Mississippi River
The Mississippi River System is the third largest river system in the world. It has played a significant role in our country’s history, commerce, agriculture, art, literature and recreation. Beginning as a trickle at Lake Itasca, Minn., it flows 2,348 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.
The Complete Listing of Marinas and Locks on the Inland and Gulf Intracoastal Waterways
Booze Cruise: Bars Along the Inland Waterways
It’s the dog days of summer, the sun is beating down, and you’re restless and hot. To break up the cruise and treat your crew at the end of the day, you decide to seek out a dock and grab a cold one. But where do you go? Insert shameless plug: If you have a […] Read More
Special Delivery: From Lake of the Ozarks to Florida, Part 1
Many people I run into say that I’m living the dream. As a delivery captain, I get to drive another person’s boat, use their fuel and see a lot of the country. They’re right. I am living the dream, but it’s a lot of work and not a pleasure cruise. Want to know what really […] Read More
Cruising the Quad Cities
There are a couple of odd things about the area on the Mississippi River called the Quad Cities. One is that it isn’t made up of four cities but five — Rock Island, Moline and East Moline (Ill.) and Davenport and Bettendorf (Iowa) — plus several satellite communities on both shores. Another oddity is that […] Read More
River Roots: Exploring the Mississippi Delta
The Mississippi River Delta Region spreads across eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. Traveling along its many waterways — including the Mississippi, Yazoo, Atchafalaya, Ohio and Tennessee rivers — offers a myriad of wonders along a vast cultural, historic and geographic landscape. No matter what your interest, for boaters, the […] Read More
National Water Trails of the Heartland
The National Water Trails system celebrated its fifth anniversary at the end of February. And a lot has happened to both increase use of America’s amazing water systems, and their stewardship by local communities, since water trails were added to the original National Trails System Act of 1968. Let’s take a look at some around […] Read More
Destination: Knoxville, Tennessee
Knoxville, Tenn., a vibrant Midwest lake destination? You better believe it. Completion of the Ft. Loudoun Dam by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in 1943 created Fort Loudon Lake, which extends from the dam site at Lenoir City upstream about 50 miles to Knoxville, where it slices through downtown. OK, technically it’s the Tennessee River […] Read More
TowBoatUS St. Charles Has New Owner and Home Base
Paul Hopkins, the owner of Port Charles Harbor Marina in St. Charles, Mo., is the new owner of TowBoatUS St. Charles. “TowBoatUS has been providing great service to Mississippi River boaters for the last seven years,” Hopkins said. “As soon as we learned the former owner was leaving, we contacted BoatUS and said we wanted […] Read More
New Mississippi and Missouri River Guides Launched
Two new, interactive maps of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers are making a big splash with recreational boaters, paddlers and fishermen. The Mississippi River Geotourism MapGuide (http://mississippiriver.natgeotourism.com/) grew from a partnership between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Geographic Maps. The landmark project took two and a half years to plan and execute […] Read More