Mississippi Howl
by Allan and Dianne Roden
About the Book
This book is derived from journals kept by Allan and Dianne Roden as they paddled down the entire Mississippi River in their home-made, cedar-strip canoe. Accompanied by their Australian Cattle Dog, Annie, they started at the source of the Mississippi at Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota where the river is a small stream. Most of the way they camped in a tent on the banks of the river, as they followed it 2,500 miles all the way to New Orleans. They experienced many adventures, like getting lost in a large swamp, battling 4-foot waves on a huge lake, getting stuck on wing dams, and dodging barges. They also saw an abundance of wildlife and met many interesting people that represented a cross-section of the United States. It was an opportunity to reconnect with each other and rediscover their inner selves.
About the Authors
Allan and Dianne
Roden have been
married for twenty-seven years and have two adult children. They
have always enjoyed camping and outdoor activities. Allan’s fight
with cancer interrupted his career as a chemical engineer. Dianne
applied for a sabbatical from Indiana University to spend time with
Allan during his last months. As a last resort, Allan signed up for a
clinical trial testing a new immune therapy at the National Cancer
Institute. His
recovery, which was nothing short
of miraculous,
provided them with the opportunity to pursue a life-long dream of
paddling the entire Mississippi River. It was a chance to reconnect
with each other as they enjoyed each new day on the river as a
special gift.
 Camping by the river on the
first night.
|
 Paddling through swampy
grasslands.
|
 First morning light filtered
through trees.
|
 Reflection of a power plant near
Grand Rapids.
|
 A deer, representing all the
plentiful wildlife.
|
 View of the canoe from a bridge
in Brainerd.
|
 Going through first lock in
Minneapolis.
|
 Campsite on a sandy island
before lock #4.
|
 Annie Dog sleeping in on a cold
morning.
|
 A small village nestled on river
in Wisconsin.
|
 Visiting Mark Twain's Boyhood Home. |
 Spectacular fall colors along high bluffs. |
 Annie Dog fetching sticks on
sandy beach.
|
 A random-run-by-licking while
paddling along.
|
 The "Dolly Parton Bridge" in
Memphis, TN.
|
 An island with a spectacular,
panoramic view.
|
 The Mississippi Queen visiting
Natchez.
|
 A colorful, early-morning sky.
|
 An ocean-going ship in the New
Orleans Harbor.
|
 Celebrating the finish in New
Orleans.
|
Free
Preview of Book
Tuesday November 16
Mileage
Today: 37 miles
I slept better last
night than I have
for a long time. We made great time this morning, covering 21 miles
by 11:00 a.m. During lunch we discussed our progress and decided to
use my cell phone to reserve a hotel in Baton Rouge for tomorrow
night. We also set a date to end the trip and we reserved a rental
car for us in New Orleans. It feels hard to believe that we only
have five days left on this trip and we will have accomplished all we
set out to do.
After lunch we passed the ferry that Andrew and I used to cross the Mississippi River during our bicycle ride across the country. It brought back lots of memories of that trip. I can remember thinking as we crossed the river on the ferry that I would not like to be in a canoe on the river because it was so big and wide; and yet here I am. I guess I have gradually become accustomed to the size. There are a lot of things in life like that. If you focus on all the potential problems, there are many things that you will not even try to begin. However, once you get involved in doing something, the problems are often not as bad as you first thought. The key is to just take each problem as it comes and do not be obsessed with the problems not yet here.
With the high water level, campsites were really hard to find again today. We finally found one that was on an island with a sign that said, “Posted DMPD”. Damn if I know what that means. We decided it meant “Dumb Morons Permitted if Desperate” and stopped to set up camp. So far we have had no problems.
Travel Day 96
Today was mostly sunny and very pleasant. Making breakfast and packing up have become standard routines that we just automatically do each morning without even thinking. Paddling the canoe is also mindless, but very enjoyable. I often repeat my mantra in my head, “I am the sun. I am the wind. I am the water. I am light. I am life. I am love.”
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