- You can still find riverboat cruises, if you look hard enough.Riverboat paddle wheel image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
The legendary Mississippi River stretches more than 2,300 miles from Minnesota to the southernmost reaches of New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Immortalized by everyone from Mark Twain to "Showboat" composer Jerome Kern, the Mighty Mississippi still attracts visitors and tourists looking for a ride on the river. Although many of the classic steamboats that once plied the Mississippi have fallen on hard times, you can still find a few that offer cruises, both downriver and upriver. - Classic New Orleans jazz is performed on the Natchez dinner cruise.all that jazz image by Paolo Pizzimenti from Fotolia.com
Operated by the New Orleans Steamboat Company, the Natchez is a well-known classic steamboat that offers dinner jazz and harbor cruises on a regular basis. Operating out of the Toulouse Street Wharf in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the Natchez offers a two-hour Jazz Cruise that leaves at 7 p.m. and includes casual buffet dining, live jazz performed by the Dukes of Dixieland, indoor and outdoor seating, and fabulous views of the city and the Mississippi. Reservations are recommended for this cruise.
A two-hour daytime Harbor Cruise is a great way to do some sightseeing. There's an optional Creole lunch on board, and the trip is narrated. Passengers can also enjoy a live Calliope concert. The Harbor Cruise boards at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Call ahead for schedules and availability.
New Orleans Steamboat Company
400 N. Peters St., Suite 203
New Orleans, LA 70130 -1037
504-586-8777
steamboatnatchez.com/ - Enjoy a creole dinner aboard the Creole Queen.paddle wheel image by Tammy Mobley from Fotolia.com
This authentic paddlewheeler steamboat, which made her maiden voyage in 1983, also departs from New Orleans. The Creole Queen offers a three-hour Dinner Jazz Cruise that boards at 7 p.m. at the Canal Street Dock. For about $64 per adult, you get the cruise, a creole buffet dinner, jazz entertainment, and a cash bar. The Creole Queen is decked out in southern style, with wrought iron trim on its outer deck, Victorian draperies in the windows, and bars made from Louisiana Cypress.
The Paddlewheeler Creole Queen
#1 Poydras Street
Riverwalk Market Place, Box 39
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-529-4567 or 800-445-4109
creolequeen.com/ - Casino lovers might enjoy the Twilight cruise.casino image by Valery Sibrikov from Fotolia.com
If you'd like to splurge a little and stay overnight, you might consider booking a two-day trip along the Upper Mississippi on the Riverboat Twilight. The Twilight offers a round-trip cruise that takes you from its home port at Le Claire, Iowa, 166 miles down the Mississippi to Dubuque. There, you'll stay overnight at the Riverfront Grand Harbor Resort and return the next day to Le Claire. The hotel includes an attached 25,000-square-foot water park, evening transportation to a nearby casino and a full breakfast buffet in the morning. More modern than most riverboats, The Twilight is a reproduction with 21st century comforts, three sundecks, a dining room, and air conditioning. The overnight cruise includes performances by a Mark Twain impersonator and folk musicians. The 2010 rate of $329 includes all meals, activities and lodging.
River Cruises
P.O. Box 172
Scales Mound, IL 61075
1-800-331-1467
riverboattwilight.com/index2010.htm
The Steamboat Natchez
The Paddlewheeler Creole Queen
The Riverboat Twilight
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