How to plan a (road) trip along the Mississippi River where the water isn't the star

The Mississippi River is a mighty waterway. It carries hundreds of millions of tons of freight every year, is home to a diverse population of fish, mammals, amphibians and reptiles, functions as a guide for migratory birds, and provides drinking water to loads of people. While you can cruise down the river itself, imagine a more land-centric approach by driving across stretches of the Great River Road.

How does the Great River Road work?

Officially called the Great River Road National Scenic Byway, this series of state and local highways and roads follows the course of the Mississippi River for 3,000 miles, through 10 states. If you drove the entire route without stopping, starting in northern Minnesota and ending in southern Louisiana, it would take 36 hours. This is not recommended, as you would "miss all its beauty," Travel and Leisure said. Instead, give yourself at least a week.

What to expect along the way

You can drive with confidence — the route is clearly marked by white signs featuring a green pilot's wheel. When it comes time to stretch your legs, pull over at one of the 100 or so interpretive centers that dot the Great River Road. These spots "provide historic, cultural and ecological knowledge of the river and the region," the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said. They cover "wide-ranging topics" and are managed by their own teams. But they "have a shared mission: to educate and entertain the public."

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History is on display around every corner, and some of it is difficult to reconcile. In Natchez, Mississippi, the town is "grappling with its complicated racial history" and trying to "do justice" to a past that "goes beyond the gentility of antebellum homes," The Advocate said. Once home to Forks in the Road, the second-largest slave market in the Deep South, the city was also the birthplace of the Natchez Deacons for Defense and Justice, which "played a critical role" in the civil rights movement in Mississippi. Visitors can learn more at the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture and by following Mississippi Freedom Trail Markers.

Pull over for these riverside cities and towns

A city filled with "history, food and brews," St. Louis, Missouri, "shines in every season," Lonely Planet said. Hop in one of the capsules at Gateway Arch for a four-minute journey to the top, camera ready to snap pictures of St. Louis "spreading out in all directions below your feet." Forest Park, site of the 1904 World's Fair, remains a "cultural hub," home to free museums like the grand St. Louis Art Museum. You can also tour the Anheuser-Busch Brewery to "coo over the famous huge-hooved Clydesdale horses" and "sample the suds on tap."

The home of the blues, Memphis, Tennessee, is a "musical city," and at any time you could come across "incredible talent that has yet to be discovered," Southern Living said. Take in a show or two on Beale Street, tour Graceland and Sun Studio and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music and the Rock & Soul Museum. If you want to get out on the water, try one of Mississippi River Expedition's "unique" guided treks, like a half-day paddle adventure with time for swimming and lounging on the beach.

Dubuque, Iowa, is situated on a "scenic" segment of the Mississippi River, with "ideal" views from Eagle Point Park, the Riverwalk and the Fenelon Place Elevator, Travel and Leisure said. This steep funicular railway offers more than just a look at the river — from the top you can also see parts of Wisconsin and Illinois. Hikers should visit the Mines of Spain Recreation Area, with miles of trails, opportunities for wildlife spotting and acres of wetland, forest, prairies and meadows to explore.

In the eclectic town of Red Wing, Minnesota, visitors can see a size 638 1/2 boot at the Red Wing Shoe Store and Museum, which also has an entire floor dedicated to the "evolution of work boots in America," Midwest Living said. On a smaller scale, the Pottery Museum of Red Wing displays "sturdy salt-glazed stoneware" once used by pioneers, including crocks and jugs dating to the 1860s. Red Wing is also a great place to go birding, with eagle watching a popular activity at Colvill Park.