Personal Critique

Opinions: Since we missed all but one of our scheduled stops, we were not impressed with this cruise. The food and service was pretty good. The complementary soda, beer, and wine was a nice plus. For the most part the entertainment was fair. It was mostly groups that played their own songs unknown to us. The one night a group played American Favorites was better than any other night. Our Riverlorian speaker was adequate, though he repeated many things. The biggest disappoint was not going to our ports of call, with very little explanation about the changes. Our first stop was New Madrid, which we enjoyed very much. We were furnished with a map, with comprehensive information to enjoy your time there. We did not make our second stop - We were taken on a 30-45 minute bus ride to get to and from, with very little time left to see anything. Our next stop was Dover, which we missed altogether. That was supposed to be an interesting visit with Civil War history at Fort Donaldson, the Surrender House, and much more. Our two days in Clarksville (Nashville) ended up being our disembarkation morning so we only got to do the extra excursion we paid for to take us to the airport. Of course, we did not have any included excursions for either of our last two ports. They did take us to the Discovery Park of America one of the days, which would be a nice stop for families with children.

I also wanted to say something about our cabin. It was the smallest cabin we have ever been in. However, that part did not bother us. The beds were comfortable and the shower was spacious by cruising standards. I was happy we did not pay the extra for a balcony. The balcony lay-out is such that you have people walking through your balcony as it is part of the promenade around each deck. There are a few private balconies attached to the most expensive cabins, which of course cost a small fortune. I might add, there was complementary Wi-Fi that worked pretty well about 90% of the time. For the reasons stated, we would think long and hard before booking another US River Cruise. I really didn't do any research because my step-brother and sister-in-law chose the itinerary and we wanted to go with them. Perhaps it was because it was a "Music On The River" themed cruise - they have other themed cruises. I felt bad for them because they had been planning this trip for years. They commented that the other trip they took RT New Orleans was so much better. I really think we would have had a totally different experience if we had been able to see our stops along the way. While there is obviously a disclosure that there are no guarantees about much of anything, most cruises do something for the passengers when half or more of your trip has been rearranged or canceled. This is an expensive trip compared to ocean voyages. We still want to try a European River cruise, we would definitely want a French Balcony for that!

More River Cruise Information

Dining Options: There are two main eating areas on the American Queen. First is Front Porch dining, which is a self-serve cafe of sorts. There are also snacks there all the time such as popcorn, ice cream, cookies, fruit, etc. Second is the Dining Room where we had dinner last night. We opted for the Dining Room for lunch. Once we were there we discovered even in the Dining Room there are two options - order off the menu or help yourself at the buffet or both of course!

Shore Excursions: In each port we have Hop-On, Hop-Off buses that are exclusively American Queen. There are specific stops along they way that are included excursions, along with other things to see. There are also Premiere Excursions in some ports, which you can pay extra for. The day before you stop in a port you go to a machine in the lobby and get your free boarding pass for the bus. Therefore, there is no rush for the first bus, etc. For instance, tomorrow the buses begin at 8:45a and depart from the boat every 15 minutes. After the first 2 hours you no longer need a boarding pass to get on the buses. You get a map in every port and your return time to the boat is noted on the map. I think they have it very organized as most of the people on this boat are our age or older! I think that just about explains how the system works.

Day 9 - Heading Home

Our final day, we are up early of course. We were in the Grand Saloon before the appointed time of 6:30a. We were surprised there was no coffee in the Foyer as there was every other morning. However, John was great and went back up to the Front Porch area to get us some coffee to go. I think we got off the boat at the appointed time. Welcome to Clarksville! The sun is just coming up!

The luggage was arranged in sections with our group number. Soon we were on our way to Nashville. Since our flight isn't until 4:25p we purchased this extra excursion to full the morning hours. A bus tour of the city and a couple hours at the Country Music Hall of Fame is the plan for the day. I didn't realize just how far Clarksville was from Nashville, it is a solid 1 hour+ drive. If we had been here the day before as planned, we would have seen much more of the area. There are varied exhibits at the Country Music Hall of Fame, walls and walls of gold records, fabulous clothing the stars wore, even Elvis' Gold Cadillac is on display. Bob Dylan and Johnnie Cash have a special exhibit right now, along with Shania Twain, and others as well. We arrived before they opened at 9a and left at 11a. 

