5-21-19 Blues Museum

Now this was a real find. I had to pass it as I went north to Memphis because it was getting late. So before heading up-river the next day, I dipped back into Mississippi and spent a few hours here.  Worth every minute.

Lots more pictures here. A 4-min video about the Mississippi Blues Trail, starring B.B.King here. (Sorry for the distracting overhead lights; best I could do.) I was so inspired I recorded my own original blues number. Listen here if you dare. A video outside here.

5-21-19 Up the Mighty Mississip' from Memphis thru Arkansas to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

Adorable little Jericho, Arkansas, has a laid back bucolic demeanor that hid a wicked speed trap. (Disclaimer: The finger in the lens is not my middle one.) More AR shots and a vid of less predatory parts of the state here.  And then there were all them chickens.

I entered and was welcomed to Missouri,

small town and rural,

Hwy 61 runs through it, here the Great River Road.

Mo' MO pix here. MO vids here. Stopped at Ste. Genevieve, cool little town with French history.

More Ste. Genevieve here.







5-22-19 St. Loo, the Cards, and up the swollen Mississip


In America's heartland from St. Louis,

(more St. Louis here) heading north,  

along an engorged river. The wet winter and spring were very obvious, as they had been hundreds of miles to the south in the Delta.

More pix north of StL here, especially Clarksville where you could "touch the Mississippi"

in places you typically can't. Sometimes I was driving right at the river's edge. More videos (not all water logged) here.















5-23-19 Mark Twain country

Hannibal, MO, famously Mark Twain's hometown, and they don't let you forget it.

There was also this, Jim’s Journey, Hannibal's First Memorial to Jim a.k.a. Daniel Quarles.

Sadly it was closed, but fascinating to have this tribute and attempt to deal squarely, and in Hannibal, with the complex story of Jim and his relationship with Huck. 

More pix of Hannibal here. The Mighty Mississipp from the Mark Twain lighthouse. Driving in rural MO on the outskirts of Hannibal.





Into Iowa... Keokuk, Iowa River, Maquoketa Caves State Park, Iowa farms, and Dubuque

Who knew IA was just the other side of a border with MO?

But if you want to follow the Mississippi, you first have to cross it at Illinois,

then back over it into Iowa at Keokuk.

See more of Keokuk here. 

Hwy 61 is now just the Great River Road, having lost its split personality and shed its border state "Little Dixie Highway" moniker back in MO.

Continue north and you'll cross the Iowa River.

If you're lucky, at dusk.

Further north you can reunite with the Great River at Dubuque. But before getting there, I stumbled onto Maquoketa Caves State Park,

which is worth a detour to see the caves and lush grounds. Videos here.

Just beyond it, rural Iowa as you might imagine it. See more Iowa farmland here.

Then onto Dubuque, Iowa's "Masterpiece of the Mississippi."

The weather was perfect and sculpture-studded Riverwalk fantastic,

particularly for eating leftover pizza.

 

More Dubuque River Walk here.