The Headwaters of the Mississippi: Lake Itasca

Inside a state park in northern Minnesota is Lake Itasca, a pretty lake surrounded by woods with a small swimming beach, canoe rental, and miles of bike path.  The important part of this lake, however, isn't so much where it is, but where it's water flows.

In contrast to the deep, wide, and muddy Mississippi of New Orleans, St. Louis, or even Minneapolis, the river begins as a crystal clear stream, narrow enough to cross on a log, and only ankle deep.

I love the North Woods, and I have some great memories of days at Lake Itasca, but really, the best part is thinking about where all the water is going.  It's a long ways from the Gulf of Mexico, a fact to which I can attest, having spent the last 6 weeks driving between the two.  From Indian Tacos to beignets, with plenty in-between.

The kids belly-crawled the first length of water, and I walked a bit on the path along the banks, but they wanted to spend most of their time at the lake where the water was actually deep enough for swimming.

We stayed at a hostel that's right in the park, a beautiful old building.  It's big, clean, and quiet, with a great kitchen and lots of games in the common areas, but probably the best part was knowing we were in a big, solid structure when the thunder storms began that night.