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Mississippi River: Delta to Headwaters

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Em1

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Got back today from a fun trip. I flew my PA28RT-201T from my Sarasota airport base over to New Orleans and did the World War II Museum (highly recommend). Then I flew out into the Gulf of Mexico to where the Mississippi River actually ends (it is way out, well past the last road access). Then I turned around and flew north up the river to the Mississippi headwaters in northern Minnesota. Lots of interesting stops along the route. North of Baton Rogue I drove up to St. Francisville to see a common riverboat cruise stop. A nephew is mechanic at the Arch in St. Louis so spent some time there. A fan of the American Picker's TV show I stopped in Davenport, IA and took the crew car over; had lunch by the Buffalo Bill museum. I hadn't been into Lake Elmo east of Minneapolis for like 40 years so put down there for a night and went into Stillwater for dinner on a paddle wheeler. North the the twin cities the Mississippi gets small pretty fast. North of Brainerd it gets hard to track. Up by Grand Rapids it is pretty lonely feeling; and when you cut back west toward Bemidji you cross some impressive lakes. Then as you trace it from Bemidji back down to Lake Itasca you are picking out a creek that as it goes through swamp sections is hardly noticeable at points. The Lake Itasca origin itself is pretty impressive when you see something as big as the tour boat out on its waters. I put on fuel in Detroit Lakes and then visited a 90 year old aunt to the northwest before heading to International Falls, Tower over near Ely, and into Duluth. I have included a snap of the Skyvector route map. I had fixes all along for my flight plans and in the GTN 750 so the autopilot could fly much of it while I was snapping pictures. But you actually will use the heading bug over the GPS for the final route to stay right on the river between the fixes.

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Now I only have one odd complaint; and VFR pilots will hate me for it. But in 3,721 miles I had to work hard to get one actually creditable IFR approach on the way back. I don't know what other people do to get their six approaches in six months during normal flying. I hate it but I find myself going out looking for storms in the Gulf so I can find actual creditable conditions. There has got to be a better way... hints by anyone?
 

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