Bowling alley
1. Bowlmor Lanes
2. Miller Time Bowl
3. Fargo Dance & Sports
3. Milan Lanes
Best bowling alley
Bowlmor Lanes
True story: During my first week of full-time Reader employment, our publisher - a truly radical guy - treated the staff to a late-afternoon get-together at Davenport's Bowlmor Lanes, voted the area's "best bowling alley." It was a great surprise and an even greater time, though you're probably already well aware of Bowlmor's charms, as the venue has been a Quad Cities institution now for nearly 70 years. "My grandfather built it in 1940," says owner Trent Lorfeld, who has worked in the family business since 1975. "You know, we just try to keep the place clean, and to keep it interesting for everyone." Mission more than accomplished. With brightly colored bowling murals above the 20 available lanes (brand-new lanes were installed last summer), and niceties such LCD screens, newly improved electronic scoring, and 10 big-screen TVs against the back wall for "media bowl" ("On Friday and Saturday nights, we'll play either sports or dance videos"), Bowlmor is a much-loved destination for all ages and talents - "families, neighborhood people, league bowlers, college kids ... everyone," says Lorfeld. (Bring your IDs, though, if you want to enjoy the warm, inviting lounge.) And whether you bowl your best in the morning, afternoon, night, or late night, Bowlmor's hours - opening at 9 a.m. most weekdays, and staying open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday - make for ideal entertainment anytime, "especially in a down economy," says Lorfeld. "You can bring your family here and have fun and not spend a tremendous amount of money." Bowlmor Lanes is located at 2952 Brady Street, and more information is available by calling (563)324-3595.
- Mike Schulz
Golf course
1. Palmer Hills
1. Saukie
3. TPC at Deere Run
Hiking trail
1. Black Hawk State Park
2. Scott County Park trails
3. Wildcat Den State Park
Biking trail
1. Duck Creek bike trail
2. Ben Butterworth Parkway
3. Davenport bike path
3. Great River Trail (IL-84)
Local park
1. Vander Veer Park
2. Crow Creek Park
3. Black Hawk State Park
Place for a picnic
1. Vander Veer Park
2. Black Hawk State Park
3. Scott County Park
Aquatic center
1. Whitewater Junction
2. Splash Landing
3. Annie Wittenmyer Family Aquatic Center
Campground
1. Scott County Park
2. Loud Thunder State Park
3. West Lake Park
Place for a day trip
1. Galena
2. Chicago
3. Iowa City
Best place for a day trip
Galena
Like it's Web site says: It's time to "leave winter behind and head for the great outdoors of northwest Illinois!" The village of Galena was the overwhelming choice among our readers as their best place for a day trip.
There is so much to do in Galena that I'm not sure our editor will give me enough room to list them, but here goes: more than two dozen antique shops, architectural tours, art galleries, balloon rides, bicycling, camping, casual dining, the Dowling House, driving the hills, fine dining, garden strolls, ghost tours, girls' day out, golfing, hiking, history, miniature golfing, Murder Mystery Weekends, picnicking, shopping, spa treatments, still more history, the Ulysses S. Grant home, used book stores, village historical exhibits, walking tours, winery visits, and still more.
Just an hour and a half north of the Quad Cities, you can take the leisurely drive up Illinois 84 through Port Byron, Fulton, and Savanna; or you can take the quick, sort-of-direct route up U.S. 61 on the Iowa side. You'll have to catch U.S. 20 in Dubuque, cross the bridge and travel another 15 miles to reach Galena, but you'll get there more quickly.
Want to make it a two-day trip? Spend the night in a friendly B&B, stay at a family-style motel, rent a vacation home, or treat yourself to a full-service, luxurious resort; there are more than three dozen bed-and-breakfasts and guest houses in Galena. If you're into history, stay at the historic DeSoto House, Illinois' longest continuously operating hotel.
There is a lot of nostalgia in Galena to go along with the history. Did you know that a portion of the movie Field of Dreams was filmed among the shops in the historic downtown area? Just ask Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham.
For more information about Galena, go to Galena.org or VisitGalena.org.
- Rick Martin
Dog park
1. Crow Creek Park
2. Bettendorf
3. Milan Dog Park
Local landmark
1. Skybridge
2. Rock Island Arsenal
3. Mississippi River
Place to snowboard/sled/tube
1. Snowstar
2. Longview Park
3. Duck Creek Park
Gym/health club
1. YMCA
2. Bettendorf Life Fitness Center
3. Ultimate Fitness
Summer camp for kids
1. Camp Abe Lincoln
2. Bettendorf Parks & Recreation Day Camp
3. Camp Conestoga
3. Camp Shalom
Best summer camp for kids
Camp Abe Lincoln
When asked what made Camp Abe Lincoln the best summer camp in the Quad Cities, Director Zach Klipsch cited three things: having a director running the camp from a "parents' perspective," emphasizing safety, and "giving kids an experience that they can't get anywhere else." Every child that visits Camp Abe Lincoln will ride a horse, paddle a canoe, and shoot a bow and arrow (unless the child is adamantly against it, of course).
The camp offers three pricing tiers for every program, with parents choosing what they can afford to pay. (There's honor in the honor system : At least 40 percent choose to pay the highest amount.) Scholarships are also available, and Klipsch says that "no child is turned away due to an inability to pay." Programs are available to suit kids aged four to 17 and include day camps, resident camps, horse camps, scuba camps, and leadership-in-training camp, at which teenagers spend two weeks working on projects at the camp or at an area YMCA.
Camp Abe Lincoln is holding an open house June 7 from noon to 5 p.m., which Klipsch says helps reduce anxiety for first-time campers and their parents. Families can have a tour of the facility and see where the child will be sleeping, learning, playing, and eating. Klipsch said he understands the importance of this, as this is the first summer his oldest child will be a resident camper: "I'm anxious, and he'll be sleeping less than 30 yards away!" Camp Abe Lincoln is just 15 minutes away from downtown Davenport, off Highway 22 one mile past Buffalo, Iowa. Registration is open, with summer camp running from June 14 to August 14. For more information, visit YMCACampAbeLincoln.org.
- Elizabeth Fier