Country Music Hall of Fame

After our visit there we had the city tour. We didn't stop anywhere but saw a few interesting things. I especially liked the Bicentennial Park. It was very well done. As we entered the Bicentennial Park we stopped at 7th Avenue in front of the railroad trestles. The old creosote soaked wooden trestles have been replaced with modern architecturally ascetic steel structures. At your feet you will find a 200ft wide granite map of the state of Tennessee, complete with the 95 counties and all of the major rivers and tributaries of the state. A major attraction of the park for the kids in the summer is the “Tennessee Fountains”. Thirty-one geyser-like fountains, which represent the thirty-one most predominant waterways of Tennessee. There is a Pathway of History with a WWII memorial. This memorial contains huge pillars of black granite photo etched with images from the battles of WWII. There are also short descriptions below each photo that describe the images and their importance to Tennessee history. These granite pillars surround a very impressive 18,000-ton black granite globe that floats and rotates on a 1/8-inch bed of water. The globe is etched with markings of how a globe would have looked during WWII. Here you will also find seven benches that represent the seven Tennessee recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor. While we did not get out, we were able to see the globe rotating. Such a well done and impressive park. I would have liked to take a walking tour, maybe another time. These photos are courtesy of the internet since photos through a bus window do not show things very well.

We were dropped off at the airport at 12:30p exactly as stated. After our wait we were happy to board, our flights were on time and we were home before 10p. Rod and Sharon are staying in Nashville a couple more days. We are thankful for another trip together and that we were able to spend some quality time with Rod and Sharon. We are blessed and grateful. 

Day 8 - On The River

Today was interesting because we went through a lock. I think the trip would have been more interesting overall if our itinerary would have stayed the course. Anyway, we left Hickman, KY this morning and went through the Kentucky Dam Lock before noon. It was similar to a Panama Canal lock, just smaller. It didn't take long to clear the lock at all. The rain arrived and we had that off and on today. 

Into the Lock

The Lock is Closing

Bingo this afternoon, the captain's farewell, then dinner, and finally the show for the evening. We did have excellent food and service from the staff. 

On our way to dinner

Our suitcases are packed and outside of our door before the 11p appointed time. With just our carry on, we could take it off ourselves. However, we don't know the situation at disembarkation so we will just get out suitcase at the bus in the morning. It will be an early day as we need to be in the Great Saloon by 6:30a. We should be home by this time tomorrow!

Day 7 - Hickman, KY

Here we are in Hickman, KY today. We are just off the Mississippi in a little channel that seems to service ferry boats and such. I guess we are fortunate they have a place for us. The American Queen buses are here to take us to the Discovery Park of America in Union City, TN. This is about 30+ minutes away from our boat. The buses were waiting for us. While it appears this place is mostly geared for families with children it is the only thing on the agenda today. There is a really nice, small, collection of classic cars. There is also an 1800's village, and a small military sampling of things. 

We got back to the boat in time to have lunch. The food is delicious for the most part. Ribs were the highlight of the day, along with the macaroni and cheese. Certainly, not "light" fare but more southern cooking and delicious. 

We sat around and watched the ferry come and go a few times and then we left this little burg about 5p just before dinner. I was surprised we had lobster for dinner, indeed it was delicious! 

Beautiful Night on the Mississippi

We are told the water level is low enough and the lock is open. Apparently we will be making it to Clarksville (Nashville) by tomorrow at 5p. While we will not get the free tours, we will get a tour of the city on our way to the airport that we paid extra for. 

Day 6 - Ft. Massac State Park - Metropolis, IL

Yes, we're still in the same place. There was some hope we might move in the night but of course that didn't happen. There is constant grumbling and whispering about what is really going on. No one has told us what is happening. Some say the lock is broken and has been broken since last Sunday. The official story is that the water is just not low enough to go into the lock. There is an "Official Town Meeting" at 1p. Hopefully we will learn some facts. 

The Chief of Police Car - Metropolis

Can you see the Superman Emblem on the car? 
There is a statue of Superman in the town! 

Meanwhile, we get back on the HO-HO to go back into Paducah to see the Floodwall/River Walk and the Quilt Museum. Both were small but interesting. We would have been docked steps away from the Floodwall if things had gone as they were supposed to. Some of the murals were really outstanding. For some reason we were told to be back on the boat by 11:30a. Again, with the drive into Paducah being at least 30 minutes, it really doesn't give us much time. All the early bus tickets were taken quite quickly last night. We were fortunate to get the last 4 tickets for the 9:40a time. Today we have no guide on the bus so we don't know what we are looking anyway. We saw a few things and then walked to a less crowded bus stop since the one at the Quilt Museum had enough people waiting to fill at least 2 buses. 

