The Great River Road is a bit of a misnomer for it isn’t a single road. Rather many different roads commingle along a common theme, tracing a route along the Mississippi River. This scenic designation runs contiguously through ten of the United States. By extension it also enters two Canadian Provinces, a total length of 3,765 kilometres (2,340 miles).
Identification
Travelers focus on special signage to remain on course. This logo offers a unifying element as highway route numbers change. Drivers easily recognize the vintage steamer framed by a ship wheel in its distinctive green hue. Of course, seeing “Great River Road” arcing across the top half in a large font also gets the point across.
The logo displayed above is generic. Actual road signs have the name of the State or Province arcing across the bottom. Or they may convey other information such as at the northern terminus in northwest Ontario.
The logo evokes a historic nineteenth century period. Back then, paddlewheelers delivered passengers and goods alike, deep into the North American interior. The river was the superhighway an era before trucks and automobiles. Now this scenic road follows the river.
Along the River
Mississippi may derive from an Ojibwe Indian word misi-ziibi, meaning “Great River”. Thus, the road reflects additional historical context.
The Mississippi River forms a border between several of the mid-western and mid-southern States. That might pose a dilemma. On which side of the river should the Great River Road run? That’s not an issue for portions of Minnesota and Louisiana. There the river remains encompassed within their respective state borders. However, it might create a problem for much larger stretches of river shared by two States. Which states should reap the economic benefits of resulting tourism and which should not?
Actually they all benefit. The Great River Road runs on both sides of the Mississippi River simultaneously. Travelers have the option of riding on the western bank or the eastern bank. Alternately, they can switch back-and-forth when they reach any of twelve official bridge crossings or one of several ferries.
Each state has its own commission to administer its section of the Great River Road. These, in turn, coordinate their efforts and work in cooperation through the Mississippi River Parkway Commission (MRPC). They all cooperate to forge a common identity and brand for their individual and mutual benefit.
And Into Canada
Ontario and a corner of Manitoba in Canada also benefit. Oddly, neither of these actually contains territory within the Mississippi River watershed. In fact, as I noted in an earlier article, only two tenths of one percent of the Canadian landmass — a tiny chip of Alberta and Saskatchewan — drains to the Gulf of Mexico. Never mind. Let’s add them to the list and give them a scenic designation too. It’s the least we can do.
It sounds like an ideal time for a road trip.
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