| It's been done before - but not quite like this. | | | | water flow down the Mississippi daily? Can you |
| We've all seen scale-models. Cars, trains, airplanes, | | | | contemplate creating a model that mimics that |
| boats. But this 'miniature' is five city blocks long. In | | | | flow? Pumping thousands of gallons of water daily |
| conjunction with the adjoining museum, it tells a | | | | from the river's sources: stone walls that |
| large part of the story of our nation. | | | | represent the Ohio and Missouri basins. A scale |
| We were there in July. Almost didn't go. Too hot. | | | | model that represents every mile of the lower |
| Too humid. Oh, well, we should at least be able to | | | | Mississippi in each 30-inch stride. A 1,000-mile |
| say we've been there. We'll give it an hour ... then | | | | journey from Cairo, IL to New Orleans that flows |
| go find a cold drink somewhere. We started with | | | | along the edge of the real Mississippi at Mud Island |
| the mono-rail ride across the harbor to Mud Island. | | | | River Park in Memphis, TN. |
| We stayed for hours. | | | | Wade the 'river'. Stroll from town to town, each |
| The Mississippi River Museum, located on the | | | | laid out in scale, precisely placed. The grounds are |
| grounds, details the development of the midwest | | | | beautifully landscaped and seating is convenient |
| from the Mississippi River's point of view. | | | | for quiet moments along the river's edge. We |
| Fascinating! Barges and riverboats, traders and | | | | loved watching little ones splash in the water, the |
| farmers, gamblers and entertainers. Slaves and | | | | depth of which also mimics the Mississippi River in |
| free men. Frenchmen and Spaniards and English. | | | | scale. Meander along the banks of the river to the |
| Native Indians and settlers. Captains and thieves. | | | | Gulf of Mexico, a one-acre lake that holds 1.3 |
| We easily spent three hours browsing our history | | | | million gallons of water - recycled every twelve |
| in air-conditioned comfort. We particularly liked the | | | | hours - from the Ohio and Missouri basin walls up |
| dioramas and reproductions of the boats that | | | | river. |
| influenced the river's development. From the | | | | Plan a day, so you can explore everything ... then |
| French & Indian War through the Civil War | | | | swim in the 'Gulf' lagoon, rent a paddle boat or |
| and WWII, the museum is very thorough in telling | | | | canoe. |
| our story. The story of the growth and | | | | Whether you like history - botanical gardens - |
| development of America. | | | | tourist attractions - or just a wonderful place to |
| Aah, but the miniature ... Wait till you see that! | | | | spend an afternoon, this is it. The Mud Island River |
| Can you imagine calculating how many gallons of | | | | Park is a 'must see' in Memphis, Tennessee. |