Travel from the steamy delta beyond New Orleans, upstream to headwaters in great northern swamps, and along the Mississippi's greatest tributary, the Missouri. The crew encounter a wealth of wildlife, from tropical manatees to ancient horseshoe crabs, primitive giant fish, colorful herons, industrious beavers, deadly rattlesnakes, herds of buffalo, and prairie dog colonies. Dramatic reconstructions illustrate what the river was like when the first explorers encountered it, meeting Indian tribes and witnessing new wildlife spectacles.
The Mississippi and Missouri Rivers helped shape the economy of the United States. Today, huge barges make their way through elaborate lock and dam systems, requiring no less skill than that of the famous steamboat pilots of old, so strongly evoked by Mark Twain.
Its catchment basin is the size of the Indian subcontinent and, at nearly 2.400 miles, it is the third longest river in the world. Come journey along the Mississippi from its mouth in the salt marshes of the Gulf Coast to its source deep in the northern forests near the Canadian border.
Travel from the steamy delta beyond New Orleans, upstream to headwaters in great northern swamps, and along the Mississippi's greatest tributary, the Missouri. The crew encounter a wealth of wildlife, from tropical manatees to ancient horseshoe crabs, primitive giant fish, colorful herons, industrious beavers, deadly rattlesnakes, herds of buffalo, and prairie dog colonies. Dramatic reconstructions illustrate what the river was like when the first explorers encountered it, meeting Indian tribes and witnessing new wildlife spectacles.
