The Great River Road: An Inauspicious Start to An Epic RV Adventure

From Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, the Mississippi River is anything but impressive,

In fact, on the cold, wet early September morning we visited the birthplace of this river, it was rather depressing. Raindrops dappled the water. Later, a guide told us that those drops would reach the Gulf south of New Orleans, some 2,300 miles away, in about 90 days.

For us, beginning a Fantasy RV Tour of the waterway known as the Nation's “Father of Waters,” it will take 34 days.

When you first see this river, it's almost laughable. This massive river – one that becomes nearly a mile wide in places, that carries barges and shapes entire cities – starts as this pitiful little trickle that's maybe ten or twelve feet across.

There are these flat stepping stones laid out in a line across the headwaters, and tourists line up to hop across them like it's some kind of nature photo op. The stones are just big enough that you don't even have to stretch – kids can do it. You literally walk across the entire Mississippi River in five or six steps. It's less impressive than most creeks you'd find in someone's backyard.

The lake itself sits in Itasca State Park, surrounded by tall pines and pristine wilderness. It's crystal clear and quiet, nothing like the broad, muddy giant the river becomes downstream. There's something almost surreal about standing there at the source, looking at this gentle, underwhelming trickle and trying to imagine it becoming the powerful force we know it will be.

On the morning of our visit, it was pouring rain. And abnormally cold for early September, so cold that the forecast the night before said there could be snowflakes. While everyone on our tour waited inside the bus for the rain to stop, I wanted some video with as few people in it as possible. Bundled in a sweatshirt and raincoat, I got out of the bus and slogged a quarter mile down a soggy trail to get a shot of the headwaters before the crowds.

Except for two young women who were – despite the cold – wading across water that was not even knee deep – I was the only one there. I got my shots and headed out to the bus, then, as the rain let up, returned with the rest of our group.

And the clouds parted, the sun emerged, and it turned into a beautiful day.

Jen and I followed along its narrow banks as the stream turned into a small river. Even at ten feet wide, it seemed to be in a hurry, flowing through some marshland around the lake's shore, rushing beneath a couple of footbridges, heading somewhere like it had a purpose.

We stood on the bridge for 10 minutes or so, listening to the birds, watching the little river. You know how you can see a child, watch them for a few minutes, and then, somehow, know “that kid is going to grow up and accomplish great things someday?” That's how we felt looking at the juvenile Mississippi.

Our Fantasy RV Tour has 48 of us from 15 different states. We've got all kinds of rigs—Class B, Class C, Super C, and Class A motorhomes, bumper pull trailers, fifth wheels—you name it.

The trip is led by Paul and Cheryl, who Fantasy call our Wagon Masters. They're the ones who keep this whole operation running smoothly. They book all our campground stays, select the restaurants where we'll dine together, and arrange bus transportation to various attractions. And here's the cool part – on travel days, they leave a couple of hours ahead of the rest of us to scout the route and make sure those turn-by-turn directions we're all following are actually going to get us where we need to go without any surprises.

At the rear of our group are John and Sherry. Fantasy calls them the Tailgunners. They are the last to depart the campground and, in the event that one of our travelers has problems on that day's travel, they are there to help.

We don't travel in a caravan. We all leave whenever we want each day, stopping where we want. Sometimes we see another one of our RVs as we travel, but most of the time, we are the only RV in sight.

The Great River Road

Our route for the next 34 days will be along what is known as the Great River Road, a scenic highway system that follows the Mississippi River for almost 3,000 miles – all the way from its humble start at Lake Itasca down to the Gulf in Louisiana. It's not just one road, really – it's a collection of federal, state, and county roads that hug both sides of the river as closely as possible through ten states.

We are on the lookout for these green pilot wheel signs along the way, marking the route – they're our guide as the road weaves through river towns, past bluffs and farmland, over bridges and through forests. Sometimes you're right alongside the water with stunning views, other times the road curves inland for a bit before finding its way back.

What makes it special is that it's not about speed – it's about the journey. We'll be passing through small river communities that have lived and breathed this river for generations. Historic towns like Minneapolis, Memphis, Natchez, Vicksburg, Hannibal, the Quad Cities, St. Louis, and New Orleans. We'll see the locks and dams, the barges chugging along, the changing landscapes from northern wilderness to southern delta.

This route is one of America's classic road trips – a way to really experience the heart of the country by following the river that's shaped so much of it.

We'll be writing about it over the next couple of weeks here on the blog. We're also sharing another look at this trio in our weekly YouTube Videos – here's the first one.

We hope you enjoy these reports and will follow along.

Two Fantasy RV Tours to Check Out

There are two Fantasy RV Tours that' we'll be doing in 2026 and 2027 that might interest you.

One is their 13 Day Made In America Music Tour that starts in Branson, MO, and ends in Nashville, TN. Apr 26 – May 08, 2026. Get your toes to tappin’ on our Made in America Music guided RV tour that visits the music meccas of Nashville, Memphis, and Branson. Visit Elvis Presley’s Graceland, historic Sun Studio, and the Grand Ole Opry.

And the other is their 34 Day Western National Parks Tour that starts in Virgin, UT and ends at the Grand Canyon Village, AZ. Sep 11 – Oct 14, 2027. Explore seven national parks: the Grand Canyon, Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Mesa Verde, and Zion, plus Antelope Slot Canyon and Monument Valley. Witness fascinating geologic formations and historic sites in the Grand Circle.