March-April 2009
Highlights and Links

Follow the links for more information about Upper Mississippi stories and news in this issue of Big River.

Subscribe to Big River

Buy this issue

Read River News from this issue

Read highlights from earlier issues

River Loops
Day Tripping on the Upper Miss

Exploring the Upper Mississippi is easy for people who like to travel in a circle and get back where they started by bedtime. Major crossings are about 30 miles apart, so you can go down one side, cross the river and come back on the other.

It’s also easy to spend a day exploring any of these stretches. In each of our new “River Loops” columns we’ll prowl a stretch of the river for interesting places and things to do. This loop describes what to see and do along the road from Cassville, Wis., to Dubuque, Iowa, and back.

Cassville, Wis., to
Dubuque, Iowa

The Cassville Ferry carries tourists and commuters across the Mississippi from Wisconsin to Iowa and back. The nearest bridge upriver is at Prairie du Chien, Wis., and the next bridge downstream is at Dubuque. (Cassville Tourism)

Cassville, Wis., is well off the beaten track along a beautiful stretch of the Mississippi. With just over 1,000 people, it’s a quiet place during the summer and fall, and even quieter in winter. Cassville has an attractive riverfront park, a spectacular state park and two coal-fired power plants. But along the river, its claim to fame is the Cassville Car Ferry, which, in the warm months, saves about 50 miles of highway driving between Cassville to Guttenberg, Iowa.

Eagle Point Park above Dubuque is rich with architectural stonework
and fabulous overlooks. (Reggie McLeod)

Loop Links

For the whole Loop story and more Mississippi River stories, order this issue now.

Feature Stories

Dredge Thompson

This retired self-propelled cutterhead dredge still looks like it's ready to go.

Brew Pubs of the Quad Cities

Blue Cat Brew Pub

Bent River Brew Pub

Lock & Dam 15

Piloting Big Boats on Bigger Water