The Twin Cities
Travels alongside the Mississippi
The Twin Cities are probably the major metropolitan
area of the Midwest, and near west. Chicago, 500 miles to the south,
and east, is more a part of the east, and is culturally nothing like it's
surrounding areas. To the west, there is nothing like a big city, until
you come to Denver, and nothing past that, until the coast. The mighty
Mississippi courses through both Minneapolis, and St. Paul. Though it's
headwaters are many miles away to the north and west, the beginning of
the navigable portions, tradionally starts here. Above the dams of the
Twin Cities, the river is suitable for canoes, and small pleasure boats
only. There are also no cities of any size, nor are there any ports or
links to the transportation net, above the Twin Cities. They are the top
of this great river transport system, even as New Orleans is it's bottom.