I've always been fascinated by the Mississippi River and the way of life in these small river towns.

I once paddled a canoe the length of the Mississippi River all the way from Itasca to New Orleans.

Almost 70 percent of U.S. ag exports travel the upper Mississippi River and the Illinois waterway system.

I wrote some of the worst poetry west from the Mississippi River, but I wrote. And I finally sometimes got it right.

The Mississippi River is always the failsafe. You can always find bald eagles below the lock and dam.

Most of the locks and dams on the upper Mississippi River system are over 60 years old and many are in serious need of repair and rehabilitation.