Wapello, Iowa, and Levee District Eight are about 40 miles south of the Quad Cities, home of Buffalo Bill Cody’s birthplace and other notable attractions. But the Big River is the big draw in this part of the world.
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Mark Twain once lived in Muscatine. He said it had the most beautiful sunsets he had ever seen. The chamber of commerce has been known to use that line in its promotional literature. It does not use the second part of the quote: “But why anybody would go all the way to Muscatine just to see a sunset, I’ll never know.”
The downtown, which is just slightly uphill from the riverbank, is surprisingly lively. Antiques have become a major business in Muscatine, with at least seven dealers scattered around Second Street in the main business district. Park your car and walk around and browse.
X61 follows the edge of the bluffs south–it is the Great River Road in this part of Iowa–and provides access to the Louisa and Big Timber divisions of the Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge. The refuge’s office is also on this road if you want to stop for maps or other information.
