Preparing for American Queen cruise
An early morning fog shrouds the river because the American Queen makes her method alongside the Mississippi River. Superstition, far-fetched tales and ghosts hang-out the river. And even such a frequent incidence as fog can have a narrative behind it.
The legend goes that fog on a river is brought on by Old Man River smoking his pipe. In the previous days, deckhands would intentionally dribble little bits of tobacco into the river as they stood on the deck having fun with a short smoke.
When Old Man River had collected sufficient tobacco for his pipe, then he’d mild up and the river can be stuffed with fog from his smoke. The boat must tie up ashore and deckhands would get an sudden relaxation.
Every river city has its share of tales, former riverboat captain Mickey Karr advised me way back. “Whether you believe them or not is up to you.”
Mickey then proceeded to recount a narrative of previous Natchez-Under-the-Hill in Mississippi. “Back in those days, that was a pretty rough place to be. Seems there was a card game going on one day and a big fellow who was losing jumped up and began accusing a little fellow of cheating.”
What adopted, Mickey stated, “wasn’t a fair fight. Then a guy from the back of the room comes forward and cuts off the big fellow’s ear with his knife. The guy with the knife was Jim Bowie and that was the end of that fight.”
The story goes on to say the knife utilized by well-known knife creator Jim Bowie was so sharp it whacked off the ear with out shedding a drop of blood. “Some of these stories get added on so much over the years,” Mickey stated, “that it’s hard to know what’s true and what’s not.”
Tale of three lovely sisters
This is a tragic however true story. Once upon a time, there have been three lovely sisters. The Delta Queen. The American Queen. And the Mississippi Queen. The trio of riverboats cruised America’s waterways, introducing delighted passengers to large cities and small cities alongside the nation’s rivers.
Unfortunately, two of the beloved boats are now not cruising. Launched in 1927, the Delta Queen was a favourite with cruise passengers till in 2008 she misplaced her congressional exemption from the 1966 Safety at Sea Act.
Built of wooden, the Delta Queen was thought of unsafe for in a single day cruising. After serving as a docked restaurant and floating in a single day resort in Chattanooga from 2009 to 2014, the Delta Queen was towed to Houma, Louisiana, in March 2015 to be renovated for cruising.
After a lot help and signed petitions, a regulation was signed just a few years in the past for an exemption that might permit the picket steamboat to function once more, regardless of the 1966 security regulation that required such vessels to be constructed of noncombustible supplies.
Last I heard, the legendary ship listed as a National Historic Landmark was in limbo.
As for the magnificent Mississippi Queen, the wonderful riverboat met an inglorious finish. Launched in 1976, the Mississippi Queen had many devoted followers, together with me. I used to be on her inaugural cruise and hoped to journey together with her for a few years to return. But Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 put an finish to all that.
Left improperly protected, the magnificent riverboat didn’t fare nicely throughout or after the hurricane. Laid up on the Perry Street Wharf in New Orleans, the Mississippi Queen was lastly gutted and offered for scrap in 2009. She was towed for the final time to Morgan City, Louisiana, to be demolished. May her soul relaxation in peace.
8 Night – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen
Photos by Jackie Sheckler Finch
- The American Queen was launched in 1995.
- The American Queen cruises by way of a moonlit evening.
- A Paducah floodwall mural commemorates the day on July 2, 1996, when the Delta Queen, Mississippi Queen and American Queen visited the town concurrently.
- A towboat follows within the paddlewheel wake of the American Queen.
- Itinerary for my American Queen cruise from Memphis to St. Louis.
- Oak Alley contains a cover of lovely 300-year-old oaks.
American Queen the ‘belle of the rivers’
As for the American Queen, she is alive and nicely. Built in 1995, the paddle wheeler is a six-deck recreation of a traditional Mississippi riverboat. Owned by American Queen Voyages, the steamboat together with her vivid purple paddlewheel, fluted stacks and lovely fretwork seems to be as if she simply sailed out of the Victorian period.
The American Queen can be my weeklong house for a cruise from Memphis to St. Louis with stops in New Madrid, Missouri; Paducah, Kentucky; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Kimmswick, Missouri; and Alton, Illinois.
Perhaps I’ll hear some extra superstitions and myths. I undoubtedly can be writing in regards to the wonderful American Queen and what I uncover on my cruise. Hope you’ll come alongside to see what we discover.
Werewolves and such
As for river tales, one other legend alongside the Mississippi coast issues Oak Alley in Vacherie, Louisiana, one of many South’s most picturesque mansions. The story goes {that a} rich planter who as soon as lived there imported a thousand spiders, turned them unfastened within the oak timber and contrived to have them spin webs as decorations for his daughter’s backyard marriage ceremony, then had gardeners sprinkle the webs with gold mud to show the property right into a glittering wonderland.
Believe that, river of us say, and so they’ll let you know one of the vital far-fetched tales ever to hang-out the river.
It goes like this: According to old-timers, yearly a sure embankment alongside the river performs host to an enormous gathering of “loups-garoux” – the Cajun-French expression for werewolves. Supposedly, the wolfmen collect to frolic and dance below the sunshine of a superb full moon.
It is exceedingly harmful to gaze upon this unearthly spectacle, river of us warn, until you might be armed with a bag of salt or a bag of dwell frogs. No one ventures to clarify what salt or frogs should do with werewolves.
Maybe they imagine that in case your creativeness lets you conjure up the sight of those furry creatures within the first place, you then received’t have any hassle believing you’ll be protected by somewhat salt or a few toads.
Ed. Notes: See cruises right here:
American Queen Voyages Cruises
8 Night – Memphis to St. Louis – American Queen (cruisecompete.com)
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