HEADWATERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EXPEDITION!

In order to reach Dubuque, Iowa, for a tourism event there, before registration closed, I had to leave my home in northern Arkansas several hours before daylight.  A few hours earlier, the highway I needed to use to make this northern route, had been closed due to flooding.  The app on my phone was confusing, making it unclear if the highway was closed, or merely water-covered.  So it was with my mind full of prayers to God for His will regarding passage, I started out on the highway.  By the grace of God, the portion of the highway in question was covered with mud and gravel, but it was OPEN, and I could proceed the next 530 miles, as hoped.  As the sun came up over the Ozark mountains, my mind remembered that another intrepid explorer (Henry Schoolcraft) had also traveled through these Ozarks, in his expedition to chart unknown areas of the new frontier, including the Upper Mississippi River, which was also, my ultimate goal.  The miles ticked away like clicks on a wagon wheel, and I finally made it to Dubuque at the right time, following my GPS to the convention center, where the meeting started.  I joined a line of several cars, stopped at a railroad crossing, that was blocked by a freight train, which had come to a complete standstill.  I waited in the traffic line for fifteen minutes, and reluctantly joined the string of cars that were backing out, making a u-turn, and giving up, on the train ever moving.  It was very frustrating to realize I had made every effort to arrive on time, but then was denied entrance, just one block from the convention center!  I tried following what my GPS gave as a detour route, but it had me going through private property and over numerous railroad tracks and down unpaved alleyways, that looked very unsightly to a stranger in the area.  So I decided to give up on getting to the convention center, and go check into my hotel on the other side of town.  At my hotel, I phoned the convention center and the meeting sponsor to tell them about my predicament, but it was a Sunday, and all I got was an answering machine, to whom I explained how the entrance was blocked.  Finally, with new resolve, and entering the city from a different direction, my GPS took me, via a lovely bridge that went OVER the railroad tracks, and delivered  me to the convention center parking lot.  (If only, it would have done that earlier!!)  Another clue I was finally in the right location was seeing this gigantic paddle wheel setting beside the bridge over the railroad tracks!

Once I parked near the convention center, I got out to walk and explore the riverfront.  I came across a lovely piece of outdoor sculpture, and had to get a photo of me rejoicing on the banks of the river:

The Great River Road Interpretive Center, along with the Mississippi River Museum, is located in this same area.    This same sign design is used for Great River Road (GRR) Interpretive Centers all the way from Canada to the Gulf.  When you see the familiar Captain's Wheel on a highway sign, the state you are in will be shown at the bottom.  Since this sign is actually on the river, it references the entire length of the Great River Road, not just the state.  I gave a detailed account of a different Interpretive Center in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in a blog available in the archives, published September 28, 2014.  It is entitled "Lower Mississippi River Museum".

It was kayaking on the Mississippi River at Floatzilla (see blog in archives, dated September 2, 2024, called "Floatzilla Expedition",  for info on that experience) that planted the seed for this particular expedition.  And now, I was at the kayak launch spot farther north on the river, in Dubuque! Hurrah!  At Floatzilla, I saw this waterfront monument that indicated Quad Cities area was at River Mile #490, so my mind began to want to see River Mile #0, which I assumed would be the beginning of America's Longest River.   My uneducated mind also assumed that Dubuque would have a smaller river mile number than Quad Cities.   However, when Google said  the Dubuque location put me at River Mile #583, I was confused.!  Here is what I later learned:  Mile markers on the Mississippi River are determined using a scheme where river miles are measured from a specific point, usually the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers established these markers in the 1930s, and they are based on the channel centerline at that time.  River miles on the Upper Mississippi River (URM) begin at URM 1,342 at Lake Itasca, the river's source in Minnesota, and decrease to URM 0 at the confluence with the Ohio River in Cairo, Illinois.  At Cairo, the river switches to Lower River Miles (LRM) which start at LRM 954 and decrease to LRM 0 at Head of Passes, near Venice, Louisiana.   So now you know "the rest of the story"!

A map inside the museum showed my plan---to reach the beginning of that squiggly blue line in northern Minnesota.  Having already traveled the Great River Road south of Mark Twain's hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, I was now on a quest for the upper Mississippi River.  The night-time tourism event at the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque, (in addition to having a delicious supper meal and a live band), was also a time to explore and learn about the various wildlife one encounters along the river.  as there are massive aquariums and a large turtle habitat.

