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***August 23,2024...There has been some controversy about the location and/or type of cache this is. If you look at the picture I uploaded today you will see the actual cache and the base of the light pole that the cache is hidden under. Any other type of cache container, or any other type of light pole base is incorrect.*
The Great River Trail is a breathtaking journey along 60 miles of the Mississippi River. The route is a mixture of paved rail-trail, small-town sidewalks, dedicated bike lanes on the street, and a stretch of road shoulder along the Great River Rd. The Great River Trail begins in Savanna and travels south through many small river towns with traditions still steeped in the quintessential culture of the Mississippi River. There are many opportunities for antiques, sumptuous catfish dinners, and viewing the boats and barges. If you stop for a spell, the friendly locals will chat to you about the river and how it has...and hasn't...changed.
Starting in Savanna, in the north, the Great River Trail is a nicely paved, secluded trail. As you continue on the trail you travel through a beautiful section that is sometimes secluded and quiet and other times parallels Route 84.
Through Cordova, near mile 35, the route follows quiet streets. Be sure to watch for the green bike signs that mark this section. After less than 2 miles, the rail-trail picks up again and closely follows Great River Road for 4 miles into Port Byron, a charming river town visible from the trail's riverbank course. Most of the corridor here is shared with an active rail line, offering a fine example of a safe rail-with-trail relationship.
Three miles downriver is Rapids City. You will see numerous blue herons, gulls, and waterfowl in and over the water here. In town, adjacent to the trail is a stone monument offering a prayer from Native Americans for both the trail and its users.
After another 3 miles, the trail quickly cuts underneath Interstate 80, then through the town of Hampton, past lovely riverfront homes. A large public park on the south side of town has a great wooden playground and makes a wonderful rest stop. Shortly after leaving the park, the trail climbs to the top of a levee wall, where it stays for quite a while. Just ahead on the left, the John Deere manufacturing plant, with row after row of shining new farm equipment, marks the beginning of the trail's urban section. Traveling on top of the levee affords great views of the bridges over the river connecting the Quad Cities.
From Hampton, it is only 5.5 miles to the city of Moline. Follow the bike route signs to navigate through the city and return to the trail on the other side. The Quad City Convention and Visitors Bureau, right off the trail, is a pleasant place to stop. This stretch follows a slough of the river, across which you can see historic Rock Island. The Rock Island Arsenal (operated here by the U.S. Army) was a Union army prison camp during the Civil War.
Leaving downtown Moline, the trail stays up on the riverbank and crosses under the Centennial Bridge as you enter the city of Rock Island, whose industrial area dominates the landscape for most of the final 7.5 miles from Moline. This breaks open when you ride into Sunset Park whose large marina and extensive river views provide a fitting end to this scenic trail.
The Great River Trail is part of the Grand Illinois Trail system.
The Grand Illinois Trail is a 500-mile trail that loops between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River. It joins existing and proposed state and local trails to create the state’s longest continuous bike trail in northern Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. When completed, it will link Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River and connect metropolitan Chicago, Rockford and the Quad-Cities with rural communities, state parks and other Illinois attractions.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Haqrearngu. Abg ba gur pbapergr, ohg ba GBC bs gur zrgny cyngr!