Mississippi River
Whether you think of her as Old Man River or the Big Muddy, the Mississippi is without doubt the most fabled river in North America. The great cities along her course are testament enough to the river's epic status, but toss in the food cultures, the music genres, and the historical events that have taken place along her banks and the Mississippi emerges as a geographical icon of the first degree.
Itineraries are divided into segments of the Upper and Lower Mississippi, each taking roughly a week long with the entirety covering around 23 days. Travel runs from July to October for Upper routes while the Lower region has an extended season that starts as early as February and ends as late as December.
What We Love
Music: The Big Muddy has been a cradle for all sorts of American music, from Dixieland jazz and Delta blues to soul, gospel, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll.
Food: Many of the nation's best regional foods grew up along the Mississippi, including Memphis barbecue, the quirky Italian-American dishes of St. Louis, and the wondrous Creole cooking in New Orleans.
Best Known For
Antebellum South: The Lower Mississippi Valley between New Orleans and Memphis is strewn with historic plantations that now showcase the lives of the wealthy planters who created the estates and the downtrodden slaves who worked them.
Legendary Americans: Mark Twain in Hannibal, Andrew Jackson in New Orleans, Martin Luther King Jr. in Memphis, General Grant at Vicksburg — many great Americans left their mark on river history.
Best Ports
New Orleans: A decade after Katrina, the Crescent City has rebounded in spectacular fashion, especially the legendary French Quarter. Throw in the food, the music, and all that history, and the Big Easy is truly a world-class destination.