Would you like to sip a glass of wine while looking over a scenic river valley? Paddle through a backwaters habitat rich with wildlife? Experience unique festivals like the epic tug-of-war across the Mississippi River called Tugfest?The Great River Road is one of the best drives in the United States. National magazines regularly chose it among the best of the best. Every year, millions of people cast their votes by exploring the Mississippi River Valley with their cars, kayaks, and cash.It's also a region rich with compelling stories that tell the history of the United States, from American Indian communities of yesterday and today, to the changing economies that some communities have weathered better than others. This book is organized into 17 chapters that cover the Mississippi River from northern Minnesota to the Ohio River Valley. Each chapter can be used to guide a weekend of explorations or used to extend a trip over a longer period of time. The book includes chapters for:Itasca State Park where the Mississippi River begins;Big cities like Minneapolis, Saint Paul, the Quad Cities, and St. Louis; andSmall communities like Guttenberg and Sainte Genevieve that are rich with history and invite a slower travel pace.