The Two RV Gypsies: Full-Time RVers
and Karen Duquette's sister, Ilse Blahak
Mud Island in Memphis, Tennessee
July 15, 2014

USA map showing location of TennesseeTennessee map showing location of Memphis

history bookMud Island is NOT actually an island. It is a small peninsula, surrounded by the Mississippi River to the west and the Wolf River Harbor to the east. In 1960, the Wolf River was diverted so that it flows into the Mississippi River north of Mud Island, and Mud Island opened to the public in 1982. It is located within the Memphis city limits, 1.2 miles from the coast of downtown. It is accessible by the Memphis Suspension Railway (a monorail), or a parking lot and walking into the park. It cost $6 per car to park. This park is open Tuesday - Sunday 10 A.M. - 5P.M. The last admission is at 4 P.M. daily. It closes way too early. The monorail is an extra charge. The food area only had "junk food" like pizza, hamburgers, hot dogs and french fries. The scale model of the Mississippi River was the highlight for the two RV Gypsies and Karen Duquette's sister.

Mud Island grass sculpture
Mud Island monorail
Mud Island monorail

After entering the parking area, the two RV Gypsies walked by an area with lots of birds on wires, so Lee Duquette started clapping his hands and all the birds flew away. As the birds returned, Lee clapped his hands again, and they all flew away again. It was quite amusing.

entrance to Mud Island
birds

Below: Two walls showing the USA states plus the Mississippi River and its tributaries.

the Mississippi River and its attributaries
the Mississippi River and its attributaries
Mud Island sign
Mud Island sign

history bookThe Riverwalk is one of the most unique representations of the Mississippi River in the world - a winding 1,000 mile journey of the Lower Mississippi reproduced in a one-half mile concrete sculpture. The sign below gives important information about this giant project.

The Mississippi Riverwalk

Below: The photo below is a close-up of the clear water and the dark brown contour ridges. One contour ridge equals a five foot vertical depth.

One contour ridge equals a five vertical depth.

history bookThe Riverwalk is an exact scale model of the Lower Mississippi River flowing from its confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, Illinois 954 miles south to the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty cities are mapped along the Riverwalk. Concrete wedges locate the main rivers flowing into the Mississippi or show river engineering structures such as floodways. There are four watershed walls which map the entire drainage area of the Mississippi River. The model empties into an acre size Gulf of Mexico. Designed using Corps of Engineers survey and navigational charts. There are 1, 746, 4’ x 8’ concrete sections, which were installed and positioned to allow the water to flow from north to south. The Entire length is 2,000 feet or 5 blocks long. The water level is controlled to match the water level in the real Mississippi River.

an exact scale model of the Lower Mississippi River
an exact scale model of the Lower Mississippi River

Below; On a horizontal scale of 30 inches to the mile, this portrays important features of the river and its floodplain with an inlaid street map of each major community along its banks.

an inlaid street map of Memphis
an inlaid street map
scale model of the Mississippi River

Part of the 1,000 foot long scale model of the Mighty Mississippi river, done in concrete, and accurate to depth and shape. Locations of major bridges and cities are also represented, either cast in metal, or displayed in a different kind of stone. It is impossible to photograph all of it. Water flows through this "mini-Mississippi", and kids love it. They wade through it, and some get very wet, although parts of it are narrow and the contour ridges can be sharp. The river flows all the way past "New Orleans", and into the "Gulf of Mexico". Lake Ponchetrain is represented, as well. The "Gulf" is a 4-6 foot deep pool at the end of the river, where you can rent paddle boats.

Mud Island
Mud Island
scale modelscale modelscale model
about Tennessee

Below: The "1,000" mile journey concludes at the Gulf of Mexico, a one-acre enclosure that holds 1.3 million gallons of water. There, visitors can enjoy a leisurely pedal boat ride around the Gulf area with the Memphis skyline in the background. Karen Duquette enjoyed cooling her feet in the water.

Karen Duquette at Mud Island

Below: Karen Duquette and her sister Ilse Blahak, who is a Special Ed school teacher and lives in southern California. Ilse kept saying that she wished she could bring her students here.

Karen Duquette and her sister at Mud Island
Karen Duquette and her sister at Mud Island

Below: Views of the Mississippi River and very long barges.

very long barge
Mississippi River

Note: In 2015, the two RV Gypsies went to the real Mississippi Headwaters in Minnesota, which is the where the Mississippi River actually begins its 2,552-mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico. Those photos can be found by clicking here - but if you do so, please return to this page via one of the links at the bottom of that page to continue on in 2014.

Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, TN
Memphis, TN
Memphis, TN

Menu for the two RV Gypsies Adventures
in Memphis Tennessee - July 2014

Travel to Memphis

Memphis KOA and sunsets

World Famous Beale Street

Memphis - statues, murals and more

Mud Island (this page)

(IF you came here from 2013 Itasca State Park return there now)

If you came here from the 2018 Mud Island
, return there now

Graceland, Heartbreak Hotel and more

Sun Studios

Rock N Soul Museum

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go to Nashville, the next adventure of the two RV Gypsies AFTER you have viewed all ten (10) sites above, please continue on to Nashville, Tennessee - the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, the Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and more.

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