The grave of Julien Dubuque is placed on a point that offers a beautiful view of the area, above…read morethe mouth of Catfish Creek and the Mississippi River. Julien Dubuque was born in Quebec in 1762 and died in 1810 in the city that bears his name. Dubuque was granted rights by the Mesquakie Indians to mine lead in the area, and he remained in the area for the rest of his life. When he died, he was buried on this high point overlooking the Mississippi River and city. The log crypt was replaced by this stone monument sometime in the 1880s. Not only is the city named for him, there is an upscale hotel, a bridge and a film festival that also bear his name. He befriended Chief Peosta, who is also the namesake of Peosta, Iowa. Legend has it that he married Chief Peosta's daughter, supposedly named "Potosa." There is little evidence to support the legend, which also claims that Potosa was the namesake of the Wisconsin lead-mining community of Potosi. Residents of Potosi claim the city was named for Potosi, Missouri, which, in turn, was named for the silver mining town of Potosi, Bolivia. Julien Dubuque opened Iowa for European settlement. The governor of Spain also granted Dubuque permission to mine lands under Spanish control, and the park that contains Dubuque's monument is named Mines of Spain. The area was mined until 1914. It is a beautiful site, with a view of the City of Dubuque, a few miles to the north. The monument is a short walk from a parking area.

The Mines of Spain Park is fairly small but has some great hiking trails. Not to be missed is the…read moreDubuque Monument Tower where Julien Dubuque is buried. Yes, the town of Dubuque received it's name from the French Canadian who arrived to these shores of the Mississippi River as one of the First European men. Unlike most settlers who tortured and murdered the local tribes, Dubuque befriended the Meskwaki Native American tribe's Chief Peosta and peacefully received permission to mine lead in 1788. (He may have even named his daughter "Potosa" after the tribe...a little Pocahontas story in the making.) Subsequently, the Spanish gave Dubuque a land grant for such a feat in 1796. After his death, the Meskwaki constructed a log crypt for Dubuque's corpse, which was later replaced in the late 19th century by this stone monument tower. A little history for you! There is a plaque commemorating Dubuque next to his grave which explains the story more in depth. For those who are unable to hike, there is a parking lot at the top of the hill where the monument stands tall to allow cars up to enjoy the views of downtown Dubuque, the Mississippi River, and the rest of the Mines of Spain. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area and only a 5 minute short drive from Downtown.

Such a beautiful spot to explore while visiting Dubuque! The Mines of Spain has great hiking…read moretrails, scenic views, and plenty of places to stop and take in the scenery. We especially loved the views around the Julien Dubuque Monument. Definitely worth adding to your list if you enjoy being outdoors!

Beautiful and extensive trails over a surprisingly large area, many along or near pretty waterways…read more....there are several well marked parking lots near the trail heads. We did get lost trying to find the nature center which didn't seem connected to the part of the park we first arrived in...it seems there are two separate entrances? Fortunately we were near the cool castle-like tower, the Julien Dubuque Monument, which offers stunning panoramic views of the Mississippi and of the city of Dubuque. Definitely would like to come back for more hiking here!

Dubuque's best Iowa-Wisconsin steel tied arch bridge!…read moretraversing this bridge means trading the low-stress low-wage life of western central america for the higher-wage & cholesterol life style of northern central america or the other way around. in either case you'll get to see for yourself what population density is all about.

There's something satisfying about crossing a state line when traveling but it's even more special…read moreto cross the Mississippi River. This through truss replaced the Eagle Point Toll Bridge that was more romantic and much more of a thrill ride.

