Mississippi River, USA.

First, a quick note: We are traveling for a few more days and hope there are no flight delays home, so internet access will likely be sparse. If I am slow to respond to comments, it’s due to my lack of connectivity. More on that journey in the months to come.

Before automobiles, boats and ships were one of our major travel transports. The Mississippi River was one major thoroughfare from North to South in the 19th Century. Today, freight travels mostly by barge up and down the river between the major cities of Minneapolis and New Orleans. The opening image features The American Melody, a passenger cruiser on its cruise to New Orleans. Operated by American Cruise Line, the American Melody is one of 19 American-branded ships on the Mississippi in 2024.

This post is about the Great River Road. This scenic byway follows the Mississippi River for nearly 3,000 miles (4828 km) through 10 states: Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana. It’s a designated All-American Road and National Scenic Byway that we picked up in Fort Madison, Iowa, and headed north toward Brownsville, Minnesota, about 250 miles (402 km) along the river.

Barge traffic is typical along the river. We saw several tow boats pushing either empty or full barges of cargo. Empty barges appear to have their covers open and stacked at the barge’s end. The large covers protect the cargo on full barges. The David L. Fields is a powerful vessel equipped with twin diesel engines and is one of the larger tow boats we saw on our journey. As you can see by the open covers, she wasn’t pushing a cargo load.

Just down the river, a short walk from the cruise pier at Fort Madison, is a replica of the fort that was the first permanent U.S. military fortification in the upper Mississippi region. Built to control trade and relations with Native American tribes, it was named after President James Madison. The fort was only active from 1808 to 1813 and destroyed by fire in 1813. Though Fort Madison is named after a fort, the city doesn’t have an active military base. The most prominent historical landmark related to military history is the replica fort.

Riverview Park and the Kuhlmeier Fountain are popular summer destinations, likely due to the cool mist and scenic views they create. The pond has even been used for ice skating during cold spells. That building in the background is the Fort Riverview Pavilion. It is a public building that can be reserved for community activities and family reunions.

Moving north along the river, we arrived at Riverside Park in Muscatine, Iowa. There, we found a larger-than-lifesize sculpture honoring the rich history of clamming on the Mississippi River in Muscatine. The Mississippi Harvest was created as part of the “Pearl of the Mississippi” project to revitalize Muscatine’s riverfront district. The city has a rich history with the pearl button industry, and the sculpture connects to this heritage.

From the park, we could see the Norbert F. Beckey Bridge. The bridge’s 1500-foot (457-meter) length across the Mississippi River provides a guide to the width of the Mississippi at Muscatine. This modern bridge, completed in 1972, carries Iowa Highway 92 and Illinois Route 92.

Further north, at Bellevue, Iowa, we discovered a park and viewing area for one of the many locks and dams along the Mississippi River. According to this article, a single river barge can hold as much dry cargo as 50 to 70 semi-truck trailers. A barge is typically 35 feet (10.7 m) wide and 195 feet (60 m) long. At our visit, a tow tug pushing barges three abreast was transiting through the lock.

While we watched the lock in action, we struck up a conversation with the tug captain, who was waiting to go through the lock next. He chatted with us from his open window on the tow tug while we stood on the sidewalk next to the river. We learned a lot about the lifestyle of captains on a tow tug.

At Guttenburg, Iowa, we stopped at another park to watch the activities of shippers along the Mississippi. For those interested in specifics, the lock and dam details vary, but here are the stats for Lock and Dam #10.

The concrete dam is 763 feet (233 m) long and has four roller gates and eight tainter gates for water flow control. The dam’s earth embankment is 4,223 feet (1,287 m) long, and a concrete spillway section extends 1,200 feet (366 m) to manage water overflow during high water events.

The lock itself is 110 feet (34 m) wide and 600 feet (183 m) long, allowing for the passage of barges and other commercial river traffic navigating the change in water elevation caused by the dam. Details from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are responsible for dam and lock management on the river.

Near Harpers Ferry, Iowa, we stopped at Effigy Mounds National Monument. The site contains over 200 prehistoric mounds built by cultures predating European contact in North America. The park is managed by the National Park Service. It includes hiking trails with scenic views of the Upper Mississippi River Valley alongside opportunities to learn about the mounds and the people who built them.

Our last stop on the Great River Road was a viewing area near Brownsville, Minnesota. Along this part of the Mississippi River are many small islands and opportunities to capture wildlife photos. Our midday arrival wasn’t the best time for wildlife spotting, so we didn’t see anything to note near the observation deck, but we had a pleasant time in the shade of some big trees, just enjoying the view of the Mississippi.

On the deck, a public telescope was mounted for visitors to use. I looked through the telescope and got a good view of the Wisconsin shoreline on the other side of the river. I even spotted a small gathering of white birds, probably gulls, at the edge of a small island. By the way, here’s a tip about those telescopes. You can put your cell phone camera lens against the telescope’s eyepiece and get a photo of what you can see in the telescope. You will likely have to use a photo editor to bring out the contrast and details in the image.

Even though we only traveled for about five hours on the Great River Road, we discovered a rich supply of history, culture, and natural beauty. The Mississippi River served as a constant companion, offering a glimpse into the heart of America. Our scenic drive delivered an unforgettable journey, and when we left, we were determined to plan further travels along the Mighty Mississippi’s Great River Road. As usual, I’ve posted 2K HD versions of these photos on my Flickr site here.

John Steiner