One Mural Along the Floodwall Walk

Chickasaw Indians as Lewis & Clark Passed through.

 They were not concerned. 

Little did they know what the future would hold. 

Back onboard for lunch. As we are eating we see we have begun to move, but AWAY from the lock we need to pass, not toward it. Following lunch we have the much anticipated meeting. The captain says we are reversing our course. We are heading to a tributary of some sort and our destination for tomorrow will be Hickman, KY. He laughs when he says he really doesn't know what's there and how we are going to get in and out of there but we need more fuel and more water than the fire trucks in Metropolis can provide for us. I guess part of it is a joke. Half the crowd laughs as well but I wonder if they even understand what he is saying? Certainly, we cannot fault him for the water not receding but if we are not being told the truth, it is troubling. With yesterday's guide telling us it was a lock problem, another guide said the lock has been closed since Sunday, some staff saying we knew we would not get beyond this point, some staff saying this happens a lot, etc. Whatever the situation is, we would like to know the truth. It's frustrating. I suspect IF they said they knew about the lock on Sunday there would be a lot of unhappy people wanting a partial refund.

Work Along the River

For sure it was coal, maybe grain in one

Anyway, we are on our way to Hickman, KY. After refueling there and spending the day, we will head back to Paducah. We hope to go through the lock on Oct 15, by 10:30a. IF we do, we will be able to make it to Clarksville (Nashville) close to our appointed time for disembarkation. If not, it will depend on IF/WHEN we get through the lock - when and where we will disembark. We could go on a bus to Nashville from either Metropolis, Paducah, or Dover (the stop we are missing). No one seems to really know. If we don't make it through the lock, it will definitely be Metropolis. I feel sad for Rod and Sharon because they don't travel much. They have wanted to do this "Musical" riverboat tour for 14 years! She is very disappointed. 

Time for dinner, which was delicious. I will say they have top-notch food!

Short Ribs

Scallops

Dessert - Peach Cobbler

We skipped the shows this evening. The singer is from Fresno and we heard her before. She was okay. We are up against the shore right now. I hope that is on purpose... We are supposed to get fuel and water at the Economy Boat Store and I think we are in line for that. We shall see what tomorrow brings!

Day 5 - Ft. Massac State Park - Metropolis, IL

Today didn't go as planned on the river. I guess we went through a lock last night, which was disappointing because we wanted to experience that. When we got up we were docked at Metropolis, IL. We are apparently unable to move forward though the next lock due to the level of the water. It is a little unclear to me just why that is an issue or what caused it, but there is little information about  this problem. All morning they kept saying we would go through the next lock as soon as possible. We are not far from our appointed spot in Paducah, KY - in fact our boat is in KY because the shore in the state line with IL and KY. We were told that once we were underway it would take 3 hours to reach our port in Paducah, KY. After waiting all morning a decision was made to call the buses here and allow us to get off and if need be we would be taken to the boat docked in Paducah. That sounded good but we didn't want to miss the experience of going through the lock so we just got off and walked around Ft. Massac State  Park, which we could see from the boat. The most interesting thing we wanted to see was what we thought was a graveyard, but it was not really a graveyard at all once we got there. There was a nice little museum that Sharon and I looked at briefly. This fort was governed by Spanish, French, English, etc. It was also destroyed many times and rebuilt, the last time in 2002, to host re-enactments. 

Ft. Massac State Park

We re-boarded, had our lunch and waited. John is tired so that was okay to wait anyway. Around 2p we are told that we will not be going through the lock today after all. So, we decided we would take the bus into Paducah. Sadly, it took about 45 minutes to get to the National Quilt Museum and it was too late to see it because it was closed. We will try again tomorrow morning. There is also a small Lloyd Tilghman House and Civil War Museum, and the Floodwall Murals along the river. We got to see most of the Floodwall Murals from the bus route today. Hopefully, we will see more tomorrow. 

John Staying the course

Here on the state line

 Our Boat is in KY and the shore is IL

John with one foot in KY and one foot in IL!

