Pride Journey Summer Getaway: Quad Cities

LeClaire is a quaint little river town located just north of the Quad Cities. This beautiful town is full of historical surprises, antique shopping, and unique shopping and restaurants. It’s also home to the History Channel’s American Pickers. LeClaire Highlights:

• Stop at Antique Archaeology, Home of the History Channel’s American Pickers.

• Tour of Buffalo Bill Museum.

• Stop for a wine tasting at Wide River Winery.

• At the Mississippi River Distillery, see spirits made from local grains. From grain to the glass you'll enjoy the grand tasting room.

Grab your bicycle and explore 100 miles of trails on both sides of the river including Duck Creek Bike Trail, the Great River Trail, The Hennepin Canal Parkway, The RiverWay Trail, The American Discovery Trail, and The Mississippi River Trail — to name a few. Mountain biking is also popular in the QC and parks like Sunderbruch, Illiniwek, and Sylvan Island will challenge you with courses that include single-tracks with bridges, curved wooden berms, and other technical features, offering uninterrupted pedaling past spectacular scenery.

On June 13, 2021, the Hauberg Estate will celebrate the completion of one of their landscape restoration projects on a pond and rain garden, thanks to support from the City of Rock Island and Rock Island County Soil and Water Conservation District. Hauberg Estate was designed by landscape architect Jens Jensen. There are only 35 complete estates left in the country and Hauberg is one of them. Jens Jensen is the Father of the American Landscape. In 1905 Jensen was general superintendent of the entire West Park System in Chicago. His design work for the city can be seen at Garfield Park, Humboldt Park, Douglass Park, Pulaski Park and Columbus Park. He also established the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, and played a role in building support of the Indiana Dunes. He retired from the park system and started his own landscape architect practice. He did 350 estates, including Edsel and Eleanor Ford, Clara and Henry Ford, and many other influential people of that era. Susanne Denkmann (she wasn’t married to John Hauberg at that time) worked with Jens Jensen to develop the grounds on her 10-acre estate. They have complete designs of what type of plants and where they were planted and they are restoring the landscape back to its original design. Mik Holgersson led the project restoration. “He has the artistic eye of Jens Jensen,” said director Deb Kuntzi. www.haubergestate.org