April 8, 2013

As you travel the mighty Mississippi River with the American Queen, you are struck by the steady procession of river traffic you encounter. And while the towboats and barges are the workhorses of the river, and the gilded casino boats festooned with lights and filigree are precisely the opposite, there is still a flavor of what the river once was. The beauty of a journey on the river creates a palpable sense of history. It’s not hard to imagine another time more than 200 years ago when the parade of river traffic was composed entirely of steamboats.

February 28, 2013

Manifest Destiny. It’s a term we all remember from our school days. But what does it really mean? Many credit John O’Sullivan, a newspaper editor and journalist in the 1840s, as one of those key men who put forward the principal that it was predetermined by God that America should rule the continent from Atlantic to Pacific. While he may not have been solely responsible for the idea, he is the first to coin the term Manifest Destiny. This came at a time when settlements west of the Mississippi River were few and far between, the most notable exception being the frontier town of San Francisco, which in 1849 was to undergo a rapid transformation after the discovery of gold in the nearby hills.

February 26, 2013

A funny thing about vacations is that we choose them, take them, and even while experiencing them, do so for very specific reasons. We might choose a vacation to St. Louis to see the huge stainless steel arch curving over 600 feet up into the sky or come to New Orleans to experience the restaurants and jazz clubs of Bourbon Street. We might put Memphis on our list because we want to spend the day at Graceland, home of the unforgettable Elvis Presley. But then something interesting happens.

February 19, 2013

What’s one of the first things you do when you visit a new city? For most people, the answer to that question is to quickly find a local and ask for recommendations for the best restaurants and attractions. While we all like to research our choices ahead of time, there’s nothing like the inside scoop from a native. And when you visit a place like New Orleans, the choices can certainly seem overwhelming. The reason we specifically mention the Big Easy is because it is our most frequently utilized homeport. In fact, we have more than two dozen voyages that either begin or end in New Orleans in 2013. If you’re leaving the American Queen at the end of your journey in New Orleans, our staff and crew are happy to offer suggestions on the best spots and the hidden gems that will give you a wonderful lasting impression. But if you’re staying in the city before boarding the American Queen as part of our complimentary one-night pre-cruise luxury hotel stay, an American Queen Steamboat Company signature, that might be a bit more challenging.

February 14, 2013

Today is the day that Cupid works his magic. Valentine’s Day is being celebrated all around the world with flowers, candy, balloons, cards and romantic dinners. It wasn’t always that way. Originally, the Feast of Saint Valentine was a liturgical celebration honoring an early Christian saint. No one can identify the specific saint, as it’s believed there were several named Valentinus. It wasn’t until Geoffrey Chaucer and the Middle Ages that the day became associated with courtship. By the 1400s, Valentine’s Day had grown into a day when flowers, candy and passionate notes were exchanged between lovers. It hasn’t changed too much since then and remains a reminder of how important love is in our lives.