So we are back for a brief rest before dinner and then a Blue Grass show shortly after dinner. There is a lot of "talk" around the boat that we don't always get past this point. That would be disappointing BUT we must be flexible when traveling. According to the announcements it is all about the water level. According to our local guide on the bus, it is because the dam we cannot cross was supposed to be improved 20 years ago and they keep working on it to keep it workable. I guess CA is not the only state to ignore necessary "fixes" that need to be done! We shall see what tomorrow brings. At this point in time, we are scheduled to leave here at noon. I have a suspicious feeling that we might be taking a bus to Nashville. We shall see...

Dinner Delights

Oysters

 Lamb

 Mississippi Mud Pie

Day 4 - New Madrid, Missouri

Good Morning on the River

Tidbit of news for the day. In New Madrid you will find the Madrid fault. There are lots of earthquakes here daily, though you typically do not feel them. At one time there were some pretty severe earthquakes and strange happenings in the early 1800's, you can read about that here: Madrid Earthquakes.

New Madrid

Breakfast and then to the Hop-On, Hop-Off bus. I think this type of River Cruise is geared to an older or less active sort of clientele. The first stop on the HOHO was just about a 5-10 minute walk from the boat. In fact, stops 1-4 were really right next to each other! :-) It seems to take longer to get people on and off the bus than it would take to walk to the next stop. That is absolutely FINE and it is good to know there are cruises for people with a lower functioning level, as that will surely be us one day! 

Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site

 A Square Baby Grand Piano

We thought the most interesting thing on the list today was the Hunter-Dawson Historic Site. This home is almost completely filled with the furniture that Mrs. Dawson bought to fill the home just before her husband died of Yellow Fever. She was pregnant with her 9th child at the time, but she lived in the home, despite the death of her husband. The furnishings were quite expensive, about $7K then, now it would be more than $48K. The home has flooded multiple times, so the carpet downstairs is made of period designs, though the don't know the original design. It is interesting that the entry "looks" like tile but it is actually canvas stretched over wood floor! I enjoyed the visit very much. After we got back on the bus we got off downtown and walked to the overlook on the river and then back to the boat. We didn't have a lot of time in town today. For our next stop, we stay overnight. It was good to get off the boat and see/do things. New Madrid is a small burg and I suspect if these boats didn't stop here there would be little income for the town itself. However, back in the past it was a key city of the times along the river. 

Back onboard for lunch, a short stop. We rested this afternoon and then enjoyed dinner and a show afterward. 

Our Dinners

Day 3 - On the Lower Mississippi

Thankfully we had a good night's sleep. So good that John almost missed breakfast! I took my shower and got ready while he went and had breakfast in the dining room, he is a saint to bring back coffee for me. We just made it to the River Orientation in time (9:30). It was very interesting. We learned the following facts: Where the Ohio and Mississippi meet, it is the largest confluence of rivers in the US. We will pass 2 locks on the Ohio River, one is around 60ft. They never refer to North, South, East, or West on the river because we will be going EACH of these directions along the river. You are either going "up" or "down" the river - We are going up. You must give right-of-way to boats going down river. We cruise at the astonishing speed of 7 mph. They do not refer to knots in speed either, but miles per hour. The upper and lower Mississippi are treated like two different rivers in regard to navigation purposes. Directly after the River Chat we had a Shore Excursion orientation. It was good to finally understand the process. See more on that below. 

After these to events we went outside to see what we could see along the river. We were approaching our first bridge (that we were aware of) and they announced they would be putting down the smoke stacks to go beneath the bridge. They simply lay them over into a sort of cradle and then pull them back up later. It is slow moving and peaceful along the river but it is time for lunch now! Another enjoyable meal! There are options this afternoon. 1:15p is a documentary about building the American Queen (largest steamboat in the world), 2:15p is Banjomania with Will Kiefer and the Steamboat Syncopators, and then Bingo, $5 per card, at 3:15p. The activities are different from those on cruise ships,  it is a more mellow atmosphere with relaxation and watching the river go by, which is very nice, just different. 

The Stacks are down!

Chandelier from the 1904 World's Fair

Sharon and I played Bingo at 3:15p, no we are not bragging about our winnings that didn't even come close. We all went to the Captain's welcome and from that straight to dinner. It was delicious. After dinner we went up to deck 4 and watched lightening in the distance, no rain today. From there we went to the 7:45p show, the blues and well done. The guys went back to their respective cabins but Sharon and I enjoyed the rest of the show. That's it for tonight. 

