The Meandering Mississippi

6th May 2006

The "great river" of the native Indians winds its way through the mid-west and is the geographical boundary for many a state in this region of the United States. Over the ages it has helped nurture life, been a conduit for trade and a haven for wildlife.

In my younger days, the river was a nightmare for all of us students alike, with its repeating "s"s and "p"s. Now, under no grim compulsion to spell it right, the river seemed a lot friendlier as Y and I drove by it on a warm Saturday morning. Winona, a week ago had given us a birds-eye view of the river. This morning, we were cruising alongside it.

From Rochester we worked our way Northeast towards Red Wing. Enroute, Bushel & Peck beckoned us with its signboard for fresh orchard apples. Though they had run out of apples, but we got to meet a friendly dog and window-shop a variety of fruit and vegetable preserves and sauces. Some persuasive marketing by the owner had us buying morels. This is morel season and hunting for them is a past time and often a prelude to a fine meal for most farmers.

Red Wing is a small town 45 miles from Rochester. It is proud to be one of the habitats of the American Bald Eagle that was successfully saved from extinction and is now a strong symbol of conservation. Barn Bluff at over 350 ft is the highest point in Red Wing. The trails to the top are walled by rock and we met a few climbing enthusiasts straining their sinews. The west scenic viewpoint overlooks the town of Red Wing and also the bridge across the river into Wisconsin. At the top, we were caught unawares by the sweet smell of corn syrup wafting into the air from a processing unit below.

Crossing over into Wisconsin we drove south along The Great River Road along the M, stopping at historic markers at Bay City, Maiden Rock, Stockholm and Pepin (see this). Each of these markers tells a story. The Maiden Rock marker, for instance, recounts the legend of an Indian girl who jumped to her death to avoid being forced into marriage (ah ! this is a recurring theme). At one such marker, Y and I met a couple of bikers and got to exchange a few words. Biking is a very popular hobby during the spring, summer and fall and couples often travel in several pairs. The sight of gleaming machines zipping across the road at 70 mph is an awesome sight.

All along, we got glimpses of Lake Pepin which is the largest body of water that lies alongside the M and drains into it. At Pepin, we pulled over for lunch at the Pickle Factory, a quaint pub and eatery on the banks of the lake (Y claims he deserves appreciation for the find !). The menu was sparse but seemed popular and the waitress at our table agreed that there could have been more catch on the menu! By the way, the USA gives its fish very funny names: perk, crappie, tilapia and walleye to name a few. I am tickled! :)

We continued our journey south and crossed back into Minnesota at Winona later in the afternoon. Summing it up: The weather gods were benevolent, the mighty M open and gushing to appreciation and the soaring birds of prey unperturbed by our visit. We could not have asked for more!