Rivers are special places for me. Living in Missouri, I am ever mindful of the beauty and the power of our nation’s two greatest rivers, the Missouri and the Mississippi.

There is something extra special about the joy of a lazy picnic by the river, the viewing of birds at one of our many protected wetland areas, and even of crossing over one of these two rivers on one of its magnificent bridges. But the rivers also carry power, and the memories of the flood of ’93 will last a very long time. These two mighty waterways set the tone of life in the region in which I live.

So, I was so excited to finally get to the place I have wanted to see for many years, the place where these two rivers meet. The picture above shows the exact spot where the Missouri River joins the Mississippi, and the two rivers continue their journey all the way to the Gulf of Mexico…and I was standing right there!