  The Dubuque convention center has outstanding architecture which included this v-shaped protrusion, out over the sidewalk, pointing to the waters beyond it.

On the inside of the room, one could imagine being on the bow of a steamboat, chugging down the river, that happens to be the longest river in North America!

From Dubuque, I proceeded up the Great River Road (GRR), and through lush, green farmland, with both rolling hills and towering buffs,  The familiar sign of the GRR  navigation ships wheel, with the state indicated at the bottom, shows I am in Wisconsin, for this photo.   

 I called my always-calm companion for this trip, "Missy", since we were traveling along the Mississippi River.  Missy was concerned I might be giving her germs, so she wore her face mask the entire trip, and didn't let out a peep, no matter how many wrong turns I took.   A more verbal passenger would have told me that I was supposed to have a Vehicle Permit tag to use this Wyalusing Recreation Area, but instead, I drove in unaware, and had to offer apologies for my error!

After Dubuque, I spent my first night on the northward leg of the trip in Red Wing, Minnesota.  At the tourism conference I had just attended, the Red Wing representative explained a "must-see" in that city was the "World's Largest Boot".   When I checked into my hotel, the desk clerk told me the boot  was inside the Red Wing Shoe Company flagship store, which was currently closed, and did not open until nine am the next day.  So, the next day, I spent the early morning hours in Red Wing, admiring the renovated downtown main street, which was funded by the shoe company, and whose windows now serve as very distinctive "display windows" for their products. 

The Red Wing Shoe Company also renovated, and own, the town's historic hotel.  It not only has lodging for guests, its second floor has been converted into a wonderful museum, containing the artifacts of USA Olympic ski jumping, which had a significant early history/beginning near Red Wing.

 

When the actual retail store opened, I walked in and saw a selfie machine mounted on the wall, so that the hundreds of visitors they have, could get the mandatory photo, and not have to be constantly "bothering" the sales staff, asking for their photo to be taken.  So I stood very close to the camera, the flash went off, and then I filled out my email address on the screen keyboard, and voila!,  the postcard below appeared in my inbox.  Actually, this was the second or third photo, because on the first one, I was standing so close to the camera, the boot was not even visible. 

There were no other customers in the store at that time, so one of their staff members could see that "the elderly lady up by the big boot, does not know how to use a selfie machine", so he offered to take a photo of me beside the boot, using my iPhone camera.  He told me to stand in the white square beside the boot, with two footprints on it, (which I had completely overlooked), when I was trying to use their selfie machine!  Talk about embarrassing!

 

At some of their store displays, I was fascinated to read about the history of the Red Wing Shoe Company, especially the part that said a man whose last name was "FOOT" played a part in that history! Also, it was amusing to see the labels they were giving away, that you could put inside your shoe, indicating who you would leave them to, when you die!  

 

Besides the World's Largest Boot on display, there was another boot "sculpture" on the second floor, with a mural painted on the side.  (see left side of collage below).  I have been in other cities, where a prominent icon of that city is "adopted" by various artists/businesses,  and painted, then placed at strategic locations around the city.  For example, In Wichita, Kansas, it was airplanes,  In Louisville, Kentucky, it was horses.  In Grants Pass, Oregon, it was bears.  In Klamath Falls, Oregon, it was pelicans.  Of course in Red Wing it is a big boot!  (Right side of collage shows a painted boot sculpture beside a mailbox, on a downtown street).

