During a recent visit to Memphis - on a sunny and warm afternoon - we enjoyed a cruise on the Mississippi. We heard about the origin of Mark Twain's pen name (a ship crew's shout of "mark twain", indicating 2 fathoms or 12 feet of water depth) and were impressed by the river's current (over 5 miles/hr). We saw several long tows - barges tied together and pushed by a powerful tugboat, making the slow upriver trip.
Recreational boating on the Mississippi, at least in the Memphis area is rare: the current - and the many trees floating downriver - apparently make it too dangerous.
Much has certainly changed ashore since Mark Twain's river days. But one could still imagine what it may have been like on the river 150 years ago. The cruise brought back memories of his Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer novels for me - which had intrigued me enough to do a little digging in Heidelberg & Mark Twain.
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