It might seem a little scary at first but we found the bridge fun to cross the Mississippi to get…read moreus to Nauvoo from Fort Madison. It's two levels with cars on top and trains using the lower level. Toll is $3 but we didn't pay the entire four days we crossed the bridge. We never had to wait but we understand the wait can be up to forty minutes when the bridge swivels for barges.

Nauvoo is a special place. The missionaries here are truly some of the best the world has to offer!…read moreThis might be my sixth time to Nauvoo since 1984. I learn something new on every visit. We came also for the Nauvoo and British Pageants. No problem getting good seats and watching them is amazing. It is so incredible to learn about all of the history of Nauvoo and everything that the pioneers had to go through! It is a super neat experience and there is nothing else like it out there! It was so much fun and was so spiritual! It is such a great experience and I'd recommend everyone to come here, especially during pageant time. Although, our last visit to Nauvoo was in February 2018, and we found it more of a personalized spititual experience.

I had a wonderful time visiting Nauvoo and seeing the historical sites of the Church.read more

This is an interesting place. I have been curious about Mormonism from cultural perspective for…read moresome time, and when I had some time off a couple years ago decided to take a trip to Nauvoo to visit this early Mormon settlement. When I was here, it was the middle of the week, so there were few people wandering around. Officially, the Community of Christ--an off-shoot of the Mormon faith, established after the murder of Joseph Smith and the second-largest LDS denomination--is the organization that established the Joseph Smith Historic Site. However, as you're walking through the buildings that are the property of the CoC, you'll also be able to walk around and amongst the locations that are under the ownership of the LDS church. The signage is different so you'll be able to tell what is what, but some of these buildings are literally next door to one another so you won't have to drive from one site to the next. It was interesting to learn about some of the history at places like the blacksmith shop and the Seventies Hall. I didn't feel too much like I was being proselytized to, especially when in a larger group of folks. And you'll almost certainly be in and amongst members of the faith if you visit here. Also very important is that some of these homes are privately owned, and are marked as such, so remember to be respectful.

This was a destination on a pretty cool road trip I took with some friends in the summer. First…read moreheard about Nauvoo as being the holiest land for the Mormon faith; that people all the way from the Phillipines make their pilgrimdge here, to this small river city along the mighty Mississippi. (Which warranted a road trip out of curiosity) We went here at the end of summer. This part of Illinois is really something else. Truly unique. The settlement is prestine, peaceful, and one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in America; we were amazingly suprised, and really not prepared to behold the outstanding beauty of this establishment. The restoration project is incredible. The entire settlement is restored to the old times of the 1800's, and is surrounded by a phenomenal landscaping project; with scores of flowers found all about the property. The Former Quarters of Joseph Smith's family sit nestled along the Mississippi River, with ancient Trees that embrace the home; and it is here where the prophet Joseph Smith is buried. It's as though you have entered heaven. Nauvoo, is a just another delightful slice of Americana for you to discover how amazingly awesome this country is! I highly recommend visiting Nauvoo.

I have driven by the signs for the house many times on 34/163 but never taken the time to…read moreinvestigate until now. It was a really cool stop with lots to look at and a bargain price of $5/person. Didn't have time to do all of it, but I'm sure I'll go back when I have more time. Thoroughly enjoyed the information about the artist in the time I had, and I loved that many of the exhibits were interactive and very child friendly in nature. Recommend for a family outing, a lover of art history, or just a quick weekend of fun!

For the fans of art, history, architecture, or roadside attractions, this is a spot to stop for!…read moreThere's a museum ($5/person) that's full of information about the artist and the painting. The museum details the artwork and life of Grant Wood. There's learning activities for kids throughout, an opportunity to put costumes over your clothes as a photo opportunity in front of the house, and a neat little gift shop. I don't know if it's a place you visit more than once, but I'm so glad to have been! The $5 was worth it in my opinion and visiting in the spring was great as the have an extensive native plant garden that was in full bloom when we were there.

Review Visit: August 14th, 2017…read more 'Snake? Snake!? SNAAAAKE!' The original purpose of this twisty and windy path is detailed on the wiki page linked below. I will give you the Spark Notes version; it was created as a shortcut for horses to traverse down the hill to Main Street. This place has been on my list for awhile now and on a beautiful August day, I finally made the trek up to see it. It was not quite what I expected, which is a good thing. The alley itself is rather short, but if you make the walk down and up it, you'll feel it in your legs. The alley is lined with houses on one side, which has to make for a very interesting living arrangement. I figured the road was closed for vehicle traffic, but was I wrong! You can apparently drive down the path... which I did. Driving down it was almost like being on a roller coaster, in your own car. The windy paths and sharp turns were super fun and gets your adrenaline going. At the bottom, there is a chance to bottom out as you pull out into normal traffic, so be careful if you do take the fun plunge. Luckily, if you are not a fan of snakes or the video game Metal Gear Solid, you can happily visit Snake Alley. If you are a fan of odd things and fun car rides, Snake Alley is the place for you.

Neat road! It…read morereminds me of Lombard St in San Francisco! Built in 1894, Snake Alley originally provided a shortcut from Heritage Hill to the business district. Bricks were laid at an angle to allow horses better footing as they descended. Unfortunately, riding horses back up the alley often resulted in a loss of control at the top; for this reason, even to this day, Snake Alley remains a one-way street, with all traffic heading downhill. It's even listed in Ripley's Believe it or Not! The turns are even sharper than Lombard St.!

This is the Van Buren County Freedom Rock. Completing the Freedom Rock tour of all 99 Iowa…read morecounties is something my girlfriend and I have been working on for the past few years. We are four rocks away from the end of our journey at this time. Not only do we learn about the military involvement and the contributions of veterans in each county... A lot of times we stumble on other hidden gems, that we had no idea even existed, as we venture further into our own backyard. As happy as I am going to be when hit 99 and finish our Freedom Rock Tour...a little part of me is going to really miss these trips. We'll just have to find another "tour" to pick up! When you are checking out each Freedom Rock make sure you explore the surrounding area for other points of interest. And please remember to support local businesses...! Visit https://www.thefreedomrock.com/ for more information on Iowa's Freedom Rocks and the tour!

Every time I come to town, Me and my cousins love going here and playing in the farm play room, so…read morefun!!!

Interesting collection of history, not as much as I had hoped but enough that it was fine for the…read moreadmission, learned a few things about prohibition and a popular songwriter of past from Burlington. Architecture interior interesting.