It’s almost like Christmas morning. People are excited and chatting about what surprises might be in store, what treasures we might find on our American Countess cruise. We’ve come down to a bountiful breakfast in the Crystal Ballroom of The Brown Hotel in Louisville. Our luggage has been picked up, we already have our ship boarding passes, had our photos taken and will soon board the American Queen Voyages motorcoach for a short ride to the riverfront …
A century ago, guests at The Brown Hotel in Louisville would dance until the wee hours of the morning. Then they would head to the hotel restaurant for a bite to eat. Tired of serving the same old ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt surprised his hungry guests by creating an open-face turkey sandwich with bacon, tomatoes and delicate mornay sauce. Diners were delighted. And that’s how The Hot Brown was born. My grandson Logan and I …
It’s as synonymous with summer as the chirping song of birds and sweet visits to local ice cream parlors. The sharp whack of a bat against a ball brings back childhood memories of ballgames on the neighborhood vacant lot. With no scheduled time, kids seem to straggle in for an impromptu game until the field and makeshift dugouts are filled with players and fans. The score often seems to get lost as youngsters play into the twilight. …
The newborn was so small and lifeless that the attending nurse thought he must be stillborn. Placing the baby on a kitchen table, the nurse turned her attention to the mother after the difficult delivery. But the baby’s uncle thought there might still be a chance. Taking a puff on his cigar, the uncle breathed warm smoke into the child’s lungs. The result was immediate. The baby that had been feared dead began breathing and moving. That …
Stepping off the American Serenade and walking up the Nashville riverfront hill to the waiting American Cruise Lines motorcoach, a woman asked me if I would recommend cruising. An older single lady, she saw me walking alone and wondered if I had taken the cruise by myself. Sure did. Her first name was Carolyn and she lived in Nashville. She had seen the ship docked there for two days and had even checked out American Cruise Lines …
In the center stage of the Grand Ole Opry is a special piece of wood. It is from the old Ryman Auditorium. Can you imagine what it has seen? If it could talk, think about all the legends it could tell about. Over the years, thousands of performers have stood on this circle – Hank Williams, Jim Reeve, Patsy Cline, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, Johnny Cash, June Carter Cash, Little Jimmy Dickens. Even …
In the late 1800s, riverboat captain Thomas Ryman decided to go downtown and heckle a preacher at a Nashville revival. Instead, Ryman got converted. As part of his newfound faith, Ryman vowed to build a beautiful tabernacle for the minister, the Rev. Samuel Jones, that he had set out to torment. The result is one of Nashville’s most popular landmarks, the old Ryman Auditorium. A statue of Little Jimmy Dickens (1920-2015) stands outside the Ryman where he first performed in …
Patsy Cline saved the memories of her life. That memorabilia, after being locked away for more than half a century, can now be seen at the Patsy Cline Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. “Patsy Cline was very sentimental,” says museum founder Bill Miller. “I think people will be really surprised at what we have in the museum.” When the American Serenade docked in Nashville for two nights at the end of our cruise, I easily walked to the …
When Bill Miller was 13 years old, he went to a Johnny Cash concert that changed the course of his life. “Johnny Cash played a harmonica and tossed it into the audience when he was done,” Bill says. “I caught it.” That was just the beginning. Over the years, Bill collected a treasure trove of Johnny Cash memorabilia and became friends with the legendary entertainer. “I honestly can’t tell you how many pieces I have. It’s in …
My first meal on the new American Serenade gave a hint of the delicious cuisine we would be enjoying on our weeklong Music Cities Cruise. After checking out of The Guest House at Graceland where passengers had stayed the night before the cruise, we took a morning motorcoach ride around Memphis. We arrived at our ship just in time for lunch. The dining room on the Main Deck aft is large with plenty of room for even …
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