Hollywood cinema has long sublimated the Mississippi, this magnificent river which, over more than 3,700 kilometers, runs along or crosses ten states, from northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Several companies offer you to borrow a paddle boat for a memorable cruise. During the many stopovers, we discover, in the footsteps of Mark Twain who worked there as a pilot, a multitude of very varied landscapes, battle sites of the Civil War, plantations, charming historic villages… advance towards the north, the more the nature reveals itself beautiful and wild.
You should also know that the cruises divide the Mississippi into three sections of one week. The ride on the upper course (Upper Mississippi River) goes from Saint-Louis to Saint-Paul. The central part, from Memphis to Saint-Louis and the lower course (Lower Mississippi River), from New Orleans to Memphis.
Another possibility is offered to you, in the west, with the Columbia River which flows from Canada to Portland, Oregon. Five-day cruises also combine a segment of the Snake River, its largest tributary. Along the way, you can contemplate a superb environment dotted with moose, sheep, spectacular waterfalls, not to mention the volcano of Mount Saint Helens…
The privileged route of the pioneers
The French colonists had nicknamed it “La Belle Rivière”. The Ohio forms in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before meandering through the states of Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky for nearly 1,500 kilometers to Cairo, Illinois, where it joins the Mississippi . At the end of the 18th century, it was the preferred route for pioneers heading west. The boats leave from Saint Louis or Memphis to reach Cincinnati.
Cruises on the Great Lakes (Erie, Ontario, Huron, Michigan and Superior) – the largest freshwater ecosystem on the planet – are also very popular. With a surface area equivalent to that of the United Kingdom, they form a real inland sea, endowed with currents and waves, which goes from Minnesota to the State of New York via Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The cruises take place there from May to September with, often, a departure or an arrival from Chicago or Toronto. They will make you discover, in addition to these two fascinating cities, Mackinac Island, a car-free island, Niagara Falls, national parks… Given the distances, the cruises last at least a week.