Before leaving the town of Red Wing, I stopped at the pottery museum, which I had also heard about at the tourism conference.  This area was famous for its distinctive pottery, that was in heavy use, especially before the advent of plastic containers.  My parents used to be in the school supply business, and one item they used to sell to schools was a ceramic water cooler.  I currently have one of those coolers at my house, and use it to store table games.  I also currently have a butter churn from my paternal grandmother's farm, similar to the one shown in the photo collage below.  She made delicious (what we called "cow butter"), and would give us a fresh dish of it, every Sunday, on our weekly drive to Locust, Arkansas, after church, to have lunch with them.  Those Sunday visits were also when I saw how she nonchalantly twisted the neck off one of her chickens, plucked off the feathers, cut it up, and fried it, to feed us delicious Southern fried chicken.  I remember as a little girl, standing beside her at the cook stove, and asking her how she knew when the lard was hot enough to put the chicken in.  She (jokingly, I was told later), that she spit in it, and if the spit sizzled, the lard was hot enough.  So immediately, before she could stop me, I had spit into the frying pan with the lard in it, and sure enough---it sizzled!  I was later disciplined for this unsanitary gesture.  Telling this story reminded me of another disciplinary measure after a visit to their farm.  On the drive home, I was making fun of the way my grandma talked, with sayings such as "them thar 'maters", or "you ins".  My father stopped the car, pulled me out of the back seat, spanked my bottom, and told me to never-ever make fun of the way my grandparents talked.  Decades later, when I was at a Road Scholar study course on Appalachian culture (see September 29, 2015 blog in archives), being taught by a college English professor, he said he was a stickler for his Appalachian students WRITING English correctly and used his red "corrections" pen extensively for that.  But, he said he never-ever corrected the way the Appalachian students SPOKE!  It took me many decades, but I could finally see the wisdom of my father's disciplinary measure!

Proceeding northward from Red Wing, there are various pullouts along the GRR,  where significant features or historical aspects can be seen, and explained.  One of these talked about the way river rafts fulls of timber logs, floated down the Mississippi River, to markets worldwide.  

There are various federal facilities along the GRR, with interpretive and educational exhibits, like the one shown in this photo.  By the time, I arrived, it was closed, but some of the materials they provided were available in their porch area.

 

At one point along the way, at what they call a recreation area, I was able to actually drive my car to the very edge of the river, and get the tires slightly wet in the waters of the Missisippi River.   Since my little Ford car is called an Escape, I was glad that it could also lead me to to "escape" the flooded highways in the Arkansas area where my trip originated, which is also part of the Mississippi River Watershed drainage basin!

Finally, I made it to the Itaska State Park entrance, while it was still daylight.  And thankfully, most of the snow had melted, and presented no problem driving the roads within the state park. 

 

Even though there were not many minutes till dark, I felt like I should proceed the five miles from the entrance sign to the headwaters immediately, because there was still enough light for some photos, and there was no guarantee that the weather the following day would cooperate.  However, I stopped long enough before I got to the headwaters, to snap this photo, through the windshield, of the sign that indicates THE BEGINNING of the GRR!   HALLELUJAH!!

 

I arrived at the giant parking lot for the headwaters visitor center, and it was empty except for one car.  Remembering that a football field is three hundred feet long, I quickly calculated that the walk to the headwaters (even though not visible from the visitor center) was only about the length of three football fields, so it should be a quick walk.  I don't make a practice of walking into the wilderness by myself, but sometimes the circumstances make it worth the risk!

 

I quickly got out, and started following the muddy trail that supposedly led to the headwaters (Snow still remained on each side of the trail, which is why it was muddy).  As I was entering, a young woman by herself, was leaving the area, so I asked her if she would take my photo, assuming there were no other visitors down at the headwaters, since there were no cars in the parking lot, but hers.

  As she finished snapping the photo, she alerted me to the fact there is a live web cam focused on the area, that people anywhere can watch.  So I phoned my son in California, and asked him to google it, to see if he could spot me on the live cam.  He did, and even got a screen shot of me, with arms up rejoicing!  I was SO THANKFUL the young woman had told me about the live cam, because I never would have seen it otherwise, as it was very high up, and well camouflaged by foliage. 

In researching for this trip, I had seen several photos on the Internet, showing this very sign, but this is one I took myself!!  One thing that makes it different from the rest, is that in the distant lake, there are several white swans, peacefully echoing the "honking" sound they are famous for!

 There was not another person in the vicinity, so I carefully sat my iPhone on a rock beside the stream, put it on video, and had it take a three minute video of me crossing (very carefully) from rock to rock, to the OTHER side of the Mississippi River!  Hallelujah!  And I managed to return to my starting point without falling in!  I will spare you the boredom of replaying the balancing act of a 77 year old, vertigo-challenged person trying to keep her balance on slippery rocks, but please trust me when I tell you, that I actually did it and have a video to prove it!  I sent the video to my First Place for Health (www.FirstPlace4Health.com) teacher, because she had been leading our class in balance exercises for the last several months, and I wanted her to know her efforts were not in vain!  Below is a single frame from that video, when I had reached the far shore, and uplifted my arms in thanksgiving.  My phone lanyard had fallen in front of the lens as I crossed, causing a black diagonal line across the upper right corner.  Hence, I covered it with a smiley face, because I was definitely smiling to achieve this milestone!

