Photo courtesy American Queen
When looking for a diversion close to home, one might opt for a Caribbean cruise, a music festival, or an in-state vacation in a small town. But if you’re looking for a real dose of Americana, the Mississippi River could be your best bet.
Sleepy river towns like Natchez and St. Francisville are seeing an uptick in visitors from riverboats, a consequence of the increasing popularity of the iconic, nostalgia-heavy tours they offer, mainly from retirees and foreigners eager to explore the heart of the country in luxurious comfort. American Queen and American Cruise Lines are the biggest operators, but smaller businesses are eager to get in on the trend, too. French America Line just announced a new base in Gretna.
Docked in Baton Rouge, the American Queen was about to embark on the last leg of its week-long journey. It had just spent the past day in the city, its guests streaming on and off at their leisure to explore the amenities of the downtown area. I joined the excursion and was provided a room on the fifth deck named after Joshua Stoddard, who patented the calliope, a steam-powered organ, in the 1850s. All of the rooms had placards denoting iconic Mississippi River namesakes.
The room was decorated like an upscale hotel, but smaller and cozier, with a generous bed and dark, rich woodwork. Pulling away from shore, the view from the fifth deck was punctuated by a cacophonous, high-pitched rendition of “Dixie” as the boat was untethered from its giant ropes and the big red paddlewheel started rolling. While classified as a steamboat, the American Queen technically draws only about half of its power from the steam room and paddlewheel; there’s a reason this form of power went out of style: it’s pretty inefficient.
The biggest boat of its kind, the Queen was built in 1995. It’s not exactly a replica, but it’s modeled after historic steamboats. For many, that’s an important part of the appeal. Geoff and Anne Fraser traveled all of the way from Sydney, Australia, to take a tour on the Mississippi. Geoff said the authenticity was important to them: “It’s something we’ve always wanted to do. You hear about it growing up, even in Australia … that far away. So it’s a bit of a mystery, and New Orleans has always been an attraction.”
Far from the utilitarian rides of yesteryear, these boats have it all. There are typically two routes—the upper Mississippi, from Minneapolis to St. Louis (a preferred summer route) and the lower Mississippi, which runs from Memphis to New Orleans. The boats are several stories high (accommodating about four hundred guests), include all meals, and feature entertainment in venues like the one modeled after the theatre in which Abraham Lincoln was shot.
It was the dinner hour on the Queen, and riders began gathering in the various dining areas. One was an informal buffet on the stern of the ship, called The Front Porch, where hot classics like chicken and mashed potatoes were served alongside a made-to-order hot bar with pasta. Weather permitting, diners could choose outdoor seating, and porch swings took advantage of the view and muggy evening breeze. The dining hall, my choice, was a white tablecloth affair, providing gratis wine and a three-course meal along the lines of oysters Rockefeller, fresh, flaky fish, and a beet salad.
Holland Ware, a 78-year-old riverboat aficionado from Georgia, takes several trips each year. He runs his timber business from the boat and, in his down time, enjoys the simple pleasure of sitting on the deck and drinking a Diet Coke. “There are so many people here who have decided they don’t need to leave that much to their grandchildren,” he said. “Money means nothing to us.”
A week on one of the two major riverboat lines can cost between $2,000 and $4,000, all-inclusive. That’s nearly twice the price of a Caribbean cruise. I asked if Ware thought the popularity of riverboats would end with his generation. He scoffed, “I don’t think so at all; interest will increase.” He argued that as people age, they are more interested in comfort and luxury, and “… the reputation is spreading about riverboats, and the ease and pleasures of riding.”
He might be right. About ten thousand people will step off of riverboats along the lower Mississippi this year; that number was zero just a few years ago. And more boats are coming next spring.
I drank a few gin and tonics and took a dip in the rooftop pool before bed, which, after a day in the Louisiana summer sun, felt more like a hot tub. Still, I slept like a rock, and when I awoke, we were docked. It doesn’t take long to travel from Baton Rouge to White Castle’s Nottaway Plantation; the boat had probably only chugged along for a few hours before landing.
Breakfast was a lazy affair of hot oatmeal and brown sugar on The Front Porch, reading in the morning sun and looking out across the wide river, which was flanked by thick forest. The view was decidedly different from downtown Baton Rouge’s cityscape, and it was relaxing to be out in the country.
Later that morning, I left the boat and trekked over the levee in the hot sun. Other travelers rode bikes or waited for tours at the plantation, which has seen a definite uptick in visitors due to the boats. A bartender chatted familiarly with the boat staff, who gathered for afternoon drinks as the tourists explored the plantation or took swamp tours in the 90-plus degree heat.
The afternoon was spent in pleasant aimlessness, checking out the band in the music hall, dinner again, a few glasses of red wine, then a deck-top view of the emerging stars as the massive boat slid effortlessly along the batture, which looked wild and untamed in the dusk. I slept like a baby and woke up docked at port in New Orleans, wishing I’d been able to stay onboard just a few more days. k
