NEW ORLEANS, La. (CNN/Money) -
Whether evoking thoughts of Mark Twain or "Showboat," of paddle-wheelers or barges, of heartland plenty or devastating floods, the Mississippi River is firmly embedded in American history and lore, which makes it an ideal guide for a road trip -- follow the river, see America.
And it turns out there's a scenic byway that does just that: the Great River Road. Established in 1938, the GRR is a network of state and local highways running along the Mississippi's full length (or, rather, two networks -- one on each side of the river). White signs with a green steamboat pilot's wheel logo mark the GRR route, which is overseen by the Minneapolis-based Mississippi River Parkway Commission.
Running over 2,000 miles from the Mississippi's source at Lake Itasca in north-central Minnesota to its terminus at the Gulf of Mexico, the GRR passes by dozens of interesting stopping points -- many more than we have room for here. But here are a few of my favorites:
Merchants National Bank
102 E. 3rd St., Winona, Minnesota
Like so many other Main Street businesses, banks have gotten more and more generic-looking over the years. So it's a shock to encounter this one, designed by William Purcell and George Elmslie -- contemporaries of Frank Lloyd Wright. With its stained-glass windows, terra cotta details, and a huge interior mural depicting a pastoral farmland scene, it's easily the coolest-looking bank you'll ever see, and a throwback to an era before ATMs and direct deposit.
Effigy Mounds National Monument
151 Hwy. 76, Harpers Ferry, Iowa
Unlike most ceremonial Indian burial mounds, which tend to be roughly ovoid, the mounds at this wonderful site are shaped like bears and eagles. Once thought to have been created by an alien race, they've been preserved here and can be seen along a series of hiking trails. A very moving and affecting site.
John Deere Headquarters
John Deere Rd., Moline, Illinois
If you've ever wondered what it would be like to sit at the controls of a John Deere tractor -- or, for that matter, a John Deer bulldozer, backhoe, forklift, combine, excavator, or anything else -- then this is the place for you. The company's headquarters building features a huge public showroom filled with Deere products, most of which you can climb and sit upon, making for unbeatable snapshot opportunities. It's like being turned loose in a room full of life-sized Tonka toys.
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The Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the World's Largest Catsup Bottle
These two monuments, located about half an hour apart from each other, (the Catsup bottle is in Collinville, Ill.) are obviously very different, which is part of what makes them so interesting. Either one makes for an interesting stop on its own, but the juxtaposition of the two of them so close together neatly captures the range of the American heartland, from majesty to kitsch. The Gateway Arch offers the added bonus of the excellent Museum of Westward Expansion, which does a great job of telling the stories of Lewis and Clark, Manifest Destiny, and the settlement of the continent.
Margaret's Grocery
4535 N. Washington St., Vicksburg
This former corner grocery has been turned into an bizarre temple by the Rev. H. D. Dennis, and it's a incredible place: The exterior is a carnival of multicolored cinderblocks and hand-painted signage extending every which way, and inside there's an endless clutter of homemade shrines and displays that the Rev. Dennis has created from beads, Christmas lights, stuffed animals, tinsel, crepe paper, plastic flowers, pompoms, prayer books, and wicker baskets ("All because God told me to," he explains). The site approaches sensory overload, especially when Dennis starts philosophizing -- the man has no off switch -- so be careful not to let him engage you in conversation or else you'll be stuck there all day.
Oak Alley
3645 Hwy. 18, Vacherie, Louisiana
Considered by many to be the quintessential Southern plantation, Oak Alley is a like a journey back in time. The plantation house tour features the usual assortment of Victorian furniture and the usual failure to mention the slave labor that once made the place run, but the real attraction is the titular corridor of massive oak trees, planted in the 1700s and now covered with resurrection fern -- it makes for some of the most spectacular photographs you're ever likely to take.
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