Mississippi River Towns and Trails

Minnesota Illinois Memphis Mississippi and New Orleans

Minnesota River Towns Lakes State Parks Performing Arts and Local Brew Traditions

Minnesota means clear blue water from the Dakota language. Nearly 60 percent of the population lives in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, the center of transportation, business, industry, education, government and an internationally renowned arts community. The remainder of the Land of 10,000 Lakes consists of western prairies, forests in the southeast and mining, forestry, and recreation in the North Woods.

The Twin Cities besides the Mississippi river, they are also connected by the Metro Green Line light rail, which runs between Minneapolis’ Target Field and St. Paul’s Union Depot, with more than 20 stops.

Performing Arts Minnesota is home to a number of older stages that have been recently restored

Illinois River Towns Scenic Vistas Tranquil Landscapes Historic Sites and Recreational Opportunities

The Great River Road in Illinois National Scenic Byway runs along the banks and bluffs of the Mississippi River, through quaint river towns and urban cities as it hugs the western border of Illinois for 550 miles. Experience an Illinois winery, brewery, farm, u-pick, or local farm to table restaurant.

Four Centuries of history and heritage and thousands of stories that recount America's evolution while experiencing breathtaking views, majestic landscapes and species that travel thousands of miles for a visit or to make themselves a home.

Fertile Soils and Waters Discovered by Native Americans Ideal for Agriculture and Farming

Your Journey begins in Chicago, a world-class city. Experience the heart of the city from the Chicago River and visit the city’s 57-acre Museum Campus which includes the Field Museum, home to more than 20 million objects on culture, science and the environment, the Art Institute of Chicago, second largest art museum in America with over 300,000 works of art

The Quad Cities of Illinois and Iowa family vacations museums historic sites and riverfront festivals

The Quad Cities area consists of Davenport and Bettendorf in Iowa, and Moline, East Moline and Rock Island in Illinois. The region has the excitement of a big city and the hospitality of a small town with award-winning museums and cultural centers, internationally-recognized festivals, beautiful riverfronts and a vibrant nightlife.

Memphis Tennessee Blues Rock ’n’ Roll BBQ Pork Capital Cotton Row and Graceland

Memphis is a city with a rich and eclectic history: Home of the Blues, Birthplace of Rock ’n’ Roll, BBQ Pork Capital of the World. Some of the city’s traditions and milestones include: Graceland, Home of Elvis Presley; the Memphis Zoo; the Indie Memphis Film Festival; Sun Studio; National Civil Rights Museum; the Memphis NBA Grizzlies; Stax Museum of American Soul Music; Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous, Payne’s BBQ and Interstate BBQ; Beale Street; Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival.

A display of Fine Art, history-making Music and a Celebration of American Heritage

Sights Sounds and Culinary Traditions of the Mississippi Regions

Delta As diverse as the crops that grow here and the music that made it famous, the Mississippi Delta is a melting pot of cultures – from African to Italian to Asian. 

Capital-River from a mighty river and antebellum mansions to downtowns with restaurants featuring soul food, authentic ethnic dishes and modern culinary delights.

Pines barbecue and bakeries, cheese and cheesecakes, the tastes of this region take their influences from their Native American heritage and the railroads that brought lumber, cotton and other goods. 

Hills home to William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams and Southern fiction characters, platters of fried chicken, skillets of cornbread, and delicacies such as pecan pie. 

Coast a little of everything:  golf, gambling, art, architecture and great food. Immigrants from all over the world - Croatian, Vietnamese and French – a blend of cultures and culinary traditions.

Mississippi is a true melting pot of regional, ethnic, national and international cuisine

New Orleans architecture creative culture history and traditions

The original settlement of New Orleans and the oldest neighborhood in the city is Vieux Carre, better known as the French Quarter. Established by the French in 1718, the location continues to be a valuable site for trade due to its strategic position along the Mississippi River. The district is a National Historic Landmark and is bordered by popular streets, such as Canal, Decatur and Rampart Streets and Esplanade Avenue. The French Quarter boasts cultural contributions from the French, Spanish, Italians, Africans, Irish and others as demonstrated by the development of New Orleans as a global port.

The Rapid City South Dakota Commercial Historic District

The Black Hills area became important as a commercial center for transient miners in the 1870s, but later served the needs of more stable social-economic groups. The district's structures are of late 19^th and early 20^th century origin and reflect typical period architecture. Rapid City was founded with the idea that it would be a service center for people and materials destined for the gold fields. John R. Brennan persuaded a group of unsuccessful miners to establish a town on the eastern slopes of the Black Hills where he and his followers had discovered an adequate water supply in Rapid Creek.

