There’s just something irresistible about the Mississippi River. When the weather warms, ice goes out, and summer days stretch, folks head to the river – for recreational cruising, water skiing, sightseeing, bird watching, fishing, hunting, and even working.
Generations of my family have enjoyed spending time on the Mississippi. A few years after my parents moved to Dubuque to work for John Deere in the 1940s, they bought a houseboat. My parents, sisters, and I enjoyed many weekends and vacations living on the Mississippi, often pulling up to a sandy beach south of Guttenberg for a couple weeks during Deere’s annual summer shutdown. After selling the houseboat, my parents owned a couple of runabouts, and finally a pontoon which was easier for them to get in and out of.
Canoeing
My husband and I bought a sturdy, 14-foot canoe several years ago and enjoy paddling the Mississippi backwaters with our daughters and our grandsons – the fourth generation to enjoy adventures on the river. The still waters of the Mississippi are alive with turtles, birds, beaver, muskrats, and even an occasional deer swimming from one shore to another. Our California family enjoys canoeing during their summer visits. “Canoeing down Catfish has been a highlight of my summers for years,” said daughter Mary.
“With little to no current, paddling is easy and leisurely. My favorite part of the trip is listening to the beautiful sounds of all the river birds, especially the red-winged blackbird,” Grandson Joe added, “My favorite part about canoeing on the Mississippi is paddling to islands like Nine-Mile especially during the weekdays when we have the island all to ourselves. It’s much more peaceful than the busy beaches of San Diego where I live. I like laying in the warm sand and hunting for agates.”
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