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Jun

16

2010

Tunica RiverPark Named National Top Road Trip Stop

 Tunica RiverPark Named National Top Road Trip Stop

The best places to stop in America when taking a road trip have been named, and the Tunica RiverPark came out on top.  Rand McNally, America’s most trusted source for maps, directions and travel content, has chosen Tunica over millions of locations as a unique travel destination for the prestigious Best of the Road® award program.

Rand McNally’s travel experts scoured the country for outstanding trips and stops, representing in the 2011 edition the best America has to offer.  Of the many submissions, Rand McNally editors drove new road trips and shared their findings in the annual Road Atlas. 

“The river that made America was the Mississippi River, and the Tunica RiverPark gives visitors to Tunica the chance to see the Mighty Mississippi up close at one of the most pristine settings in the country,” said Steve Gelvin, park manager of the Tunica RiverPark.  “The $26 million museum overlooks the banks of the Mississippi River complete with a two mile nature trail, observation deck, and dinner and sightseeing cruises on the river daily on the Tunica Queen riverboat.” 

For the 2011 Road Atlas, Rand McNally editors developed and presented the following trips in the first pages of the atlas, each planned for three day trips:

  • Following Old Man River: Natchez to Tunica, Mississippi
  • Wild, Warm Alaska:  Anchorage to Valdez, Alaska
  • Around Lake Erie:  Cleveland, Ohio, to Windsor, Ontario

In developing the trips, editors considered locations that are lesser-known or off the beaten path, are unique or have special character, capture the region’s essence, and appeal to a broad range of people.   For many travel enthusiasts, these 150-200 mile trips satisfy their search for a long weekend of adventure.  Each trip includes maps and directions and lists of “best known” spots.  In addition, Rand McNally’s experts presented stops along the route that showcase the unique aspects of each region.  This publication is the number one selling road atlas in North America.

“We congratulate Tunica and the Tunica RiverPark for being identified in our 2011 Best of the Road® listing,” said Dave Muscatel, CEO of Rand McNally.  “While there are multiple options for planning and on-the-road navigation, Americans continue to rely upon the Rand McNally Road Atlas each year to give them the big picture and the finer details of each road they travel.”

Since its 2004 opening, the Tunica RiverPark has won 10 state, regional, and national awards, including the Southeast Travel Attraction of the Year in 2004 and four architectural awards.  The RiverPark is celebrating its seventh season this year.

Overlooking the Mississippi River from a harbor on the eastern bank, the $26 million Tunica RiverPark is an attraction visitors shouldn’t miss.  Located in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, it is an extensive and one-of-a-kind interactive, interpretive museum that showcases the life of the river and its history, featuring aquariums, ecotrails and river boat cruises.  The Tunica RiverPark is available for events and is open year round to the public. 

The Tunica RiverPark is open daily, except for Christmas Day. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the Nature Trail and Park are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets to the museum are $5 for adults, $4 for children age 12 and under, and $4 for seniors age 65 and older. Group rates are available. For more information, call 866-517-4837 (toll free) or visit the website at www.tunicariverpark.com.  The Tunica Queen sails six days a week with two sightseeing cruises daily and a dinner cruise nightly April through November.  For more information, or to book a group, call the Tunica Queen office at 1-866-805-3535, or visit www.tunicaqueen.com

The 2011 Rand McNally Road Atlas is arriving in retail stores this month.  It is available nationwide and at www.randmcnally.com for a suggested retail price of $13.95.  Rand McNally is the most trusted source for maps, directions, and travel content.  Rand McNally’s products and services include: Interactive travel service, Tripology; America’s #1 Road Atlas; IntelliRoute® truck routing software and GPS devices; and the leading geography-based educational resources for the classroom.  Consumers, businesses, truckers, and educators depend upon Rand McNally to help navigate today’s world. www.randmcnally.com.

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