ST. MARY PARISH — Few families would attempt a 93-day paddling journey down the Mississippi River, but Nikki Bettis and seven of her 15 children are proving the impossible can be possible. Starting in Minnesota and following the true route along the Atchafalaya, the family plans to finish at Burns Point on Tuesday. This adventure is part of a lifestyle Bettis embraced after her divorce, turning personal challenges into full-time exploration and content creation with her children.
“If you waited till you had all the answers, you’d never go,” Bettis said, reflecting on the mindset that launched the family into their adventure.
Her son, 15-year-old Gatlin Bettis, explained the impact of seeing his younger siblings take on such challenges. “Look at us and be like, 'If the seven-year-old did it, then I can do it,'” he said.
The Bettis family’s adventures are not new. Before the Mississippi journey, 13 of the children hiked the Appalachian Trail together. Bettis said the trips started as a way to cope, eventually leading to a blog chronicling their experiences and then full-time content creation.
“The actual Mississippi wants to exit the Gulf through the Atchafalaya,” Bettis said, describing how the manmade changes to the river have directed it toward New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
The trips also serve an educational purpose. Bettis, who homeschools her children, integrates learning into every mile. “We’ve tied in education into this whole journey… the kids get to see the cultures and the people,” she said. Gatlin added, “There’s a lot of history out here… and that’s really cool.”
Bettis emphasized the challenges and responsibilities of parenting in such circumstances. “I think whether it’s 15 or it’s one, you’re still a parent… and you have all that responsibility and broken heart involved,” she said.
The journey has given the family a chance to reconnect and explore life outside the pressures of daily society. “To go reconnect as a family away from the noises of society… we did exactly that,” Bettis said.
Looking ahead, the Bettis family has no plans to slow down. They hope to hike the Pacific Crest Trail or bike the Continental Divide Trail as their next adventure, continuing the lifestyle they built from resilience, exploration, and shared family experiences.
