Roadtrip with a Raindrop: 90 Days Along the Mississippi River

by Gayle Harper

A raindrop that falls into the headwaters of the Mississippi River in Minnesota will reach the Gulf of Mexico 90 days later. When I learned that, my world was sent spinning in a new direction. I knew in that instant that I would make a 90-day road trip, following the entire course of the Mississippi River, while keeping pace with an imaginary raindrop that I would call "Serendipity." From that moment on, this adventure has created itself in ways that often seem magical. People offered lodging in places that let me slide body and soul into the local culture. There was a fisherman's cabin, a trendy downtown loft, a tugboat converted to a B&B, a plantation mansion, a sharecropper's cabin - and once, an entire 30-room manor! The Mississippi is one of America's greatest treasures. It is embedded in our history, our present and our identity as a nation. Along its roughly 2,400 mile journey, it is transformed from a tiny creek into an immense force of nature. It passes through dramatic changes in geography, climate, culture, lifestyles and accents.

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2014

Reviews

[Leila Kern · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a whimsical title! And, the book was whimsical but even more than whimsical, the book was serendipity! I loved going on the journey with Gayle Harper. The River Road has always been on my bucket list but this journey with the author was magical! The pictures were wonderful and the author’s words transported the reader along the journey. I cannot begin to say enough about this book. Such a lovely way to spend a shortened road trip in words and pictures! Absolutely marvelous!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely coffee table book with cute photos; quite a personal journey for the author. It's a nice travel story but not meant as a guide for taking the same trip. The book is more memoir, with stops along the way that give a general impression of life along the Mississippi - even on the river as the author takes a short trip on a tug.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not only chock full of beautiful photos, but it has kindled my interest in traveling to some of the same river towns and parks the author explored on her journey. Using the 90 day time frame that it takes a rain drop to travel from the headwaters of the Mississippi to the Gulf, the author writes about the people and places she finds along the way and she managed to meet a lot of very interesting people! A great way to see the River and slices of America.