The natural beauty of the Mississippi and Wapsipinicon rivers and the spirit of innovative entrepreneurship has made Scott County's riverways popular destinations for relaxation and recreation.
Try your luck with riverboat gambling aboard the Rhythm City Casino in Davenport and the Isle of Capri Casino in Bettendorf. Slots, video poker and table games attract visitors from around the country. These venues are famous for their special events, dining and hospitality. Both casinos have their own quality hotels, located just a few blocks from the Rhythm City, and on-site at the Isle of Capri property.
For a more relaxing river adventure, excursion boats, including the Channel Cat Water Taxi, explore the nooks and crannies of the Mississippi. LeClaire's Twilight cruises up river to historic Galena, Illinois. This cruise is two full days in all the elegance and style of the great steamboat era.
For pleasure boating, eagle watching, fishing, picnicking and camping -- Scott County's riverfronts are the places to cruise. In addition to all these activities on the Mississippi, the winding and unpredictable Wapsipinicon in rural Scott County is a beautiful setting for the nature enthusiast, and offers superb fishing.
If you're a landlubber, the Mississippi can still hold your fascination. Watching wildlife, speedboats, skiers and even the working barges and tugs transporting commodities, is a great way to spend an afternoon.
Riverfront parks in all river communities serve as scenic venues for any river activity. River-oriented festivals and special events are highlights for Scott County residents. LeClaire Park in Davenport hosts many, including the world-famous Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival and the Mississippi Valley Blues Festival. In LeClaire, the event of the summer is the Great River Tug Fest, a tug-of-war across the Mississippi River.
Inland, communities serve up Midwestern hospitality at unique festivals complete with old-fashioned parades and competitions that celebrate the earth's abundance and community culture. They include Blue Grass Homecoming Days, the Long Grove Strawberry Festival and the Eldridge Summer Festival.
For the sporting enthusiast, there is no shortage of organized league sports and events. The Quad Cities have two professional sports teams - The River Bandits, a Class-A minor league baseball team and the Mallards, a United Hockey League team.
Highly acclaimed races include Davenport's acclaimed races include Davenport's Quad City Times Bix 7, which challenges more than 20,000 runners and walkers to seven miles of hills and heat. It's ranked one of the premier road races in the United States, attracting world-class runners, and cheered on by tens of thousands of spectators.
The county-owned Glynns Creek Golf Course, located nine miles north of Davenport, is Scott County's newest championship, 18-hole course. Nestled in a prime wildlife area, its tree-lined fairways and gentle rolling terrain challenge the beginner and the advanced golfer.
Along with city and private recreational opportunities, the Scott County Conservation Board maintains thousands of acres of beautifully maintained areas for fishing, swimming, camping and a variety of outdoor activities. The county's premier acreage is Scott County Park, 1,280 acres that include a dozen picnic areas and shelters, sporting fields, nature trails, camping and modern facilities. Favorite activities include cooling off in the park's Olympic-size swimming pool, viewing the abundant deer that thrive within the park's boundaries, scenic cross-country skiing, and learning about days past at the historic Walnut Grove Pioneer Village. It's located nine miles north of Davenport.
Scott County's natural wooded areas and river flyways present great fishing and hunting opportunities in myriad locations.
Even Scott County's cornfields offer fun. In Princeton, the new Amazing Maize Maze takes adventurers on an interactive maze in a real cornfield.
History buffs will appreciate Scott County's unique Buffalo Bill Cody Homestead, located near McCausland. The 19th century home was built by Buffalo Bill's father, complete with grazing buffalo and Texas Longhorn cattle. Buffalo Bill was born in LeClaire, Iowa, where the Buffalo Bill Museum also keeps his memory alive.