After suffering through the Covid-19 pandemic during 2020 and having to cancel several planned trips, including two international, we began to look for alternatives. Beside making a few short excursions to the mountains and to our favorite beach (Edisto Beach, SC.) we have stayed pretty close to home. Oh, how we have missed our travel!
While talking to our friends and frequent travel partners, Janet and Carl Wellborn, we began to consider taking a Mississippi river cruise. During our research for a possible cruise, I came across the Great River Road. I was surprised to find there was a quasi-official route which takes you from the source at Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the road's end in Venice, Louisiana, about 75 miles south of New Orleans in the Mississippi Delta.
We all decided that a driving trip would be more exciting, show us more local scenery and actually be less expensive than a much shorter river cruise. Thus the planning began.
As of this writing, we have tickets to fly to Minneapolis on July 13 and have reservations for a "Dodge Caravan type" vehicle. This should be large enough for the four of us and our luggage. Upon completing the journey in Louisiana, we will drive back to Atlanta and turn-in the rental and pick-up our vehicle left in off-site parking at the airport. We anticipate the trip taking about two weeks. Including the drive home from New Orleans, we expect to travel 2500-2800 miles.
Our plan is to drive no more than 200-250 miles most days and and book lodging day by day, except for the first two nights which we already have reserved.
