderstorms all this week.  Fortunately, I am leaving town this evening.  I am driving to Chicago, spending the night and flying out of Midway Airport at 10:55 a.m. tomorrow to go visit my son in Seattle.  So, let it rain, let it rain, let it rain

There is lots of wildlife around the campground.  

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It has been many years since I had seen any swans in the wild.  These are really beautiful.  And, of course, a momma duck and her 14 chicks is fun to see also.

And the wildlife isn't exclusive to the water.  This red fox seems to be looking for something.  And then there is bigger wildlife...

When I first saw this deer and seven others, standing in a field along side the highway, I thought, what a great picture they would make.  As soon as I stopped they all began moving away.  This one paused, relatively close to the car.  A couple of the others paused a little farther away.

Look closely, there are two deer, near the fence row, in the center of the photo.  Apparently camera shy.  They just wouldn't hold still for the camera.

And of course there is wildlife in and around the Locks at the Mississippi River Visitor Center.

A couple of Blue Herons and a Pelican or two.

And there was a mink running around outside the Visitor Center last Monday, but I couldn't get a picture of him.

So, let me know what you think about the tour of the wildlife.  Send me a comment.  Come visit the Mississippi River Visitor Center.  Come take the tour.

Until next time...