MISSISSIPPI SCENIC DRIVE THIS WEEKEND

All stops along the way should prove to be beautiful during the seventh annual Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive.

Dr. Frank Nickel, director of the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University and an organizer of the drive, said he hopes for good weather and a good crowd for the multicommunity event set for Saturday and Sunday.

The self-conducted driving tour will take a route through many area communities that will open their hospitality to visitors. Each area will conduct activities that demonstrate the community's history and culture. Crafts, food, historic-building tours, museums, and classic auto shows are among the activities planned.

Nickel said this weekend will be the best time to experience the spring foliage of the area.

"I think the flowers and dogwoods are gorgeous right now," he said. "This will be a good weekend to drive through these communities."

This year will be the first time for the community of Commerce to be listed on the scenic drive tour. "They will have a festival there," said Nickel. "They will draw attention to Commerce's rich history through special events. It will be a homecoming weekend for those who originally came from Commerce."

Events featured during the two-day tour include horseback rides at area horse ranches, tours of Trace Creek Blueberry Farm and tours of the River Ridge Winery. Diebold Orchards near Benton will give each visitor on the scenic tour a plant.

All communities in the Mississippi River Valley Scenic Drive area are invited to participate. A committee meets all year long to plan the event. Nickel said the participating communities put a lot of work and planning into their drive activities.

"These towns have knocked themselves out to entertain visitors and will be disappointed if people don't show up," he said. But Nickel said he expects several hundred cars to take the weekend drive.

Maps of the drive may be obtained from all stops along the way, each city's Chamber of Commerce office or convention bureaus.