Old Man River

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One of the things I wanted to see more than anything on my trip to Memphis was Mud Island. That’s where I spent the bulk of my time in Memphis on Sunday, and I was not disappointed in the least. Mud Island is a small peninsula in downtown Memphis. The highlight is a scale topographical model of the Mississippi River from Cairo, Illinois to the Gulf of Mexico, including a number of tributaries (such as the Ohio and the Missouri). Parked in a good place (in the shade) at the visitor’s center (which features statues of B.B. King and Elvis Presley), I decided I’d hike over to the island. Let it be known: it is a hike. My in-phone pedometer said I’d walked about five miles once I got back to my car. But it was well worth it. The covered pedestrian bridge crosses the channel that separates Mud Island from downtown, offering views of either side of downtown (including the soon-to-be-reviewed Bass Pro Shop) and the water below. There were chairs at a couple of places, allowing old fogies like me to stop and rest a sore back. Once on Mud Island, the magnitude of the Mississippi River becomes apparent. There are signs that explain the model of the river (each eight inches is a mile) and its construction, as well as detailed explanations of various points along the lower Mississippi. These details include everything from Civil War battles to shipping accidents to the famous Reelfoot Lake, which was formed when the Mississippi ran “backwards” following the massive New Madrid earthquakes in 1812. Maps of various cities (with Memphis being the largest map, of course) are etched along the river, also with plaques detailing their significance. The scale model ends at a large wading pool serving as “the Gulf of Mexico.” Unlike a lot of “pools” and water displays, wading and walking through the water is most definitely allowed. Mud Island also has a Mississippi River Museum, which I skipped. (Admission to that is $10, if you are interested.) There’s also a restaurant, gift shop, and lots of shaded, grassy area for families. There’s no charge for admission to the island. Once you realize how far you’ve walked to view a scale model of half of the Mississippi River (with the real thing just beyond the wall) you get a slightly better understanding of the size of America’s most famous river.