Travel: Lovely LeClaire

During the Steamboat Era, the Mississippi River town of LeClaire was home to pilots who guided paddle-wheelers through a 15-mile stretch of treacherous water known as the Rock Island Rapids.

The lucrative trade helped make the town a bustling commercial center, but after the Mississippi was tamed by the lock and dam system, LeClaire faded into somnolence.

About a decade ago, LeClaire began to wake up. Now it's nearly as busy as during the days when women in hoop skirts strolled its streets and steamboats lined its dock.

The renaissance is because of the town's scenic location on the Mississippi River, its convenient access to Interstate 80, a rich history that includes being the birthplace of Buffalo Bill, and a host of creative entrepreneurs who have fallen in love with this community of 3,700 just north of the Quad Cities.

Antique history

It took just one additional spark to propel LeClaire into the national spotlight: 'American Pickers,' a History Channel show that chronicles the adventures of Mike Wolfe as he travels the country foraging for treasures in junkyards, cluttered barns and other out-of-the-way spots.

Wolfe launched the show from LeClaire in 2010. While his business now has a second location in Nashville, the show still prominently features LeClaire, bringing a steady stream of visitors from around the world to Wolfe's Antique Archaeology store just off the town's main thoroughfare.

'There's no question that 'American Pickers' has put LeClaire on the map,' says Cindy Bruhn, tourism manager for LeClaire. 'During the summer, the store can get up to 1,000 visitors a day, and most of them also tour the rest of town.'

Antique Archaeology includes Wolfe's original shop as well as a newer building. Each is stocked with offbeat treasures, from a stuffed albino raccoon named Paul to rusting Indian motorcycles and a bumper car from a 1950s county fair.

'Our offerings are always changing, depending upon what Mike and his crew find in their travels,' says Emily Gwin, store manager. 'But to be honest, most of our visitors these days are more interested in a T-shirt. They want to take home a piece of the show, and that's just fine with us.'

Downtown renewal

A short walk leads to LeClaire's downtown, which in 2007 was revitalized with new landscaping, shade trees and a sound system. Many of its stores have the same quirky vibe as Antique Archaeology.

Riverbend Retro, for example, specializes in midcentury modern furniture likely to appeal to fans of the TV show 'Mad Men.' Next door, Aunt Hattie's Fanciful Emporium is the sort of general store you'd find in 'The Twilight Zone.'

Up the street, Grasshoppers sells gifts, antiques and wine in 19th-century mansion once owned by a river boat pilot, while quilters flock to Expressions in Threads.

Explore river history

On the bank of the Mississippi, the Buffalo Bill Museum tells the story of the town's connection to the colorful Wild West showman, who was born in LeClaire in 1846. Other exhibits cover the town's Native American and steamboat-era history.

The museum complex also features the Lone Star, a wooden-hulled steamer that plied the waters of the Mississippi for nearly a century. Visitors can scramble up and down its decks to learn more about shipping on the nation's greatest river.

Food fun

LeClaire is rapidly gaining a reputation as a foodie destination. Since 1991, its premiere restaurant has been the Faithful Pilot, known for its innovative menus using fresh, local ingredients. Another upscale eatery is the Crane & Pelican Cafe, housed in an 1851 Italianate mansion.

A number of other artisan food-and-drink establishments also have opened, including The Shameless Chocoholic (worth visiting for the aroma alone) and the LeClaire Olive Oil Company, which stocks artisan balsamic vinegars and extra virgin olive oils from around the world.

The LeClaire Canning Company sells salsa, pickles, sauces and preserves, many made locally, while the Wide River Winery, located in a renovated 1840s building, offers tastings of vintages produced a few miles away in Clinton. A new establishment, the Green Tree Brewery, will open in June.

Another popular stop is the Mississippi River Distilling Company, where visitors can sample whiskeys, vodkas and other spirits. The company prides itself on sourcing all of its corn, wheat, barley and rye from within a 25-mile radius.

'We go out to the farms and pick up the grain ourselves,' says distiller Scot Schaar. 'I remember a farmer telling us it was the first time he's ever known what's happened to his corn after it left his farm.'

Finally, on a warm spring day, be sure to spend some time just watching the river flow by. You're likely to see bald eagles, which in some seasons are nearly as common as pigeons in LeClaire.

And from May through October, you can book a one- or two-day cruise on the Twilight, a 19th-century style paddle-wheeler that recalls the days when steamboats docked at LeClaire to wait for a pilot who would lead them safely downriver.

The mighty river has been the life blood of LeClaire since the town's founding in 1834, and it continues to be a constant source of beauty for this little town that once again is flourishing.

IF YOU GO

• Grasshopper's Guesthouse, a renovated 1880 house painted in bright primary colors and decorated with whimsical touches, sleeps six to eight and rents for $150 a night for two people, with $10 extra for each additional person.

• The LeClaire River Loft and River Chateau offers additional lodging.

• The LeClaire Information Center is at 122 N. Cody Rd. Contact the center for more information at (563) 289-4242 or visitleclaire.com.