Show

Dining Options: There are two main eating areas that I know of so far. First is Front Porch dining, which is a self-serve cafe of sorts. There are also snacks there all the time such as popcorn, ice cream, cookies, fruit, etc. Second is the Dining Room where we had dinner last night. We opted for the Dining Room for lunch. Once we were there we discovered even in the Dining Room there are two options - order off the menu OR help yourself at the buffet OR both of course! 

Shore Excursions: In each port we have Hop-On, Hop-Off buses that are exclusively American Queen. There are specific stops along they way that are included excursions, along with other things to see. There are also Premiere Excursions in some ports that you can pay extra for. The day before you stop in a port you go to a machine in the lobby and get your free boarding pass for the bus. Therefore, there is no rush for the first bus, etc. For instance, tomorrow the buses begin at 8:45a and depart from the boat every 15 minutes. After the first 2 hours you no longer need a boarding pass to get on the buses. You get a map in every port and your return time to the boat is noted on the map. I think they have it very organized as most of the people on this boat are our age or older! I think that just about explains how the system works. 

Day 2 - Memphis to Boat

For some reason we both slept very little last night. Maybe we were just over-tired? Morning  came early because we needed to have our suitcase packed and ready by 8a for pick up. We were on our way to breakfast and met up with Rod and Sharon. We ate together and then they left on their tour to Graceland. We went back to our room and rested for a little bit and then checked out. We wanted to see the Peabody Ducks at 11a. Even when arriving early for this, there was no room to see them get off the elevator and head to the fountain. However, we did see them in the fountain. They are happy there and stay in the fountain from 11a-5p. They are well fed and don't seem to mind all the people. After taking a few photos we headed off for the short walk to Beale Street. We were a bit shocked at how warm it was for this time of year. The humidity is at least 87% and was 90F so it felt pretty warm. After perusing Beale Street we stopped at the Hard Rock Cafe for a cold drink and snack. Then it was a short walk back to the Peabody and awaiting our bus transfer to the American Queen. I would say it was about a 20 minute drive to the river where the American Queen was docked. 

Memphis-Beale Street

Hard Rock Cafe

We boarded and unpacked, by then it was almost time for the Muster. We did that just "half way" because the captain said a squall was headed our way and that we might get soaked if we went to the outside area. As it was, the squall took longer to arrive but the Muster was adequate. 

Welcome Aboard

Muster-Sharon & Rod

John and I went up to Deck 5 thinking we would see more but then back past our Deck 4 and to Deck 3 to have a cold drink and popcorn. This small area has cookies, popcorn, ice cream, sandwich fixings, and a bar. I think it is open all the time. By the time we finished our cold drink and a bit of popcorn it was time for dinner. We are hungry as we only had a snack at the Hard Rock Cafe.  The menu was pretty extensive. There were 3 appetizers, 5 soup/salad choices, and I think 8 entree choices. Sharon and I had the "petite" New York cut, which was anything but petite! This is when we found out you can order half portions for your meals if you choose to do so. John and Rod had the catfish, which was a smaller portion but also plenty. All of it was very good. Next was the Captain's Welcome. Exhaustion is setting in and John and I skipped the musical presentation tonight. With so little sleep last night, we just want to go to bed. We are trying to stay up until 9p for sure! Oh, I meant to say that rain showed up during dinnertime! We have a nice window seat for dining so we got to watch. 

Beautiful Threatening Skies

Appetizer - Fried Green Tomatoes with Lump Crab

Berry Cobbler with Ice Cream

Day 1 - Memphis, Tennessee

We made it! The Peabody Memphis Hotel - It is quite the destination in itself! It's all about the "ducks" too, so maybe we will see these famous ducks in the morning?

Our Fresno to Dallas and Dallas to Memphis flights were uneventful. That is the best kind! We had a LONG walk from our arrival gate to our departure gate in Dallas so we took a shuttle. I think that was wise. Save ourselves for what is  really important!

Our room is lovely and tastefully decorated. After dropping our bags in our room we went down to the Lobby Bar and had an appetizer and drink before going to bed. Rod and Sharon went to bed before we left Dallas, so we will see them tomorrow. They left home in Oregon about 1:30a so they were beat. Tomorrow we have to have our suitcase ready at 8a to transport to the American Queen. Not just sure what time we will be transferred, we were too late to find that out tonight, so we will find out in the morning as well. I don't like having meds and such to drag around all day but we'll see how that works out. 

Our Hotel 

Appetizers and Drinks 

I am leaving my posts at "home time"