Crossing the Mississippi River

Mississippi River  in St Paul, Minnesota

 

Since 2006 I have spent a large portion of my life in the USA. During that time it has been my good fortune to have visited 45 of the 50 states that comprise the USA, and while doing so I have crossed and walked the banks of the great Mississippi River a number of times.

This river is the second longest river in the USA. Its source is at Lake Itasca in Minnesota, and it flows 2320 miles from there to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico. It is also divided into what is known as the upper Mississippi, from its source south to the Ohio River, and the lower Mississippi, from the Ohio to its mouth near New Orleans, Louisiana

This mighty river  runs through, or along 10 states, from Minnesota to Louisiana, and was used to define portions of these states' borders, with Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi along the east side of the river, and Iowa, Missouri, and Arkansas and Louisiana along its west side.

In 2008 my travelling companion Joan and I crossed the Mississippi at Burlington, Iowa. We were returning to Georgia after a road trip to Niagara Falls and we had driven from Chicago, through Illinois to Burlington. There we were shown the damage that had occurred earlier that year when the Mississippi had flooded. Some fields were still waterlogged, and houses were abandoned. The high water marks, level with windowsills, and in some cases above, were still clearly visible. 

The Bridge over the Mississippi River at Burlington

In 2009 Joan and I drove from Peachtree City to New Orleans where we viewed the Mississippi River from the well-developed riverfront.


New Orleans Riverfront

Riverfront  in New Orleans



Another view of New Orleans

 

In 2010, the Mississippi River was the one river that we crossed many times during our trip to Wisconsin, Minnesota, and North Dakota. In Minnesota we crossed the river at Brainerd, within one hundred miles of its source at Itasca.

Mississippi River in St Paul, Minnesota

 In St Paul, Minnesota, we walked along the river’s southern banks and watched barges slowly moving on its surface.

A barge on the Mississippi River, St Paul

At that time my thoughts went back to our trip in 2009 to the Gulf Coast and New Orleans, 2500 miles distant. In the twin city of Minneapolis, we bought tickets for a bus ride, which included crossing the river.

On our way to Fargo, our next destination about two hundred and thirty miles away, we impulsively turned off to St Cloud. I had been reading about the beautiful gardens in that town, and we decided to drive the extra twenty miles to see them. 

The Mississippi in Minnesota

St Cloud is practically in the centre of Minnesota and is the home of the Munsinger and the Clemens Gardens. These beautiful gardens are on the banks of the Mississippi River. 

Taking a break to watch Ole Man River

The Mississippi River flowing through St Cloud

 








View of Munsinger and Clements Gardens

We spent a pleasant hour admiring the lovely flowers and shrubs, and took a walk along the river bank. It was hard to imagine that in six months’ time the landscape would be covered in snow.









 

On the return journey we headed south towards St Louis, in Missouri. The Mississippi River flows through St Louis, which lies a few miles west of the border with Illinois.

In 2012 I joined my family, the Murphys, on a road trip in the Chevy van, to Colorado to visit our other family, the Shadowshots, in the Roaring Fork Valley. This entailed crossing the Mississippi River at night at Vicksburg, Mississippi, into Louisiana, so that we could arrive in Dallas to spend the day with friends who also hailed from South Africa.


A view of the Mississippi in New Orleans

 



Riverboat at New Orleans

On our return journey we crossed the Mississippi again, but this time at Baton Rouge. We spent a few nights in New Orleans and I was able to explore the Mississippi again



Confluence of Yazoo and Mississippi Rivers at Vicksburg

Mississippi River at Vicksburg

In 2013 Stephen and I undertook a road trip to Colorado and we crossed the Mississippi River at Vicksburg, but this time during the day, which enabled us to do some sightseeing. 

Vicksburg

The route of our return journey took us through Arkansas, and we crossed the Mississippi River into Tennessee at Memphis.



View of Mississippi River from the Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge.

In January 2017, on a visit to Joan, who had moved to Pensacola, she suggested we pay Baton Rouge, the Capitol of Louisiana, a visit. This journey of 257 miles one way entailed an overnight stay in the city. Louisiana is one of the poorer states and Baton Rouge reflects this. A self-guided walking tour included a walk along the banks of the Mississippi River, with plenty of photo opportunities.

Windblown next to the River in Baton Rouge

 

Having seen so much of the Mississippi during road trips, all that is left for me to do is to take one of the available Mississippi riverboat cruises, but that is way down on my bucket list.