Pretty area. You are far enough away from Chicago which is good. Illinois has ridiculous tolls. Get an I Pass. Lovely historic Galena is nearby.
If you like the rock group Cheap trick , visit Rockford about an hour east and go to Home Depot for the day. Youll see them all.
Hope you like fishing (awesome walleye fishing.)and corn.Lots of corn.
If you ride motorcycles you will be in heaven due to the scenery and winding roads.
Its near enough Chicago so food and eating out is still the best in the country.
Sounds really nice ... but it might be a little bit of overkill for a two-day visit (especially since I’ll spend most of those days inside a classroom).
Which department do they work in?
Not unless you want to drive all the way across the state for a meal in Chicago. As a kid Don Jolly and I rode our bikes from Atkinson to the Arsenal, only to be turned back by the gate guard. Still, having grown up in that area, it’s not a bad place. For meals I’d stay on the Davenport IA side. There are some grim areas on the Rock Island/Moline/East Moline, IL, side, fine during the day, somewhat less so at night. If you see my brother Mike down in Woodhull, tell him I said, “Hey!”