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
Life on the road can be entertaining and immensely rewarding, but there are times I feel isolated and disconnected from home, friends, family, and the world around me. Thanks to these folks and the kindness of many others whose names I never learned, people I’m unlikely to cross paths with again, those times are easier to weather.
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
When the Headwaters Dam Project was completed in the early 20th century, water levels went up on many lakes in northern Minnesota, including big ones like Cass and Winnibigoshish. The dams were supposed to increase the depth of the Mississippi River south of St. Paul to improve navigation for bigger boats during low water
Welcome to the Mississippi Valley Traveler Store Scroll through the galleries below to find books about the Mississippi River, including guidebooks, stories of river history, and mysteries set along Old Man River. I also sell a few collections of greeting cards featuring my original photographs of places along the Mississippi River. Thanks for
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
