She Magazine

Dubuque, Iowa

Published:

Story and photos by Mary Bergin

The Mississippi River gained its first floating casino 20 years ago, and its home base of Dubuque would never be quite the same.

Locals say riverboat gambling was the catalyst that got other tourism projects going in northeast Iowa’s bluffside city. That includes the

National Mississippi River Museum,

among Iowa’s top tourist attractions, and a pretty riverwalk with assorted plants and sculptures.

River rides still happen, but without the slots or table games. Your choices are a modern yacht and the state’s only authentic paddlewheeler. www.dubuqueriverrides.com, 563-583-8093

Place your bets on land, at the

Diamond Jo or Mystique casinos

. Greyhounds race five days per week, until the end of October. Nationally known entertainers swing over periodically. Dinner at Mystique’s Champagne restaurant begins with a complimentary glass of, guess what? www.diamondjo.com, 563-690-4800; www.mystiquedbq.com, 800-373-3647

In search of solitude and connecting to nature? You’re a perfect match for

Four Mounds Inn

, a long-ago gentleman’s farm on the city’s outskirts, atop a bluff that overlooks Mississippi backwaters. Birders get an eyeful, on hiking trails or by merely looking through porch windows at feeders. Also on the 60 acres is a ropes course.

The estate’s main house sleeps up to 16; a more remote cabin sleeps five. Rates can include meals at this nonprofit enterprise, whose work benefits at-risk youth and other causes. www.fourmounds.org, 563-557-7292

For more awesome views, follow the rural riverside north a few more miles for hearty, down-home fare at

Breitbach’s,

Iowa’s oldest restaurant and winner of a James Beard America’s Classics award (honoring lifetime achievement). www.breitbachscountrydining.com, 563-552-2220

Consider

Hotel Julien

a cozy home base for city girls who simply want to park the car, forget about it for a while and play in urban confines. Snag a big round table at

Caroline’s Restaurant

and share orders of artichoke fritters and catfish cake sliders. Book bodywork at

Potosa Spa

, then meet in the relaxation room to stretch out the mellowing moments. The 1839 hotel is near-luxury lodging, thanks to a recent $36 million renovation. Abe Lincoln slept here, and so did Mark Twain. www.hoteljuliendubuque.com, 800-798-7098

What else makes Dubuque a delicious destination?

-- Load up on

Trappistine Creamy Caramels,

made at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey — just south of town, and sold in foodie gift shops. Or visit the convent; it’s a peaceful drive. www.trappistine.com, 866-556-3400

-- Chocolaterie Stam

sweetens up its clientele with lovely treats made with European chocolate. Notice the little ears of praline-flavored corn. www.stamchocolate.com, 563-581-7938

-- Define “communion wine” at

Stone Cliff Winery,

in a century-old beer brewing building at the riverfront. Groups — by appointment — mix and bottle their own wine blend, or attend a murder mystery dinner at the winery. www.stonecliffwinery.com, 563-583-6100

-- Also in the building (a free, mini museum because of artifacts and local history exhibits) is

Star Restaurant,

whose upstairs seating offers a dynamite view of America’s River. Fun dining: On the dessert menu are Cheesecake Lollipops, Cookie Dough Egg Rolls and S’Mores (made tableside). www.dbqstar.com, 563-556-4800

-- Nothing is simple, as in predictable, at

Pepper Sprout

downtown, where even chicken salad arrives with a subtle kick of unexpected flavor and the fixin’s seem more ground than chunky. www.peppersprout.com, 563-556-2167

-- A block away is

Crust,

all about pizzas and pasta. Salads are served on a thin Parmesan pizza crust; table munchies are warm pizza dough balls, dusted with Parmesan and served with a side of marinara. www.crustdubuque.com, 563-582-6889

-- Good taste and great bargains fill the

Nearly New Boutique,

a consignment shop downtown. www.nearlynewboutique.net, 563-557-1388. Huff and puff a couple of blocks uphill to Bluff Street and its small cluster of diverse shops.

-- Look a bit farther uphill for

Fenlon Place Elevator,

a one-car cable that’s been around since 1882. Pay $2, roundtrip, for a ride that leads to panoramic views of three states on a clear day. Closed December through March. www.dbq.com/fenplco

-- Another stunning city site, until late October, is the 25-foot-tall

“God Bless America” statue,

which dwarfs the adjacent

Dubuque Museum of Art.

The 30,000-pound work by Seward Johnson is of Iowa’s beloved “American Gothic” farm couple, ready for a vacation. Head inside the art museum for lesser known examples of artist Grant Wood’s work. www.dbqart.com, 563-557-1851 {