River living is getting much better

In the past I've lamented the general lack of sweeping views of the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau.

Most river towns as old as the River City of Roses have prominent boulevards, usually atop a bluff, lined with large homes reflecting the prosperity of bankers and merchants of the 19th century.

Other towns have public areas, either along the river's edge or perched on a hill overlooking the river, that give townspeople and visitors visual access to the river and its traffic.

Cape Girardeau has never had an avenue of posh homes on a bluff. And since the floodwall went up, the downtown vistas that the historic buildings shared with the river have been cut off.

Like so many others who have a love affair with the river -- you can blame Mark Twain for that -- I have my favorite spots where I can connect with the water.

The park around the Common Pleas Courthouse overlooking downtown Cape Girardeau is one of my special places.

Parking close to the guardrail at Cape Rock Park is another.

Until recently, there weren't very many other spots that lured me to the river. But that's changing -- for the better.

With the housing buyouts following the floods of the l990s, a large area of the Red Star neighborhood just north of downtown has been opened up, and the river access ramp for boats also offers a sweeping view up and down the river plus a wonderful perspective of downtown Cape Girardeau.

In recent months, the new overlook access at Trail of Tears State Park has been completed. The new, elevated boardwalk is now fully accessible by wheelchair, and the lookout has been extended, increasing the feeling of having the same vantage point as one of those hawks gliding overhead.

The newly completed portion of the paved walking trail on the river side of Cape Girardeau's floodwall is fantastic. It offers several staircases and ramps that lead to the river's edge, and the old balustrade at the south end dramatically connects the old with the new. When the northern portion of the trail is completed, Cape Girardeau will have a stunning riverside feature that is sure to be popular on sunny days.

Some river-minded developers in recent years have taken advantage of the upper floors of several downtown buildings and have turned them into living quarters with exceptional river views.

I keep hearing about plans for more developments along North Main Street that are being designed to peek over the floodwall.

And the River Campus -- the best river view in all of Cape Girardeau -- promises even more public access to beautiful surroundings against a backdrop of the Mississippi and the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge.

Speaking of the new bridge: It's now possible to take a drive across the river just for the sake of looking up and down the river. That wasn't possible on the old bridge, unless you were brain-dead and unconcerned that your vehicle might drift into the lane of an oncoming tractor-trailer rig -- and there was always an oncoming semi. Always.

You will notice, kind reader, that I haven't even mentioned the potential vantage points of elevated greens on the World Famous Downtown Golf Course. Let's just say that, when it comes to reconnecting our lives to the river, reality can truly be better than fantasy.

R. Joe Sullivan is the editor of the Southeast Missourian.