Mississippi River in the Headwaters region I’ve been lucky enough to take a couple of 2-day canoe trips on the Mississippi River this year. In April, I paddled with the Quapaw Canoe Company and River Sage John Ruskey near Baton Rouge. In August I paddled solo for 39 miles in the Headwaters
It seems that the Mississippi only makes it in the news when it’s flooding or something happens that slows down barges. You can be forgiven if you think the Mississippi today is little more than a taxpayer-funded shipping canal hidden behind levees. I was reminded of this after a recent 11-day trip along the Upper
The American Queen pulled out of St. Louis at 6pm, three hours ahead of schedule. The Mississippi River was technically closed to commercial traffic, but the captain worked out a deal to let us pass by the trouble spot as long as we did it during daylight hours. Because of the early departure, a
I’m working on a new book for 2012. Unlike my other Mississippi River books, this one will not be a travel guide but a collection of stories about the people and places of the Mississippi River. I’m big on putting the river in its broader context, so the chapters in this new book will often
When I get to my car this morning, I find a flyer on my windshield, placed by an anonymous Scientologist, suggesting I take the church’s personality test (the “Oxford Capacity Analysis”), a queer mix of questions that run from vague to confusing to silly. Do you have a tendency to tidy up a disorder
It’s the last day of August, but it feels more like October. The sky is a monotonous grey, and the air has barely warmed above 65° F (18° C); with the light breeze and intermittent mist, I’m wishing I had a sweater. In spite of the clouds and moisture, I’m about to get in
