By Gail Marsh
Three thousand miles. Ten states. Amazing cultures and rich history. That’s saying quite a lot. And yet, an RV trip along the Great River Road is all that and so much more!
So much to see and do
You may choose to start your adventure at the headwaters in Minnesota’s Lake Itasca State Park, where the Mississippi River begins. Or perhaps you’ll decide to begin at the end in New Orleans and work your way upstream.
If you can’t find the time to travel the entire 3,000 miles all in one trip, even a short excursion will inspire you. You’ll learn about riverboats, early explorers, and how the Mississippi River still continues to impact our nation today.
Old Man River
As a child, growing up in Iowa (the heart of “flyover country”), the Mississippi River enthralled me. A family day trip to see the Mighty Mississippi vividly remains in my mind. Now living near St. Louis, I frequently see “Old Man River” and get excited about taking an extended trip all along his famous shores.
Trip planner
You can probably imagine my excitement when I discovered the Great River Road travel itineraries on this site. What I appreciate about the information presented by the folks at The Great River Road is that they provide sample itineraries.
Short on time? They have a 14-day “speed trip” planner. Love music? Take a musical tour along the river. Are you a foodie? Don’t miss the iconic restaurants found along the River Road. Like birding? Golf? Wineries? The Great River Road has it all!
Need an excuse?
Guess what? September is “Drive the Great River Road Month.” Need I say more? Maybe I’ll see you somewhere along the way in a couple months.
Other Midwest adventures
- Presidential history buffs, add these places in ‘flyover country’ to your travel plans
- 7 of the most unusual, must-visit Midwest tourist attractions
- 6 gorgeous Midwest waterfalls to add to your travel list
##RVT1166
On the Bucket List.
Just one caution. I was towing my 3100 pound jeep with my Sprinter-based motorhome. I was heading south on the Great River Road. It gets very steep around the Minnesota-Iowa border. On one hill I worried about making it up all of the way, with no place to pull over and detach the toad safely. I know some apps can provide information about steep grades. That might be useful on some parts of the GRR. BTW I live in Colorado, and I have driven many steep grades before this incident.
Interesting! We also live in CO and have a Sprinter Class C. However, we drove that MN-IA portion of the GR Road when we had a fifth wheel and Ram 2500 truck. No problems with the grades or winding road with our turbodiesel and exhaust brake. So, the experience on that road really depends on the type of RV traveling it. We thought the wide river, steep bluffs, tree-covered hills, and tributary valleys dotted with well-maintained farms and tiny towns were beautiful. So different from the rugged terrain of our Rockies!
Thank you, Gail! 🙂 You certainly piqued my interest. So much, in fact, that I sent the link the you gave almost at the outset to DW. We’ll see if anything comes of it. Meanwhile, thanks again, have a great week, safe travels, and safe stays! 🙂
My friend of 50 years and I are taking the trip in Sept. We’re taking 16 days. Only weeks away and can’t wait!
Been there and done part of that. Started in Illinois and came on down. We stayed as close to the river as possible, even getting off the Great River Road. We looked for every lock and dam along the way and drove strange little roads to get to the locks to watch the barges go thru the locks and in some cases take on grain from elevators on the river. It took almost 2 weeks of just running out to each lock on the way down. I just could not get enough of seeing the barges and tow boats carrying our nations goods up and down the river. AND the small towns and mom & pop restaurants. It is amazing how much of our economy relies upon the Mississippi.