Minneapolis to New Orleans Road Trip (via the Mississippi)

I'm almost ready to start this road trip. Just a few more things on my to-do list that need to be done.

After going through some guide books and listing everything I want to do along The River, I have one problem:

• Too much to do in too little time.
  

I have to be in New Orleans for the Nonprofit Technology Conferenc next Wednesday. Leaving tomorrow morning gives me seven days to drive the about 1500 miles. That may sound like a lot of time but there is a lot to see along the way and this is definately not be a freeway trip--a lot of slow, winding roads.

One way I'm dealing with my time limitation is to cut off the two ends of the river:

• I'll be starting in Minneapolis (my home) and not from Lake Itasca (the source of the Mississippi). This will save the 200 miles from Minneapolis to Itasca (by a direct route) and 430 miles back along the (still frozen) Mississippi.
• I'm actually be skipping all of the St. Paul part of the river and start the real trip in Red Wing MN (far SE corner of the Twin Cities metro area). I figure I can drive the river road here any time.
  
• I'll be ending in New Orleans, not at Venice, LA--the town at the end of the road near the actual mouth of the Mississippi.

The plan is to get to the Quad Cites in Iowa/Illinois by tomorrow night.

I will also be twittering along the way at http://www.twitter.com//sheldonM