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Driving the Great River Road: Part One
- Rachel Huie
- Jun 16
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 6
Stretching over 2,000 miles, the Great River Road follows the twists and turns of the Mississippi from the bluffs of Minnesota to the bayous of Louisiana. Along the way, you'll find America: family-owned farms, high tech skyscrapers, mom-and-pop shops, megamalls. Elvis and Armstrong, fried chicken and butter cake. Literature, music, and, always, the river.
Driving the full river road takes anywhere from a few days to a couple weeks, depending, as always, on how much time you spend in each port. The itinerary below is on the longer side, highlighting all the big cities and many of the smaller towns along the way, so you can pick and choose — or tackle the entire thing!
One more note before we go. The Mississippi River is typically split into two parts (upper and lower), with the area around St. Louis serving as the divider. I've chosen to split these posts the same way, giving a little over a week for each itinerary. If you only have limited time for your trip or prefer to spread it out over several trips, this would be a good route to consider, as the differences between the two parts are generally pretty stark.
Well-known for its diverse wildlife and rugged scenery, the upper Mississippi is a must-see for nature lovers. Its two ends — St. Louis and St. Paul — are the largest cities on the route; in between, you'll find picturesque small towns, each with its own character, that seem the exact definition of "port towns," perhaps because the great chronicler of the Mississippi, Mark Twain, got his start in one of them.
Day 1: Lake Itasca and Minneapolis
The Mighty Mississippi begins as a creek in northern Minnesota. Just 45 minutes from Bemidji Regional Airport, you'll find the river's headwaters at Itasca State Park, where you can walk across the Mississippi, courtesy of some strategically placed stones.
After getting your feet wet, drive two hours south to Little Falls, one of the oldest cities in Minnesota and perhaps best known as the hometown of Charles Lindbergh. Lunch at one of the downtown diners, then visit the Charles Lindbergh House and Museum, home to a full-size replica of the Spirit of St. Louis.
From Little Falls, it's just over 100 miles to Minneapolis. As you make your way to your hotel, stop for dinner at The Market at Malcolm Yards, a food hall highlighting local flavors in a former industrial building.
Day 2: Minneapolis-St. Paul
Begin your day in the Twin Cities with a trip down Summit Avenue, home to the longest and best-preserved stretch of Victorian homes in the country — and the boyhood haunts of F. Scott Fitzgerald. If you happen to be in town on a weekend, the Minnesota Historical Society offers guided walking tours of the street and the 134-year-old James J. Hill House.
A mile from Summit Avenue, you'll find the Minnesota State Capitol, a grand marble and granite building renowned for its art and architecture. Free, guided tours depart every hour and cover the building from bottom to top — including a trip to the roof, where you'll be treated to a golden horse's-eye view of downtown St. Paul.
While you're in the area, don't be surprised if you run into some familiar faces. Throughout town, statues of his beloved cartoon characters pay homage to another St. Paul writer — Charles Schulz, creator of the "Peanuts."
As the day winds to an end, as an inveterate shopper, I would be remiss not to direct you to the Mall of America. With over 500 stores, 60 restaurants, and 30 attractions, there truly is something for everyone at this 5.6-million-square-foot complex on the outskirts of Minneapolis.
Day 3: Red Wing and Wabasha
Get an early start for a full day of travel, beginning with an hour-long drive to Red Wing. If the name sounds familiar, you may be thinking of Red Wing Shoes or Red Wing Pottery, both of which have museums in the area. If you'd prefer a more laid-back morning, the picturesque downtown is very walkable and full of unique shops and photo opportunities (the world's largest boot, anyone?). End the morning with lunch at the historic St. James Hotel, then continue on down the river road.
The 30-mile drive from Red Wing to Wabasha will take you along the banks of Lake Pepin, a naturally occurring lake within the Mississippi River, known as the birthplace of water skiing and of Laura Ingalls Wilder. (How's that for a combination?)
If the name Wabasha sounds familiar, you may have heard it in the 1990s film Grumpy Old Men, an association the town celebrates every February with the Grumpy Old Men Festival, complete with ice fishing contests and hotdish potlucks. Around the same time of year, thousands of birdwatchers also flock to the area known as the Eagle Capital of America. To get up close to the national bird and learn about its conservation, stop by the National Eagle Center, one of the world's premier museums dedicated to eagles.
Day 4: Dubuque
As you make your way into Iowa, the landscape will begin to change from forested bluffs to rolling farmland. Here in the Corn State, the next few days will be all about agriculture, in one form or another.
Right around four hours from Wabasha, on the outskirts of Dyersville, you'll find a seemingly typical Iowan scene: a cornfield, a farmhouse, and a big red barn. What sets it apart is that, 35 years ago, it was the filming site for Field of Dreams. Much of the original set remains, and visitors can walk amongst the "magic" corn, run the bases, tour the farmhouse, and maybe even meet a ghost player!
Travel Tip:
For a true movie experience, I recommend visiting between late May and early October, when the cornfield is typically at its peak.
