Spring is almost here, and I'm thinking about the return of the passenger boats to the river. This song, Mississippi Dream Boat, is from the 1943 movie Swing Fever (which must be pretty obscure; I can't find it on Netflix). In this version, Sully Mason and Marylyn Maxwell provide the vocals for Kay Kyser and
As we head toward a new year and new challenges, here are two versions of an old tune that speak to the simple joys of being on a river, one that never stops moving. Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On has been recorded many times over the years, but these are the first two recorded versions, made
I'm off to spend a weekend on the Delta Queen Hotel in Chattanooga, so the Song of the Day was an easy choice: John Hartford's Delta Queen Waltz from his 1989 CD Down on the River.
Population (2010) 12,773 Introduction Sauk Rapids is located along what was once known as “Third Rapids”, because, well, they were the third set of rapids upriver from St. Anthony Falls. Those rapids are now obscured by a dam, and those two small towns have in recent years developed into
Population (2010) 13,590 Introduction Brainerd is at the center of a vast resort area that spreads out around the city. I confess I have mixed feelings about Brainerd, and not just because this was the place where I dropped my smartphone into the toilet. While the city has an interesting
Population (2010) 10,869 Introduction Grand Rapids is at the hub of a fascinating area: on the southwestern edge of the Mesabi Iron Range, in the middle of the pine forests and the northern Minnesota resort scene, and along the Mississippi River where it finally begins to turn south. Grand
