America at Her Best

[HostDave]

America is an amazing country. If you live here, you already know that. If you’ve only been here to visit, you probably quickly got a sense that there is something special happening in the United States. There is no place like the good ole U.S. of A.

At the American Queen Steamboat Company, honoring the unique attributes of this great nation is an intrinsic part of every vacation experience. We do it in the design of the American Queen herself which celebrates the great riverboats of yesteryear in her décor but is true to the advanced technology of today in her safety systems and navigational aids. We do it in our authentic Southern cuisine with a contemporary twist, we do it in the friendly and gracious service by an all-American crew and we do it in our entertainment which blends national traditions with regional and local music.

One other way we honor America, her history, her culture and her traditions is in the themes of our voyages and our carefully selected ports of call. This July, we have four voyages which demonstrate this philosophy.

Two of our journeys embrace a Good Old Summertime theme where the grand summer traditions that were staples of both our youth and prior generations come alive once again. When was the last time you sat in a rocking chair with a cool breeze blowing and enjoyed a glass of lemonade? On the American Queen’s Front Porch of America, a row of rocking chairs awaits, the pitcher of ice cold lemonade is sitting on the table and all that’s missing is you. If it sounds idyllic, that’s because it actually is. Sitting in a rocking chair in the shade, a lovely breeze coming off the river or generated by the gentle gliding of your home-away-from home, and a glass of homemade lemonade in your hand sounds so simple, yet it is the simple things in life that get lost in the hubbub of modern living. A voyage with the American Queen Steamboat Company is a time to reconnect with those memories that shaped who you are and to appreciate the touches that make America so unique.

But as special as your time aboard the American Queen can be, our ports of call are the defining attributes of a voyage. Onboard, we orchestrate the menus, the lemonade, the entertainment and even the red, white and blue bunting that adorns the railings to create an atmosphere that celebrates our great nation. But we have nothing to do with what you’ll find in the smiles of the people and on the streets of the towns you come across along your journey, aside from providing a gorgeous addition to the waterfront, of course. The Good Old Summertime is integrated into each community you visit not because that’s the theme of your voyage but because that is what makes each community along the river what it is. You’ll swear we staged the brass bands that greet the American Queen, the sandlot baseball games you’ll find in town, and the baskets of colorful flowers on the front porches of the homes on tree-lined streets.

The moments are so perfect, it’s easy to believe that a Hollywood set designer preceded the American Queen, stealing into every port of call in the dark of night with careful choreography and set decoration before your arrival. But it’s all genuine. You can see that in the faces of the townspeople who come down to welcome the American Queen, the grandest riverboat ever built, each morning as she arrives. The gentleman in overalls sitting outside the general store greeting everyone who walks by is there every afternoon, but on the day of your visit he is delighted that there are so many fresh new faces to welcome to the place he has lived his entire life.

In the family-owned stores along what is invariably known as Main Street, you’re likely to find needle points of the American Queen, a watercolor of the boat at the riverfront or a panel on a quilt with her signature red paddlewheel. And in an art gallery in the historic section of St. Louis, it’s not unusual to see a photo of the American Queen under the city’s Gateway Arch with fireworks exploding overhead.You can witness the spectacle for yourself if you join us on the June 28 – July 5 Memphis to St. Louis journey, or the July 4-13 St. Louis to St. Paul journey which will allow you to enjoy your complimentary hotel night in St. Louis on Independence Day.

Our 10-day Good Old Summertime voyage between St. Louis, MO and Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN begins July 4, 2013 and, like all our trips, includes a night in a deluxe hotel before your voyage as part of the fare that begins at $2,920 per guest. A second sails from Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN to St. Louis on July 12, 2013 on a 9-day adventure with fares starting at just $2,495 per guest. Along the way, you’ll visit towns such as Hannibal, MO where you’ll be so inspired by the characters of Mark Twain and his descriptions of his boyhood home that you’ll want to find a brush and help whitewash a white picket fence. Finish off the day by flying a kite off the top deck of the American Queen, and you’ll see why the Good Old Summertime is more than a theme, it’s a way of life.

Of course, nothing evokes the carefree days of summer more than the boys of summer and baseball, America’s national pastime. We have two Baseball Legends voyages in July. The first is a 9-day journey from $2,495 per guest that sails between St. Louis, MO and Cincinnati, OH on July 19, 2013 with guest speakers Al Clark, Ron Blomberg and Art Shamsky along with host Dan Schlossberg. Continuing the theme up the Ohio River, our July 26, 2013 departure is a 7-day voyage from Cincinnati, OH to Pittsburgh, PA from $1,820 per guest with guest speakers Al Clark, Jay Johnstone and Fritz Peterson and host Bruce Campbell.

If you book any of these voyages before May 31, 2013, you can save up to $750 per stateroom. After all, what is summer without some summer savings opportunities? From Baseball Legends to the traditions of the Good Old Summertime, July is one of the most glorious months of summer. The smell of freshly-cut lawns is in the air, children ride bicycles to the riverfront while their parents picnic in the park, fireflies blink on and off at dusk and America is at her best.