 

After crossing the headwaters, I took the time to read some of the interpretive placards at the site.  I was especially intrigued by the part that connected Henry Schoolcraft to the headwaters.  In fact, it was Schoolcraft, who coined the word "Itasca". It is a combination of the Latin phrase veritas caput ("true head", that is, of the Mississippi River).  It is the last four letters of veritas, and the first two letters of caput---forming "itasca".  

 

 I doubt the writings about my expeditions will ever be as impactful as those of Mr. Schoolcraft, because the USA government was needing Mr. Schoolcraft  to find the headwaters, in order to establish a boundary line for the Northwest Territory.  I only explore and write, to try to expand my brain boundaries!

 This trip served as a "boundary" of sorts for a verse of Scripture from Isaiah 58:11 that I would like to use to define the experience:  "The LORD will guide you always; He will satisfy our needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame.  You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail."   It resonates with this trip because traveling a long distance, especially through unfamiliar territory and potential challenges, requires a sense of trust and guidance.  The verse speaks to my reliance on the Lord for direction and safety, knowing that He will provide and give me the strength I need for the demanding journey.  Even when things are difficult, I have an assurance of sustenance and inner fortitude to keep going.  Reaching the headwaters of the Mississippi, the source of a great river, symbolizes finding a place of origin and renewal.  That part of the verse connects to the idea that the Lord is a constant, life-giving source.  This journey to the headwaters was a personal quest to connect with a source of inspiration,, and the vastness of creation.  It encapsulates the underlying themes of faith, perseverance, and the rewarding feeling of achieving a goal, mirroring the spirit of the Mississippi River.  I had taken a wooden paddle from home, along with me on the trip, so I could capture the photo below of me "paddling the headwaters of the Mississippi River"!  These were very rewarding "MILES OF SMILES!"   Tricia

  

ARIZONA EXPEDITION!

My expedition to Arizona started with a flight out of XNA (www.flyxna.com), which meant I was able to have supper the night before, with loved ones that live in Northwest Arkansas.

The flight on Allegiant Airlines took off and landed on time, so that my son and his friend, Ross, were able to pick me up at the Mesa, Arizona, airport---just as they assured me they would!  These two became acquainted years ago, on a rock climbing expedition on Baffin Island, in the Arctic Circle.  Their meet up for additional rock climbing in Arizona, was under much different climate conditions! After picking me up at the airport, and a quick lunch, Ross took us to the beautiful Cochran "estancia", which would be our home for the next several days.  

The next day, we started out early to find the place where the Chicago Cubs play their spring training baseball games, called Sloan Park (www.mlb.com).  None of us had ever been there before, but with the help of Google maps, we found the big field outside the stadium where folks parked.   For those who did not want to walk the remaining distance to the entrance, there were men on special bicycle transport vehicles, who were happy to take you to the entrance, for a fee. 

Since the tickets my son and I had were in a different location from the Cochrans, as soon as we got to the entrance fence, I found someone to take a photo of our group, thinking it would be the only time we would all be together.  

However, as it turned out, we all entered at the same location, which enabled us to get our group photo, made in front of the big Cubs wall sign. 

After a while, I went to where the Cochran family was  sitting, to get a photo of all of them together.  I allowed plenty of room in the photo, so that their oldest son, (who was unable to make it in time for the game because of a work assignment in California) could "photoshop" himself into the seat that was intended for him, beside his mother. 

I had read on their website that game attendees could have a special greeting put on the Sloan Park marque, so I stood in line with many others, to see how it worked.  They put my request on the marquee, which said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY GROVER", and gave me enough time with the posting, to get a photo of me pointing to the greeting.  This marque is in the concessions area, and did not have a set fee, rather donations only.  However, there is a different marque inside the ball park, and seen by the entire stadium, where one can purchase a message, that will be flashed on the big sign next to the scoreboard, saying whatever the purchaser wants. 

