A couple of weeks ago I praised the cities along the Upper Mississippi River with the the best riverfronts. Now it’s time to prod the cities that could do a lot better. I resisted calling these the “Five Worst” because I think any place that provides a decent view of the Mississippi River shouldn’t be
I get around. I’ve visited every Mississippi River town from the Headwaters in northern Minnesota to Cape Girardeau, Missouri. One trend that I see is that, after a century of river towns turning their backs on their river, many are slowly pivoting back to their watery roots. But, a few towns are doing it much
Any day that begins with dropping your smartphone in the toilet is fraught with symbolism. Down the toilet went my common sense and a big chunk of my day. I managed to squeeze in a quick driving tour of Brainerd, found a nice place to sit next to the Mississippi, and even managed to spend
On a Saturday night in June, the parlor of the restored Grand Rapids (Minnesota) house where little Judy Garland (nee Frances Ethel Gumm) spent the first four years of her life is draped with nostalgia. The parlor, decorated with period furniture, an upright piano, and a small gaggle of old queens and divas, is an
The New Year is off to a busy but good start. I got a nice mention from the Chicago Tribune’s Resourceful Traveler (read the story here). I’m about to hit the road again and am frantically going my list of things that need to get done. I’ll be on the road for three weeks, talking
If you are bored with summer television and looking for something different, say a new reality show about three cooky guys who travel the length of the Mississippi River using their own ingenuity to solve (predictable) dilemmas, you should tune in to A Mississippi River Quest, airing now on National Geographic Channel. If, however, you are
