A FIRST ON THE FOURTH

[HostDave]

We have to admit that we’re having a ball operating the American Queen. The response and feedback from our guests have been phenomenal but there is always a recurrent theme. As much as everyone likes tradition, they also want us to try new things now and then. Well, we didn’t just hear you, we listened. That’s why in 2014 we scheduled voyages that will place the American Queen in Pittsburgh on the Fourth of July for the very first time. The past few years, she has spent the day in St. Louis but both you and the American Queen Steamboat Company decided it was time for a change.

Choose from our 8-day Good Old Summertime cruise from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh from June 27 to July 4, or our 7-day Fourth of July Celebration sailing from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati beginning July 3 and ending July 9. The first trip allows guests the chance to take advantage of an optional post-cruise stay in Pittsburgh on Independence Day while the second cruise features a complimentary one-night pre-cruise hotel stay in Pittsburgh on July 3 and then fireworks viewing from the river as the American Queen departs on her river voyage.

Named after British statesman William Pitt, Pittsburgh became a city in 1816 and was known as America’s steel town for many decades. Its professional football team is even called the Pittsburgh Steelers. But a future in steel was a long way off when Robert de La Salle led a 1669 expedition along the Ohio River past the site of present-day Pittsburgh. The first settlements in the area around the city were established as far back as 1717.

Pittsburgh’s history is tied to George Washington. Quebec sent a contingent of French soldiers to the area in 1749 in the hopes of bringing together British Canada with French Louisiana using rivers such as the Ohio to bind the two. The British weren’t amused and the governor of Virginia Colony sent Major George Washington to tell the French to cease and desist. The French built Fort Duquesne in the 1750s to make their point and eventually the entire conflict fueled the French and Indian War. The British prevailed, built Fort Pitt and the settlement was initially called Pittsborough. Even after the British claim to the area was defended, they argued amongst themselves with both Pennsylvania and Virginia trying to incorporate Pittsburgh into their territory. The Mason-Dixon Line in 1780 settled things once and for all and Pittsburgh became part of Pennsylvania.

With its location at the confluence of three rivers (Ohio, Allegheny and Monongahela), Pittsburgh was a natural spot for the building of flatboats, keelboats and, eventually, steamboats to carry trade between the Deep South and Pennsylvania. The city survived a massive fire in 1845 and benefitted from the Civil War as it became a hub for the production of weapons. Steel came to town with Andrew Carnegie in 1875. Over 95 million tons of steel were pumped out during World War II and the city was one of the largest in the country. After the decline of the steel industry and the clearing of the smoke from the many factories, Pittsburgh is now a dynamic, cultured city with an intriguing past.

Today, the city is recognized as having one the most attractive skylines in the United States and one of the most scenic locations. It is also a city that doesn’t take itself too seriously, although its refined history and educational assets mean it certainly could so if it so chose. As part of the Three Rivers Regatta on July 4, Pittsburgh will be the second stop on the 2014 XPOGO World Championship Tour. XPOGO stands for “Extreme Pogo” and features athletes on traditional pogo sticks performing stunts that will take your breath away. The tours stop’s activities are often referred to as Pogopalooza. Sounds like fun, doesn’t it?

The Three Rivers Regatta is Pittsburgh’s official July 4 celebration and features a flotilla of motorboats and watercraft. The three-day event begins July 2 so guests arriving on or departing on the American Queen will have plenty to see. The largest inland regatta in the United States, the regatta started in 1977 and has grown to become a true spectacle, completely filling Point Park at the convergence of the three rivers with attendance in excess of 500,000 people. Over the years, musical acts on the main concert stage have varied from the rock band Jefferson Starship to country duos and tributes to the Beatles. Sometimes fireworks are featured on more nights than just July 4 so be prepared for a spectacular good time!

There are also extraordinary musical acts on board the American Queen as well. For example, on the 8-day Good Old Summertime cruise from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh, guests can enjoy Storefront Congregation, America’s fastest rising bluegrass act which has the feel and sound of an Alison Krause or Nickle Creek show; the Juggernaut Jug Band which performs a toe-tapping eclectic mix of blues, jug music, and bluegrass; and Dave & Cathy who blend bluegrass and folk music with a wide array of eclectic acoustic instruments. The 7-day Fourth of July Celebration sailing from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati features the Atlantic City Boys, the ultimate tribute to the Four Seasons performing favorite hits such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Let’s Hang On” and others; and Lynn Roberts, the last of the great American big band singers who has performed with Harry James, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra and both Jimmy and Tommy Dorsey.