Mississippi Guide and Deals

The two-hour cruise is scheduled to meet at 6:30 p.m., depart at 7 p.m., and return at 9 p.m., affording passengers plenty of time to successfully saturate taste buds, ear buds, and dance buds. As you set off into the sunset backdrop on the Mississippi River, the wafting aromas of a feast prepared onboard will tempt a range of palates. Select from salads, hot entrees, carving stations, and sides; choices include prime rib, roasted turkey, red beans and rice, steamed seasonal vegetables, and seasoned potatoes. Complimentary coffee, soft drinks, and tea abound, and tipplers can head to the cash bar for a classic cocktail. Panoramic windows, two enclosed decks, and two outdoor decks showcase the historic waterfront unfolding in front of you as live music invites dance muscles to twitch rhythmically under the stars.

Ranked in Golfweek's Best Courses You Can Play in Indiana, the course at Prairie View Golf Club is situated on 206 acres of environmentally protected land along the White River with scenic prairieland and five lakes. The Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design features natural wetlands with a rushing stream that comes into play on four holes, forcing players to demonstrate deft control or gilled golf bags. On the front nine, the prairie setting invites harsh winds to blow across bentgrass fairways, often knocking shots off course. As players make the turn onto the back nine, they notice a marked difference in the environment, as open prairies give way to tall sycamore, oak, beech, and cottonwood trees lying just beyond the Kentucky bluegrass rough. Across the river lies Conner Prairie, a historical re-enactment village whose elegant, 1830s-era style was adopted for the design of the course's 15,000-square-foot clubhouse.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Total length of 7,073 yards from the back tees
• Course rating of 74.5 from the back tees
• Course slope of 138 from the back tees
• Four sets of tees per hole

Tremendous trees with 12-foot-wide trunks towered a hundred feet into the sky 36 million years ago, dominating the landscape for centuries before succumbing to the passage of time. An ancient river carried them halfway across the continent and deposited them in a logjam in Mississippi, where they slowly turned to stone. Though the river is long gone, the site thrives today as registered national landmark. The Mississippi Petrified Forest showcases the lifecycle of these primordial trees turned petrified logs.

A shady six-block nature trail winds around the site and ends at an earth-science museum, which contains a collection of dinosaur footprints, whale bones, and a prehistoric camel. Patrons can also screen rocky samples in a water flume for rough gemstones that they can take home or use to save their neighborhood from land developers.

[[m:####The Eagle Ridge Golf Course

The Eagle Ridge Golf Course’s 18-hole layout takes golfers loping across 6,526 yards of rolling terrain that beckons to birdie-hunters with a player-friendly, par 72 layout. Throughout the round, players attempt to land skyscraping drives or paper airplanes forged from their opponent’s scorecard in the middle of kempt fairways that arch over cresting hilltops on a path to relatively small, elevated greens. Though the undulated landscape affords golfers picturesque views across the layout, it also bears the threat of unfavorable lies, forcing golfers to showcase their ability to soundly strike balls positioned below their feet, around their knees, or balanced on a fellow player's nose. An onsite driving range helps players warm up before the round, and Eagle Ridge caters to clubbers of all ages and abilities with four tee options.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par 72 course
• Length of 6,256 yards from the farthest tees
• Course rating of 68.5 from the farthest tees
• Slope rating of 112 from the farthest tees
• Four tee options

Mid-South Ice House sparks heated competition amid icy environs by hosting hockey, curling, and broomball teams. The center also caters to figure skaters with regular freestyle sessions. In addition to athletic endeavors, it supports family-friendly revelry with regular open skates, lessons for ages 2 to adult, and a private party room. Cosmic Skate sessions every Saturday night capture the dazzle of the northern lights, sending a multihued glow over glinting ice.

Tucked northwest of Sardis Lake just above John W. Kyle State Park, Mallard Pointe Golf Course showcases undulating bermuda-grass fairways that offer sweeping views of the area's towering trees. Designed by Bob Cupp, the course’s layout challenges players with back-to-back par 5s on the lengthy 6th and 7th holes, as well as on the 10th and 16th holes, requiring players to break at least once for s’mores while trekking from tee to green. Before hitting the fairways, swingers can take advantage of an extensive practice area consisting of a 350-yard driving range with six target greens and 100 hitting stations, a 10-acre grass-tee area, and a practice fairway bunker.

Course at a Glance:

• 18-hole, par-72 course
• Length of 7,004 yards
• Course rating of 73.8
• Slope rating of 131
• Four tee options
• Scorecard