The mighty Mississippi rises in western Minnesota and flows approximately 2,404 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way it takes in cities such as Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis and New Orleans.
One of the most atmospheric cities is Memphis, Tennessee, home of the Blues and the birthplace of rock and roll.
Memphis was home to Elvis Presley and no visit is complete without a visit to Graceland, his former mansion, and Sun Studio where he and many other legends – Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and B.B. King – laid down tracks.
Music aside, there are some great museums in Memphis such as the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, where visitors can explore exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement and visit the balcony where Martin Luther King was shot. Art lovers can check out the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, which has a wonderful collection of fine art, as well as the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, which specialises in impressionist and post-impressionist paintings.
Another must-do in Memphis is to explore the Mississippi on a riverboat paddle-wheeler. However, if you are looking to explore the river in a more active way, you could follow the example set by Dave Cornthwaite, who paddled (standing up) for eight hours per day through tropical storms and whirlpools, avoiding alligators, bears, mosquitos and snakes and giving ocean-going ships and barges a wide berth.
The British adventurer set the record for the first unsupported descent of the Mississippi River by Stand Up Paddleboard. His 2,404-mile journey took 82 days to complete. The American media likened Cornthwaite’s journey to “Forrest Gump on a Stand Up Paddleboard” and nicknamed him “Stand Up Huck” after the popular Mark Twain character, Huckleberry Finn.
“The Mississippi River is one of the most iconic waterways in the world, what an education to have seen every inch of it,” said Cornthwaite.
He undertook the challenge to raise funds for the AV Foundation and CoppaFeel, as well as to widen awareness for water conservation through the Blue Climate and Oceans Project, for which he is an ambassador.
(Image: DaveCorn)
