Fodor's Expert Review Mississippi River

When facing the river with the French Quarter at your back, you will see, to your right, the Crescent City Connection, a twin-span bridge between downtown New Orleans and the West Bank, and a ferry that crosses the river every 30 minutes. The river flows to the left downstream for another 100 miles until it merges with the Gulf of Mexico. Woldenberg Riverfront Park and Spanish Plaza are prime territory for watching everyday life along the Mississippi: steamboats carrying tour groups, tugboats pushing enormous barges, and oceangoing ships. Directly across the river from the Quarter are the ferry landing and a dry dock for ship repair.