During the tour of Rock Island we saw the second largest federal house, right under the White House. We saw an atomic cannon, a power plant that powers the entire island, and a blacksmith shop that has been out of commission for many years because of the use of chromium.

One of the best stories came from the confederate cemetary we saw. George mentioned that the tombstones were peaked and explained the origins in one quote. “We never want a damned Yankee sitting his arse on these stones.” I’ll never forget that one.

The bridge below spins a full 360 degrees to let the barges through. It doesn’t have to wait for the entire barge to pass for it to start closing (hence the 360). To say the least, it was an Ordeal to have this ship move along it’s route. Every 10 to 20 miles it had to pass some form of  lock and damn system. It was also one of the only valid excuses  to be a few minutes late for work. “Bridge open,” one would say.