Fantasy’s all-new Mississippi River Run is a mighty adventure! And it’s proven to be so popular we’ve scheduled three tours this year, all departing in September.
The Mississippi River runs 2,552 miles through the middle of the United States, effectively separating east from west. For 33 days, we follow its path, taking the time to really explore the River, learn about its fascinating history and discover some exciting stops along the way.
It all begins in Bemidji, Minnesota – the ‘First City on the Mississippi’. In addition to exploring this small but lively town, we visit Itasca State Park, where we cruise Lake Itasca and also discover the Mississippi River’s headwaters – its humble beginnings as it begins its southern journey.
Our journey south starts, first stopping in Brainerd, Minnesota and then on to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul where we’ll spend the next four days exploring local museums, shopping, visiting trails and other attractions beginning with a guided city bus tour. We’ll visit Minnehaha Falls from Longfellow’s Song of Hiawatha, the Wabasha Street Sandstone Caves beneath St. Paul (home to speak easies during Prohibition), the Cathedral of St. Paul and the nightclubs and hideouts of 1930s’ gangsters John Dillinger, ‘Babyface’ Nelson and Ma Baker. Our Twin Cities’ grand finale is a luncheon cruise on the River.
We head to Prairie du Chen, where the Wisconsin River joins the Mississippi. After stopping at the National Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, our next stop is Davenport, Iowa – the only place where the Mississippi River runs from east to west. During the next four days in Davenport, we get hands on with the fascinating machines at the John Deere Pavilion, visit the Amana Colonies’ seven villages, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum and the Iowa 80 Trucking Museum. We go back to the River to enjoy the fall foliage on another luncheon cruise – this time Iowa style!
In Hannibal, Missouri we learn more about one of the River’s champions – Mark Twain – when we explore his boyhood home and museum where Samuel Clemens wrote his popular novels.
St. Louis welcomes us through its iconic 630 Gateway Arch, – America’s tallest man-made structure – and we actually ride to the top. It doesn’t stop there. We tour Grant’s Farm, originally owned by General Ulysses Grant and now a Busch family estate. We explore the Meramec Caverns, once a hideout for Jesse James and tour Anheuser-Busch’s oldest brewery. We visit the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis and the site of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition of 1904 – the legendary World’s Fair.
The River grows wider as it meanders south, and if we listen carefully we may just hear some rocking strains of music from the King himself – Elvis Presley. In Memphis, we visit his home, Graceland Mansion, and even board his customized jet, named after his daughter Lisa Marie. Lunch is on Beale Street, originally one of the few places African Americans could shop and dine in the South. Then it’s on to Sun Studio, where Elvis made his first recording – “That’s Alright”!
The diverse dynamics of Memphis continue. We visit the National Civil Rights Museum and Lorraine Hotel, the site where Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. Then we soak up the grandeur of the Peabody Hotel and watch their celebrated ducks waddle from their rooftop penthouse along a red carpet to a marble fountain for their daily swim. We visit Danny Thomas’s St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital which treats childhood cancer and other serious diseases. And we return to the River at Mud Island River Park when we visit the Mississippi River Museum, boarding full-size paddle boats. Next, we’re off to Vicksburg, Mississippi.
During the Civil War, on July 4, 1863 the city of Vicksburg surrendered to the North after a 47-day siege. The previous day General Robert E. Lee had been defeated in Gettysburg, marking the turning point of the war. We get a taste of this fascinating history at Vicksburg National Military Park, and again on our tour of an Antebellum Mansion. We get tastes of the real south eating real soul food at the Old Country Store in Lorman.
We continue on to Vidalia, Louisiana, a small town on the banks of the River directly across from Natchez. Crossing over the bridge, we tour some stunning antebellum homes on our authentic guided carriage tour. At Bluff Park, we get the best view ever of the mighty Mississippi as it nears its destination – the Gulf of Mexico!
As the River reaches its final destination, so do we. And what could be a better spot to celebrate – in the Big Easy, New Orleans! We’ve got five days here and we kick them off with a guided River Road Plantation tour. We travel on a sea plane to get aerial views of the River and the surrounding bayous. We experience the French Quarter – 100 blocks of music and fabulous cooking. We learn how to prepare our own Cajun-style food at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Our swamp boat tour takes us through the Louisiana bayous. And our final evening together is right back on the River – aboard the Natchez authentic steamboat where we enjoy dinner, fabulous city views, Louisiana jazz and of course the company of our fellow Mighty Mississippi travelers as we watch the River flow out to the sea.
All three of the 2018 Mississippi River Run Caravans departures have proved to be extremely popular, and there is only limited availability on each. Fantasy is planning them again in 2019, and these are filling up quickly. Don’t delay with booking a reservation on this fascinating journey.