THE RIVERS LESS TRAVELED – PART 2

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In our blog earlier this week, we began to describe the Rivers Less Traveled which encompasses our voyages on the Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. You may recall that we pointed out the time to consider such a cruise is right now because if you book early, you can cruise for less and save up to $600* on select cruises in 2014 such as those highlighted in Part 1 of this blog as well as those detailed below.

Fall colors and the Wilderness Rivers such as the Tennessee and the Cumberland go hand-in-hand. They are narrower than the Ohio or the Mississippi which means the elegant American Queen travels closer to shore and during autumn, that means the electric colors of the leaves feel as if they are within reach. You could almost stretch over the side and pluck a bright red, glowing orange or electric yellow leaf off the ground as the American Queen sails by.

One of the fall cruises proving to be among our most in demand is our 9-day Riverboat Rally voyage from Louisville to Nashville on October 17, 2014. Join us in celebrating the 100th birthday of the steamboat Belle of Louisville. A special event honoring the famed vessel will rekindle the days when the bustling highways of travel were a network of rivers that meandered through our rich nation. Continue your historical experience as you cruise the Cumberland River, arriving in Nashville. This voyage will celebrate riverboat history by making some of its own as the American Queen docks in Nashville for the very first time.

All American Queen Steamboat Company cruises begin with a free pre-cruise luxury hotel stay. In the case of this voyage, it’s offered in charming Jefferson, IN which also happens to be the spot where the American Queen was originally built in 1995. The first port of call is also the chance to experience our acclaimed complimentary Hop-On, Hop-Off tours. Brandenburg is the county seat, situated along the Ohio River, 40 miles below Louisville. It was named for Colonel Solomon Brandenburg and became incorporated in 1825. One of the most impressive places to see is the Patton Museum of Leadership, among the largest in the Army Museum System. Learn some history of armor and cavalry at this museum, which keeps watch over a vast assortment of equipment, weapons and other memorabilia covering 1550 to present day.

In Owensboro, KY, enter an exciting world rich with culture, art, history and adventure at the International Bluegrass Music Museum. Then, discover a cutting-edge educational center that preserves the region’s cultural and natural history at the Owensboro Area Museum of Science and History. If you enjoy American, European and Asian art, visit the Owensboro Museum of Fine Art. Make a quick stop at the Owensboro Visitor’s Center to stretch, rest or get more information. Finish your visit with a walking tour of 8.3 acres of botanical gardens at Western Kentucky Botanical Garden.

Henderson, KY, hometown of famed naturalist John James Audubon, and Paducah, KY, a town that lives for art, were detailed in Part 1 of this blog and are the next two stops. In contrast to the peaceful memories of Henderson and Paducah however, Dover, TN is a treasure trove of Civil War history. Fort Donelson National Battlefield and National Cemetery stand as reminders of Dover’s importance during the Civil War, controlling access to the Cumberland River supply route. The capture of Fort Donelson by Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant was a major victory for the Union Army, and Grant’s first step toward gaining the fame that would eventually lead him to command the entire Union Army. The Dover Hotel still stands just as it did when General Buckner surrendered his Confederate forces to Grant there on February 16, 1862.

Clarksville, TN was named after William Clark’s brother, General George Rogers Clark, a hero of the Revolutionary War. Fort Campbell is nearby, headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division. The 101st has been praised most for their role in major military campaigns during World War II, which were documented in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers. The Customs House Museum and Cultural Center highlights local history as well as science and art.

The shining city upstream from Clarksville on the Cumberland River is Nashville, which is the embarkation point for our 9-day Country Music Cruise to Chattanooga on October 24, 2014. On this casual country cruise, you can enjoy Music City, home of the Grand Ole Opry® and historic Ryman Auditorium, the "Mother Church of Country Music," originally built as Union Gospel Tabernacle by steamboat captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892. Departing Nashville, your cruise will take you along the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers all the way to Chattanooga. Stops along the way will reveal the rich history and sincere hospitality of the region that spawned country music.

