They say anyone can drive a houseboat on the mighty Mississippi, and they’re mostly right.

You can rent a houseboat to explore the islands, bluffs and wildlife around the Mississippi River’s Pool 9.

Driving down the hill to the Watergate Marina on the Mississippi River, “something struck me,” Van said. She would find a low-cost houseboat and fix it up herself.

Our living space began gliding across the glassy Mississippi, and in those first moments, there was a shred of surreal joy: Our hotel room would go wherever we chose to take it.

ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER BETWEEN ALMA, WIS., AND MINNEISKA, MINN. -- They say anyone can drive a houseboat on the mighty Mississippi, and they're mostly right.