The Mighty Mississip'

Mississippi River
West Memphis, Arkansas

I've seen the Mississippi River in Minnesota many a time - one of my favorite ways to get away for a bit when I was in college was to take a walk along its banks.

The power of the river there is clear to see.  Not just in the way it has cut its way through the rock to create its channel, but in the rapid flow of the current.  It flows along urgently, as if there is somewhere it needs to get to, and soon.

Here, the river is wide, and deceptively lazy.  I arrived just before sunset, and entertained myself for quite some time just watching the sky and the barge traffic on the river.

The campground, the Tom Sawyer RV Park, is a jewel in the rough.  It's right on the river flats - the bath houses are trailers on wheels, so they can pick 'em up and move 'em on out when the water rises, as I'm sure it does most every spring.  It could probably use a little whitewash here and there, but that's part of the charm.  It feels as if, if you sat on the banks long enough, you could wave to Huck Finn and Jim as they rafted on down the river.  (At least, you could if it was summer - it's a might bit chilly out there this morning...)