After your complimentary one-night luxury hotel stay in Nashville and a full day to explore, the American Queen pulls up to Dover, TN and Paducah, KY before setting her sights on Savannah, TN, the jumping off point for Shiloh National Military Park. An historical center traces the story of the town of Corinth in the Civil War from secession through Reconstruction. It includes two state-of-the-art films on Shiloh and Corinth, plus interactive interpretive exhibits and stunning bronze work. The Battle of Shiloh, fought in April 1862 during the Civil War, is sometimes called Bloody Shiloh for its particularly devastating results for both sides. One Union veteran wrote, “No soldier who took part in the two day’s engagement at Shiloh ever spoiled for a fight again. We wanted a square, stand-up fight [and] got all we wanted of it.” The national cemetery within the park is the final resting place of 4,000 soldiers and their family members. The Shiloh Indian Mounds, a National Historic Landmark, are also located within the park boundaries.

In Florence, AL, one of the oldest structures in Florence, Pope’s Tavern Museum, was used as a stagecoach stop, tavern and inn, and hospital for both Confederate and Union forces during Civil War. Next stop is the Kennedy-Douglass Center for the Arts, a gallery and center for the coordination and promotion for cultural activity in the area. The Father of the Blues, William Christopher Handy, was born in Florence in 1873 in a simple cabin that today houses a large collection of his personal papers, memorabilia and artifacts. Next stop is the Frank Lloyd Wright Rosenbaum House, a cypress, glass, and brick house built in 1939-1940 that has been called one of the purest examples of Wright’s Usonian style. Be sure to climb to the top of the Florence Indian Mound & Museum, the highest platform mound in the Tennessee Valley region.

In Decatur, AL, the complimentary Hop-On, Hop-Off tours includes the Carnegie Visual Arts Center, which features visual art from every medium, and the Old State Bank Building, built over 170 years ago and which stands as a reminder of Decatur's rich history. The Blue and Gray Museum has a large collection of firearms, swords and other Civil War artifacts, and you can also visit the family-friendly St. John's Episcopal Church.

After a full day of cruising the river and enjoying the colors of fall foliage all around you, the American Queen docks in Chattanooga. Other than the seeing the famous Choo-Choo, you might want to hang around the river and the steamboat Delta Queen, a legendary vessel that was the flagship of the former Delta Queen Steamboat Company, the company that originally built the American Queen in 1995.

If celebrating in style is your thing, then you’ll love our 7-day Fourth of July Celebration voyage on the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Cincinnati on July 3, 2014. Settle into a rocking chair aboard the American Queen with your favorite cocktail or lemonade and kick back to witness the night skies explode with color during Pittsburgh's Fourth of July fireworks display. Take part in this special voyage which marks the first time the American Queen will be in the "City of Bridges" on the Fourth of July. Glide down the Ohio River and discover an abundance of wonderful new surprises in enchanting port towns such as Marietta, OH; Point Pleasant, WV; and Maysville, KY. You’ll really love Portsmouth, OH, with roots dating back to the 1790s when the small town of Alexandria was founded just west of where Portsmouth is today. Alexandria was flooded numerous times by the Ohio River and the Scioto River. In 1803, Henry Massie spotted a place to move the town away from the flood plains and he began to plot the new city by distributing the land and mapping the streets. Portsmouth was founded in 1803 and was established as a city in 1815. Alexandria soon disappeared and Portsmouth quickly grew around an industrial base with the completion of the Ohio and Erie Canal, and the construction of the N&W rail yards and the B&O junction.

Clearly, the Rivers Less Traveled offer just as many hidden treasures, charming towns and vibrant cities as the better-known Mississippi River. The voyages we’ve mentioned in this week’s two blogs are just a sample of what is available in 2014. And don’t forget that if you really want to try something new, book one of our Pacific Northwest cruises on the Columbia and Snake rivers on the newest addition to the American Queen Steamboat Company’s fleet, the stunning American Empress. We hope that you can share 2014 with us, our most exciting year ever!

* Book Early and Save $600 per stateroom ($300 per person) on any of our 2014 American Queen or American Empress 7-day or longer voyages when you pay-in-full at time of booking by December 21, 2013. Not combinable with other promotions or discounts; not valid for Group bookings or existing reservations. Savings are only on the price of the cruise, not valid on taxes, port charges, insurance, gratuities, or airfare. Promotional fares and amenities are capacity controlled, may vary by sailing and category of accommodations and may be withdrawn without notice. Fares quoted are in U.S. dollars, are per person and do not include air or land transportation. Port Charges of $69 to $159 per person are additional and not included in the fare. Additional terms and conditions may apply - call for details.