We pass the pyramid in Memphis as we get underway.

We saw a lot of scenery like this along the Mississippi. We "steamboated" all day on Sunday after boarding on Saturday. We left port (Memphis) around 9pm. It was divine to sleep while underway.

On Sunday we started seeing all the barge traffic on the Mississippi. Some of the groups of barges were 6 across and 5 deep. Each barge could contain 9 freighttrain size containers. They call them "tows" not barges. And the boat that pushes the barges is called a "towboat". Coming downstream they have right of way. Since it takes about 15 minutes to manuver, they are in radio contact all the time. It's really pretty amazing.

Red buoys to starboard. Piloting on the Mississippi is an art, the river is fast and always changing. It was fun to watch the spotlights search for buoys at night from the top deck.

After hours and hours of nothing but pine trees, you got pretty excited to see a bridge. And this is a lovely green bridge isn't it?

You will certainly come to appreciate how big our country is by doing a river trip like this one. And I really do think this is a pretty blue bridge!

This may be a very small town, but it boasts a bell made at the same foundry as the Liberty Bell. This bell is only 1 year older than the Liberty Bell. A local told me that they are planning a new tower. This clock tower (the bell is left and down a bit from the clock) was the school tower, but the school is now gone.

This ferry is free, goes between Cave In Rock Illinois and Kentucky. Both states pay for it.

We went thru 3 or 4 locks. This doesn't take all that long, and is better passed indoors due to the stink.

This is lovely Lake Barkley, which is manmade. There were a lot of folks fighting putting the dam here, but guess who won.