New Orleans might be the Big Easy, but there was nothing relaxed about this stretch of the Mississippi River. Where transportation and recreation shared the river in La Crosse, the lower river (below St. Louis, Mo.) was almost entirely dedicated to industry, with little to no recreation, especially around New Orleans. The group’s first stop was at St. Bernard Port, Harbor, and Terminal District, to learn about the port from Executive Director Drew Heaphy. After suiting up in hard hats and life vests, the group boarded an Associated Terminals’ tug and rode out to view one of Associated Terminals’ midstream cargo handling vessels.
is a “working river,” not one where recreation is a major industry.
The next stop in New Orleans was at the Port of South Louisiana, which is home to seven grain elevators, more than 40 liquid and dry bulk terminals, and a regional airport. It moved nearly 250 million tons of cargo in 2023, mostly bulk and petroleum products. The trip ended on a high note with a visit to a Cargill grain elevator at the Port of South Louisiana, before the group headed to the airport and flights home.
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