Population (2010) 27,891 Introduction Alton is a city with a layered history that is worth the time to explore. When you’re done, take a drive along the Mississippi River up to Grafton, which is one of the most scenic stretches of the Great River Road; it can be very
Population (2010) 673 Introduction If you look up "river town" in any dictionary, I'm pretty sure you'll see a picture of Grafton. While the emphasis has shifted from living off the river to playing on the river, Grafton retains a strong identity as a place deeply tied to its
Population (2010) 38,109 Introduction It’s as far south as you can go and still call it the Upper Mississippi River, and you’ll notice some big changes. The air is getting warmer and thicker. The bluffs begin to give way to the delta plains, and the culture starts to feel
Population (2010) 4,405 Introduction France hasn't governed the Mississippi Valley for over 250 years, but their influence is still alive along the Mississippi River from St. Louis to Sainte Genevieve. Many of these communities pre-date the founding of New Orleans and have preserved impressive remnants of their earlier days.
Hannibal draws a lot of tourists eager to step into the world created by Mark Twain, which is a remarkable thing considering he wrote about a world that existed (more or less) 150 years ago. Hannibal has a lot of Twain to offer, but it's also an old river town worth getting to know on its own merits.
Population (2010) 319,305 Introduction St. Louis, my hometown, is a city with a long and layered history. Being in Flyover Country, we tend to make the national news only when something goes wrong. Sure, we have our problems, but so do plenty of other places. We are a big