After leaving Dyersville, the last drive of the day will take you 30 minutes east to Dubuque, one of the oldest cities west of the Mississippi River. As such, Dubuque is full of cultural and historical attractions. If you have time for more exploring, I recommend visiting the National Mississippi River Museum or the Fenelon Place Historic District, a well-preserved Victorian neighborhood now home to eclectic shops and the world's shortest and steepest funicular. Whatever you do, make sure to try some of Dubuque's renowned Monastery Candy, chocolate and caramel treats handmade by nuns at Our Lady of the Mississippi Abbey!
Day 5: Quad Cities
After four action-packed days, now is your chance to sleep in (or explore more of Dubuque), as it takes just over an hour to reach the next stop, Moline. The second-largest of the Quad Cities — a cluster of towns perched where Iowa and Illinois meet — Moline is known for being the world headquarters of John Deere. The company's official visitor center, the John Deere Pavilion, features hands-on exhibits centered around antique and prototype farming equipment.
If time allows, there are plenty of places around the Quad Cities to spend the rest of the day, including:
Putnam Museum - Smithsonian Affiliate with science and cultural exhibits, including an extensive walk through regional history.
German American Heritage Center - interactive exhibits about German-American life in the Midwest, located in a 19th-century hotel for immigrants.
East Davenport - Civil War-era village now home to specialty shops and restaurants.
At some point during your day in the Quad Cities, make sure to stop in for a sweet treat at Lagomarcino's, a soda fountain and confectionary that has called Moline home since 1908.
Day 6: Travel Day
Today will be a full day of driving, with a few stops along the way, as you head south to Missouri.
You'll reach the first one right around two hours from Moline, in the land of family farms. Now on its fifth generation, Harvestville Farm has events for every season, from hayrides and pumpkin patches in the fall to fresh produce and flower picking in the spring. After playing up an appetite, stop by the Pitchfork Café for casual, seasonal fare before heading back to the road for the 20-minute hop to a small town with a big lock.
Twenty-nine locks and dams facilitate traffic along the upper Mississippi, creating something like elevators to help vessels navigate changes in elevation; the largest of these, helpfully known as the "Big One," is Lock 19 in Keokuk. If a vessel happens to be going through while you're in town, you can get an overhead view of the engineering marvel via the Keokuk Rail Bridge's observation deck. For a deeper look at the lock's history and daily work, stop by the Keokuk-Hamilton Dam Museum before setting your sights on Hannibal, an hour away.
Day 7: Hannibal
The boyhood home of Mark Twain, immortalized in his works, has subsequently become America's hometown, the type of place that immediately comes to mind when you think of "Main Street." Begin your day with a visit to the Mark Twain Boyhood Home, which is actually a complex of buildings including the Becky Thatcher House, the Huckleberry Finn House, and the Mark Twain Museum, which features a Norman Rockwell Gallery. Does it get any more Americana than that?
Travel Tip:
For a full Twain-themed day, head to the outskirts of Hannibal after lunch for a tour of Mark Twain Cave, where you can follow in the footsteps of Tom, Becky, and Twain himself. If you look closely, you'll even see Sam Clemens' signature on a wall in the cave!
After lunch, climb the bluff up to the Maple Avenue Historic District, where you'll find a 13,500 square foot time capsule. Built by a Gilded Age lumber baron, Rockcliffe Mansion was, for a time, the grandest home in Missouri, filled with Tiffany glass, furniture from Europe, marble from Africa, and ahead-of-its-time innovations like central heating. And then, 100 years ago, the owners closed the front door and left it all behind. Today, you can see the faded silk, rusted cleaning products stored on orderly shelves, photographs and newspapers and books, rare reminders of long-ago lives and the people who lived them. Once upon a time, I got paid to tour historic homes, and — don't tell the others — Rockcliffe was always my favorite.
When there's still a little light left in the day, start heading south for the roughly two-hour drive to St. Louis. With both Route 79 and Route 100 following right along the river's edge, this is one of the most scenic drives along the river road.
Day 8: St. Louis
Begin the day with a walk in the park — Forest Park, that is. For a moment in time in 1904, these 1,300 acres felt like the center of the world as they hosted the Summer Olympics and the St. Louis World's Fair. Although much of the fair is now long gone, its legacy can be seen throughout the park, from the St. Louis Art Museum to the Missouri History Museum and the World's Fair Pavilion. If the outdoors are still calling, consider taking a trip to the St. Louis Zoo, renting a boat or bike, or exploring the miles of nature trails.
Although you could easily spend an entire day at Forest Park, it's almost impossible to visit St. Louis without also visiting its most famous landmark: the Gateway Arch. Tram cars ferry visitors to the top of the 630-foot monument celebrating the city's role in westward expansion, from which you can look out over all of St. Louis. But for those who, like me, prefer to keep both feet firmly on the ground, it's worth a visit just to see the underground museum, which tells the story of St. Louis and its arch in a series of interactive exhibits.
End your day in St. Louis at Union Station, the one-time largest train terminal in the world turned entertainment complex. Housing games, attractions, restaurants, and candy stores, this last stop along the upper Mississippi features something for everyone.
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