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

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

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

You can't spawn your way over a concrete dam,

Because of the dam, the water was so calm you could paddle up and down. The rest of the river is a one-way river.

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