I’ve had my say during the past week about the pleasures of cruising the upper Mississippi – a journey I found far more engaging than my two previous cruises on the lower river between New Orleans and St. Louis. I’m certainly not the first nor the finest writer to make that observation…but here’s what the man who was – Mark Twain — had to say on the subject in the Chicago Tribune, July 9, 1886: “It is …
ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-What a great day we had in St. Paul, to conclude our Upper Mississippi voyage onboard Queen of the Mississippi! Mel and I feel sorry for passengers who rushed to fly out Saturday morning without paying a visit to Minnesota’s capital city. After ditching our bags at the downtown Doubletree by Hilton hotel, we made a beeline to the St. Paul Farmers’ Market. Founded in 1853 and featuring more than 300 vendors, it’s …
ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Red Wing is a good candidate for “the little town that could” title. With a miniscule population of 16,000, it has a huge reputation for its resourcefulness and productivity. Settled by Scandinavian immigrants in the 1840s, it soon became the primary wheat market in the world. It was here that Alexander P. Anderson invented puffed wheat and puffed rice. Red Wing shoes and boots have been made there for nearly a century – …
ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Great weather continues to follow us up the Mississippi – although it turned a bit chilly for our morning arrival in Dubuque. We warmed quickly to the city, however, with its revitalized riverfront that features a spectacular glass and stone events center, a four-star resort hotel and waterpark – and the huge and handsome National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium – which was our objective for an ACL-included self-guided tour. A Smithsonian affiliate, …
ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Sunny skies and near 70-degree temperatures greeted Queen of the Mississippi’s arrival in Davenport, IA, where passengers could choose from two included tours – a visit to the John Deere Pavilion or the John Hauberg Indian Museum. As I mentioned in the introduction to my blog, I have fond childhood memories of climbing around on my grandpa’s John Deere tractor during visits to the family farm in Illinois, so I was at the …
ABOARD QUEEN OF THE MISSISSIPPI-Historically linked to the Mississippi River as the town that most inspired America’s greatest author and humorist, Mark Twain, Hannibal proved the perfect first port of call on our voyage to St. Paul. Twain spent his boyhood years in Hannibal – a young rascal then known as Samuel Clemens – where childhood experiences sparked his huge imagination, leading to some of the world’s most widely read novels. Naturally the town is all about …
There is a new riverboat on the Mississippi and Uncommon Journeys, the leader in North American rail and cruise travel, is proud to announce its 2014 Riverboat and Train schedule featuring American Cruise Lines’ Queen of the Mississippi. With three different cruises that showcase the first paddlewheel riverboat built for overnight travel in a decade, the itineraries combine the golden era of travel with today’s modern technology and personalized service. “Over the years, Uncommon Journeys has worked …
River cruising isn’t just in Europe, you know. We have plenty of rivers here in the U.S. as well. American Cruise Lines has announced the addition of four-night cruises to the Queen of the Mississippi’s 2013 schedule. The cruise line notes, “three days shorter than the standard itinerary length on the Mississippi River, the new cruises will focus on the various plantations found along the river.” The new cruises are round trip from New Orleans and include …
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