Grand Excursion 2004 spotlights the Upper Mississippi Valley: restaging a gala 1854 event celebrates the renaissance of river communities in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota

Travel America, March-April, 2004 by Mary Bergin

A 400-mile stretch of the Mississippi River will experience one huge splash of activity this summer, especially from June 25 to July 5.

That's when the nation's largest steamboat flotilla in 100 years will make its way from Rock Island, Illinois, to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The Grand Flotilla lineup includes the 1925 Delta Queen paddlewheeler, a National Historic Landmark that holds 174 passengers.

More than 50 communities along the route will offer activities ranging from fiddling and pie-baking contests to hot air balloon, helicopter, and pony rides. There will be more than one Civil War storyteller and Mark Twain impersonator. Even the smallest towns have a chance to shine, and some have been preparing for months. Stunning panoramas from bluffs above the river dazzle motorists traveling from town to town on the Great River Road and other routes.

More than $3 billion in legacy projects permanent riverfront improvements--have been completed by cities and towns in preparation for this huge surge of attention. It will be the biggest region-wide tourist event the Upper Mississippi has ever seen, a tribute to both community pride and prosperity.

The extravaganza is Grand Excursion 2004, an acknowledgement of the river's impact, personality, and history. It will retrace the Grand Excursion of 1854, a trip taken by President Millard Fillmore and about 1,200 other bigwigs to celebrate advancements in commerce and transportation, most notably the first continuous railroad connection from the East Coast to the Mississippi River.

Hosted by Rock Island Railroad Company officials, our 13th president and his entourage traveled by train to Rock Island, then boarded five steamboats and headed north to St. Paul, Minnesota.

Although special train rides are a part of Grand Excursion 2004, the bigger attractions will be on and near the water. The dilemma is not Whether to go, but which sites, historic re-enactments, and boat excursions to patronize.

There will be hundreds of events (more than 150 in the Twin Cities alone) celebrating the 150th anniversary of the original Grand Excursion. Details are extensive and updated often at www.grandex cursion.com, or call (866) 439-2004. River excursion tickets--from one-hour harbor cruises to three-meal day trip--can be purchased online or by phone. There will be breakfast cruises, race cruises, moonlight cruises, and more.

An all-inclusive, 11-night Mississippi Queen or Delta Queen cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul costs $3,300 to $5,115; call (800) 543-1949 or log on to www.deltaqueen.com.

Heading up the Mississippi, here is just a sampling of Grand Excursion events and attractions travelers will encounter:

Rock Island, Illinois. Enjoy gallery hops, cemetery walks, and performances of the musical "Showboat." Top area restaurants serve their best at Taste of the Quad Cities in Moline. Fireworks, concerts, and other Quad Cities events take place in Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. Master showman Montie Montana Jr. stages Buffalo Bill's Wild West Reunion June 25-27 in nearby LeClaire, Iowa, birthplace of William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. The eight-day Grand Excursion 2004 Bike Ride to St. Paul, covering 35 to 70 miles each day, starts June 27 in Rock Island, coinciding with the Grand Flotilla's departure upriver.

Galena, Illinois. The stately city, first stop on the 1854 Grand Flotilla, routinely attracts history buffs and antique hunters and has undergone a major renovation downtown. Garden lunches, an old-fashioned picnic, and tours of the state's oldest operating hotel are being organized. The World's Largest Canoe Float and other events take place in nearby East Dubuque, Iowa.

Dubuque, Iowa. A $188-milliou investment in the 90-acre Port of Dubuque includes the impressive National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, the Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark, and half-mile Mississippi Riverwalk. A catfish festival, outdoor concerts, and plays are among the special events planned.

Cassville, Wisconsin. Stonefield, a museum of agriculture history and 1900 village life, is one of nine state historic sites. It will be open for tours as usual and host such events as a 19th century church service, barn dance, and old-time picnic with pie-baking contest and games for children. There also will be open houses at Cassville's historic bed-and-breakfast inns, plus garden and walking tours.

Guttenberg, Iowa. The city's development projects emphasize its pearl button factory heritage. A riverboat photo show, display of 100-plus quilts, up to 20 wooden boats from 1920-60, and a classic car exhibit are among the events. German music will be a highlight of Stars and Stripes River Days.

McGregor, Iowa. Highlights include the 17th annual Edgewood Rodeo Days, a fiddling contest, square dancing, and guided hikes at Pikes Peak State Park.

Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The city is recreating an 1890 riverfront, complete with gazebo, boat boarding facilities, period lighting, and a paved walkway. St. Feriole Island, where the city began, has the greatest concentration of historic landmark properties in the country, including Villa Louis, a 25-acre Victorian estate. Tours will feature a fur trade museum and the state's only War of 1812 battlefield. Nearby Wyalusing State Park, high in the bluffs, provides great river views.