Unexpected and Unforgettable Moments

[HostDave]

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.

We discover more than we ever expected, and the most unforgettable memories that we take away from our trip are not the reason we choose to go there at all. While the giant Gateway Arch might have been spectacular, especially glowing at night under the lights shining up from the foundation, the single moment we remember best about St. Louis might be the little Italian café in the shadow of the arch where we tried fried ravioli, a city specialty, for the very first time. Perhaps the time of day was just right, the long rays of the evening sun casting the shadows of old-fashioned lamp posts across the cobblestone streets, and the sweet fragrance of geraniums in flower pots by the sidewalk scenting the still air.

And although there is no denying that the restaurants and jazz clubs in the French Quarter and along Bourbon Street are world-class, it could be that the moment that dominates our memories is chatting with a waitress at Mandina’s Restaurant in the area known as Mid-City and hearing about her family’s long history in New Orleans and the challenges of rebuilding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. What’s etched in your mind is the moment her eyes twinkled as she told you how the city has recovered, how proud she is for her part in perpetuating life in the Big Easy, and the warmth of her smile as she serves you food from recipes that have been passed down through four generations. In that instant, you truly understand the spirit of indefatigable New Orleans more than a stroll along Bourbon Street could ever convey.

Though Graceland lived up to all its promises and was just as larger-than-life as you imagined it, maybe what will truly live for you forever as a memento of your trip to Memphis is a barbecue picnic lunch on the southern tip of Mud Island, watching the sun glimmer off the wedding cake superstructure of the American Queen. Around you, people are flying kites, reading books, and tossing footballs, and you can hear the bold notes of the steam-powered calliope drift across the flowing waters of the Mississippi as your riverboat serenades you and you enjoy the best ribs and potato salad you’ve ever had.

Or perhaps you are a guest on our current voyage of the American Queen, the first of the year. You were looking forward to tales of Mark Twain and acclaimed Southern Chef Regina Charboneau’s innovative family recipes in the J.M. White Dining Room yet you have discovered something more. As the American Queen began its second season departing New Orleans on Saturday, the sold-out voyage had a special guest. NBC's Today Show Correspondent Sara Haines of the fourth hour with Kathie Lee and Hoda was onboard with a film crew. Check the American Queen Steamboat Company Facebook timeline for updates on when the "Sara in the City" segment will air, and if you are onboard, you might see yourself on one of America’s most popular morning shows.

Maybe what captures your imagination is waking up to an unexpected view of Oak Alley from your balconied stateroom on the American Queen to discover that in real life the antebellum plantation is every bit as breathtaking as in photos. You sit outside sipping your morning coffee and enjoying a beignet to start your day and feel as if you’re living inside a Great American Steamboat Company brochure. When you get back home and people ask to see your photos, you pull out the brochure and set it next to your own picture and tell everyone it’s even more than what you hoped it would be.

We all journey through life, and our vacations, with preconceived notions of what we will encounter. But it is the unexpected and unforgettable moments that make it worth living.