The kind gentleman who took my information for the Happy Birthday Grover greeting, told me I could go to a different location, just a few feet away, under the green umbrella, and get a Happy Birthday Grover button, complements of the Chicago Cubs.  When I went to that location, I told them we were also celebrating Dave's birthday,  so they made a button for him, also.  They also had souvenir signs for folks who were attending the game, for the first time, so I also had one of those made for the Cochrans. 

Then I took the "First Time" sign down to the Cochrans, to get a photo of them with it.  Other folks sitting nearby, thought I was a Sloan Park employee, who was going around giving these signs to first time attenders, and started waving to me, saying they were also "first timers", so could they also have a sign??!  I was amused and told them they could go up to the concessions area, find the lady under the green umbrella, and get a sign with their name on it.  The Cochrans later told me that several people in their row, then climbed over them to get to the stairs, so that they, too, could have a souvenir sign! 

The 74 degree temperature posted on this bill board, and the clear blue skies, show that my prayers for good weather for the game were answered in a most wonderful way!

The first pitch for the game was actually four balls, pitched by a popular singing group (BOYZ2MEN), shown in the photo below, in the light blue shirts. 

Sloan Park is a relatively new baseball facility in Mesa, Arizona.  I took a panoramic photo of it on my iPhone, as shown below.  That is my son waving on the far right side of the photo. 

In keeping with the long-standing tradition of the fans singing as the music plays, "Take me out to the ball game", we all stood up and sang the song.  My son is shown with three fingers lifted, as we sang "Three strikes, you're out, at the old ball game!"

The Cubs team prevailed over the Chicago White Sox team, so the Cubs mascot was able to take to the field, waving the giant "W" flag, indicating a WIN, WIN, WIN, for the Cubs!  (By the way, I used the MLB.com phone app to get our tickets, so they were on my phone after purchase.  I am happy to report that entry went smoothly, as the electronic readers at the entrance gate and my phone communicated as intended.) 

After the game, we went back to the Cochran's house, and met up with their oldest son, who had driven in from the Los Angeles area, and was able to join us for supper.  He had heard about an outdoor eating place (called Jalapeno Jacks) with very good reviews, so we gave it a try, and everyone seemed happy with the food they served.  One of their staff took a photo of our group, as shown below.  They had a beverage on their menu that only one in the group was willing to try---Sarsaparilla.  I found this interesting because my son's namesake, regularly dug up sassafras roots every spring, to make a tea which he said was good for "thinning the blood".  Decades ago, one could buy sassafras roots in the produce section of supermarkets, but recent concerns over its toxicity, have diminished its availability in the United States. 

After supper, we spent some time outside in the Cochran back yard, enjoying the fire, and listening to the sounds of the desert birds.  The photo shows my son looking at his phone, because he was using a phone app, to identify the bird that was serenading us. 

After time outside, we gathered in the living room to play a couple of rounds of the card game called "Five Crowns", which I did not win!

The next morning, we went for a walk in their neighborhood, and the grandson who is a professional photographer, took a photo of his mom and me, in front of an amazing cactus plant:

We continued on to walk through their clubhouse, with lovely southwestern architecture:

After the walk, we went to a game store the guys found on line, to look for a group game we could play later that day. 

Grover bought the Wingspan and Terraforming Mars games as a gift for the Cochrans, to thank them for their hospitality, but also because he wanted to play these very complicated games with them!

The photo below shows us around the table, playing the Terraforming Mars game. 

The maximum number of players for Terraforming Mars is five players, so Grover served as the "M.C." for the game, and assisted us newbies in understanding the many intricacies of its strategy.

The next morning it was time to take Grover to the Phoenix Sky Harbor airport for his flight home.  After saying our goodbyes, and heading for the airport exit, it was my first time to see, in person, one of the WAYMO driverless taxicabs that are available in this area. (These vehicles rely on more than just cameras, they are also radar-equipped, so they can drive in foggy and low visibility conditions.) In spite of the WAYMO technological advantages, I was still thankful the Cochrans took my son to the airport, and not a "phantom" driver! 

It was wonderful to get to be together with these family members and enjoy various activities together.  Even though family gatherings require some planning and work, I think they are very beneficial for living a fulfilling life.  After all, Scripture admonishes us to "not forsake the assembling of yourselves together".  One usually thinks of this in terms of church attendance, but it can also apply to family get togethers!  I can say with assurance, that "assembling together" with all these beloved family members, gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!  Tricia