Rapid City was founded on February 25, 1876 and was named for the nearby stream

At first, the city failed to grow in population and economic strength despite its location on freight routes from Nebraska and eastern South Dakota. As corporate mining replaced individual prospecting, and stable homesteading and ranching elements settled the surrounding areas, Rapid City became a permanent consumer market. It soon aspired to be the wholesale center for western South Dakota and the gateway city for the Black Hills.

Better transportation was necessary to achieve commercial primacy; municipal bond sales induced the Missouri, Fremont, and Missouri Valley Railroad to enter the city on July 4, 1886 creating new business opportunities and a quadrupling of the population between 1880-1890. Three additional railroads followed the Missouri, Fremont, and Missouri Valley and contributed to the economic security of the region.

Commercial success was manifested in the historic district's architecture. Rapid City's earliest buildings normally consisted of non-descript frame structures. Prosperity soon stimulated more elaborate construction consisting of brick, cut stone, and limestone. Italianate, Neoclassical, and Renaissance designs dominated throughout the district. The period architecture and historical importance of these buildings create an impressive historic district.

The characteristics of the buildings create the appearance of a late 19^th and early 20^th century city

The Rapid City Historic Commercial District consists of thirty-eight buildings in the center of the town's business area. This district includes one complete rectangular block and portions of five others. Most structures are two stories, along with one and three-story structures. A single eight story building towers over the district. All roof tops are flat and usually are covered with tar. Although roofing materials are similar, exterior wall coverings vary. Most buildings are brick of different color, texture, and shape. Limestone, cut stone, clapboard, stucco, and modern siding are used in the facing.

512 6^th Street - 1911 this structure was one of the three main buildings in the district used for professional offices. The building was built by the Elks for a meeting hall. It is of the Neoclassical type and is three stories high. Brick and masonry are the main facing materials used. The building features pilasters, dentils, brackets, cresting and masonry ornamentations.

601 Main - 1916 a two-story structure of Neoclassical design situated at the corner of 6^th and Main Streets. This building is the Pennington County Bank and is constructed of limestone. The building has always been a bank and reflects the district's commercial importance.

610 Main - 1915 this structure still houses a fire station; one of few such fire stations left from this era. It is a two-story brick veneered building with masonry materials used as decorative features It still has the fire house doors and the only alteration has been the addition of another vehicle door on the west side.

523 6th Street - 1927 an eight-story structure and one of the earliest tall buildings in the state. It has served as a hotel throughout its existence. It is constructed of brick facing with masonry as decoration.

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American Heritage in Manassas and Prince William County Virginia

Historic Towns Civil War Sites Museums Outdoor Experiences Wineries and Shopping

Historic Towns Manassas is just outside Washington, D.C. and is steeped in history and tradition. The city center has an old town feel with a museum rich in Civil War and local Virginia history; Bristow was part of an 18^th century plantation; Dumfries the largest town in Prince William County, founded in 1749; Gainesville was a changing point for stagecoach horses; Haymarket is located on an abandoned Indian hunting path; Nokesville and its farming community; Occoquan a quaint town on the river; Quantico is surrounded by a US Marine Corps base; Woodbridge is traditional and contemporary.

Civil War History the Manassas National Battlefield Park holds artifacts from the battlefield and exhibits pertaining to the First Battle of Manassas, including audio-visual displays and a fiber-optic battle map presentation that describes troop movements during the battle. A few miles away, Ben Lomond Historic Site is a plantation turned Civil War hospital. View the graffiti from wounded soldiers, the instruments doctors used and the only remaining public slave quarters in northern Virginia.

 City Tavern in Historic Downtown Manassas 

American Heritage experience life as a Marine at the National Museum of the Marine Corps on a 135-acre site adjacent to Marine Corps Base in Quantico, featuring interactive exhibits and artifacts. Tun Tavern is modeled after the Philadelphia Tavern where the Marine Corps was founded in 1775. Visit Quantico National Cemetery and the Missing In America Project that locates, identifies and inters the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans. 

Outdoor Experiences paddle down Neabsco Creek on a kayak tour featuring bald eagles, herons, and turtles as you paddle through protected wildlife areas. Visit Leesylvania State Park on the Potomac River, former home of the father of Robert E. Lee and hike on one of the park’s five trails, including a two-mile trail that goes through the Lee family cemetery, homestead and gardens.

Wineries and Shopping at Potomac Mills; Virginia’s largest outlet mall features 220 shops. Travel to the foothills of the Bull Run Mountains and for a taste of Virginia wine in an 18^th century manor house.

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