We been avoiding going to Flora pool this year. Unfortunately is always full, they close at 5pm and…read moreto top it off the people that's always at the pool always have an attitude. We been experiencing better customer service and Sutton

My children and I went on a little family vaca to my moms in Dubuque IA. While there we went to…read morevisit Flora Pool. We weren't there an hour when my 11 month old daughter wanted her chi chi. So I whip it out not thinking anything of it. 4-5 minutes later a lifeguard comes up to me and says mam you can't do that here, find somewhere more private. I'm still so upset by it. My baby had to stop eating bc some twat felt uncomfortable! She just cried for her chi chi. So we left and I will never return. When did it become offensive to feed your baby? God intended on our breasts to feed our babies that our bodies birthed. Who are they to say we can't?!!! So I go to their fb page and it's happened numerous times there. Honestly I want to start a lawsuit and get all these other mothers involved just bc they were jerks!!! #FloraPool #IjustWantedToFeedMyBaby #BoycottFloraPool

Dubuque's best Iowa-Illinois continuous truss bridge!…read moretraversing this bridge means trading the low-stress low-wage life of western central america for the high-wage high-stress life style of eastern central america or the other way around. in either case you'll get to see for yourself what population density is all about.

walked across this. it was kind of exciting going from Iowa to Illinois and looking at the…read moreMississippi River below our feet.. Only thing that was bad about the walk was all the trash. There were soda bottle and shopping bags all over. It would be nice if the city sent someone to clean it up.

The museum is awesome!! So much to see and learn. The wildlife is incredible to see. We saw a very…read moremajestic bald eagle up close. We experienced the steam engines running and visited with the curator for a bit to learn even more. The movies were very well done. The fact that your tickets are good for two days allows you to take your time. Worth every penny and your time!!! A must see!!

4th time here. That should speak for itself. We always enjoy coming here with new visitors when we…read morecome into town. This is a must see if you are coming to the Dubuque area. Because the weather was really nice, we ended up spending the entire day here checking out the entire museum this time. We also caught the 40 movie about turtles narrated by Russell Crowe, which was great. I think if you have Littles in your group, this is a definite go to in Dubuque.

This cruise was fantastic. My wife and I had taken the luncheon tour. Between the scenery being…read morebeautiful, the meal was just as exceptional. Captain Brian kept us informed about the lore of the river, (without having a need to keep talking just to say words), while Stacy kept our glasses full and Steve, our bellies.

The cruise is okay but unpleasant. We had sat underneath on the 1st level, it gets hot down there…read morevery fast. Tons of bugs flying throughout the boat. Food is subpar.

What a charming place! We were out for a stroll, exploring this city, and stumbled upon this…read moregarden. It's a super cool and pretty spot that's definitely worth visiting. Plus, the staff is incredibly friendly and talks about the surrounding area.

This beautiful property is tucked away in a residential neighborhood, covering 56 acres & has 60…read moredistinct gardens; From a Koi pond to a children's story book to a Japanese to an English garden. This place has hundreds of beautiful flowers, trees, blooming shrubs & places to sit, relax & enjoy natures beauty. What's truly remarkable is it's free! Maintained by donations & a large volunteer staff of over 300. Smooth walking paths lead from one garden to another, making it easy to stroll from garden to garden. I think you can arrange a personal tour on electric golf carts. Great idea for those with mobility issues. Of course the Mrs had a favorite, their large gift shop, filled with all manner of souvenirs.

Came here one morning and loved the view. You can see Illinois and Wisconsin from the Iowa border…read more We watched several barges go in and out of the lock and dam. Could spend hours here walking the trails and taking in the view. There is plenty of parking around the park and there are tons of shelters. When we were here there were several being set up for events.

My husband and I really enjoyed this state park. There were a lot of spots to overlook the…read moreMississippi River and pretty sights. Also, they had a bunch of parks for our baby to play in, giving her something fun to do. There isn't an entrance fee, but you do have to pay a donation to park. We went on a Sunday early in the morning and there was almost no one there. It was super easy to find parking. The trails are clearly marked, but you don't go off path and everything is easy to walk; at least the trails we went on. Some were uphill and some were downhill, but we were able to have our stroller. Overall, it was a nice little stop from Galena and enjoyed ourselves.