Hello,

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc. For that
matter, some health issues stand in the way, but we hope that
will change . . .
In order to make this work (and prevent a disaster), I need to
prepare well ahead of time.

Those of you who know what you're doing -- What do you recommend?
All replies will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ted Shoemaker

On 8 Jul 2003 20:17:19 -0700, (Ted Shoemaker)
wrote:

Hello,

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc.

Try reading "Old Glory" by Jonathan Raban. Ignore the 'upper class
Brit disdaining the Americans' part and read the details of his trip.

By the way, he bailed on the southern end; the river was too tough for
his little boat.

---
Bob

I was reading in the bathroom when I ran across an item written by
(Ted Shoemaker) on 8 Jul 2003 20:17:19 -0700,
which said:

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc. For that
matter, some health issues stand in the way, but we hope that
will change . . .
In order to make this work (and prevent a disaster), I need to
prepare well ahead of time.

Why do it the hard way, especially if health is a concern. Try this:
http://www.smallshipcruises.com/dest...sissippi.shtml

Also, seems to me that an obvious read would be Mark Twain's "Life on
the Mississippi." I doubt that, for a do-it-yourselfer, much has
changed since Sam's day.


-------------
Beady's Analogy: "A conspiracy theory is the intellectual equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine; it is an overly-complex and dramatic alternative for an accepted adequate, simpler and more mundane explanation."

On 8 Jul 2003 20:17:19 -0700, (Ted Shoemaker)
wrote:

Hello,

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc. For that
matter, some health issues stand in the way, but we hope that
will change . . .
In order to make this work (and prevent a disaster), I need to
prepare well ahead of time.

Those of you who know what you're doing -- What do you recommend?
All replies will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ted Shoemaker



I considered it once, but read that the lower Mississippi is so
industrialized and inhospitable to small boats that most people cut
off it at the Tennessee River. THey go upstream there, head into the
Ten-Tom canal and go down the Tombigbee. That takes them into another
river and you come out in Mobile, Alabama.

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 16:06:35 GMT, Dick Locke
wrote:

I considered it once, but read that the lower Mississippi is so
industrialized and inhospitable to small boats that most people cut
off it at the Tennessee River.

That's a pretty neat trick since the Tennessee River has no
confluence with the Mississippi.


************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *

I was reading in the bathroom when I ran across an item written by
Hatunen on Wed, 09 Jul 2003 11:01:28 -0600, which
said:

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 16:06:35 GMT, Dick Locke
wrote:

I considered it once, but read that the lower Mississippi is so
industrialized and inhospitable to small boats that most people cut
off it at the Tennessee River.

That's a pretty neat trick since the Tennessee River has no
confluence with the Mississippi.

And your point is...?

I think the rest of us are capable of understanding Dick's meaning.


-------------
Beady's Analogy: "A conspiracy theory is the intellectual equivalent of a Rube Goldberg machine; it is an overly-complex and dramatic alternative for an accepted adequate, simpler and more mundane explanation."

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 11:01:28 -0600, Hatunen wrote:

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 16:06:35 GMT, Dick Locke
wrote:

I considered it once, but read that the lower Mississippi is so
industrialized and inhospitable to small boats that most people cut
off it at the Tennessee River.

That's a pretty neat trick since the Tennessee River has no
confluence with the Mississippi.


************* DAVE HATUNEN ) *************
* Tucson Arizona, out where the cacti grow *
* My typos & mispellings are intentional copyright traps *


mea culpa, I guess you have to go up the Ohio to the Tennessee? No
atlas nearby...not completely sure I spelled Tennessee right.

http://cruisenews.net/search2.php?se...rm=mississippi

http://cruisenews.net/search2.php?se...erm=Great+Loop


(Ted Shoemaker) wrote in message . com...
Hello,

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc. For that
matter, some health issues stand in the way, but we hope that
will change . . .
In order to make this work (and prevent a disaster), I need to
prepare well ahead of time.

Those of you who know what you're doing -- What do you recommend?
All replies will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ted
Shoemaker

Ted Shoemaker wrote in message
om...
Hello,

My hope is that in a couple of years, I can take my family down
the Mississippi River, from Minnesota to the Gulf. (Or,
alternatively, starting from a tributary such as the Ohio River
or the Missouri River, and ending at the Gulf.)

This is, for me, very ambitious. I have NO KNOWLEDGE of
how to do this, so I need to start researching long ahead of time.
At this point, I have no boat, no boating skills, etc. For that
matter, some health issues stand in the way, but we hope that
will change . . .
In order to make this work (and prevent a disaster), I need to
prepare well ahead of time.

Those of you who know what you're doing -- What do you recommend?
All replies will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ted Shoemaker


I would suggest Riverbarge Excursions. They have lovely, air conditioned
rooms, good food (and plenty of it), and you can see everything that you
could see on your own boat and don't risk falling overboard. (Unless of
course you have a particularly rowdy night of partying). Try it you'll like
it.

SD

On Wed, 09 Jul 2003 11:10:09 GMT, John Beaderstadt
wrote:

Also, seems to me that an obvious read would be Mark Twain's "Life on
the Mississippi." I doubt that, for a do-it-yourselfer, much has
changed since Sam's day.

There were no dams back when.

Casady