TRAVEL - TOURING THE AMERICAN MISSISSIPPI

Mark Twain used these words over a century ago to describe one of the greatest natural resources and most scenic waterways in the world. Yet they could have been spoken yesterday.

The Mississippi River lies at the heart of the USA, draining most of the country and supporting hundreds of settlements, from thriving cities to the tiniest towns. Close to its banks are palatial mansions, unbridled tales of history and culture of every kind.

Through it all winds the Great River Road that runs all the way from New Orleans in Louisiana's Gulf coast to Ontario in Canada. If you want to see America - really see America - then take a car and drive it. We did just that, choosing perhaps the most colourful part of the river route, the southern section, winding through the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee. We start our journey in America's most European City, New Orleans in Louisiana



In truth, New Orleans isn't really a place you'd do much driving in. Better to park up, find a comfortable little hotel in the French quarter (ours was the Ste Helene on Charters Street) and take a step back in time.



When originally established, the city was a melting pot of European culture (primarily British and French) and the signs of this live on in both the streets and the restaurants. You spend the day exploring the purple-shadowed carriageways and admiring the picturesque 'Iron Lace' architecture. The evenings of course, are set aside for jazz and spicy Cajun food. Perhaps even a trip along the Mississippi in the steamboat Natchez.



Too soon, the river was calling ...