A Riverboat Fourth of July

[HostDave]

As a kid, there was always something magical about the Fourth of July. Maybe it was the fireworks bursting overhead. And while those spectacular pyrotechnic displays captured the imagination, the time leading up to the big event was, in retrospect, just as much fun. We would sit and squirm on the grass as the anticipation built and the sun slipped farther and farther below the horizon. Just how dark did it have to be before the fireworks would start? Could there still be a little light in the sky? And no matter when the rockets soared toward the heavens and the cascades of light rained down, we never failed to be delightfully surprised that it had all finally begun.

But just as soon as it got underway, we were already looking forward to the end and the big finale. It always seemed as if the crescendo of explosions could get no more intense and the sky no more filled with colors. But suddenly, the shells shot skyward with even more frequency. We’d hear the “whoosh-whoosh-whoosh” as they surged upward, trying to count how many were launching in quick succession. And just as we would start to count, the booms would begin and the sky would fill with light so intense it was as if a second sun had appeared. We would start clapping and yelling, no longer sitting but jumping up and down. And if we had taken the time to look around, we would have seen the colors of Independence Day reflected off the faces of our parents who were enjoying our childlike wonder every bit as much as the fireworks themselves.

As we get older, we see more and more Fourth of July celebrations and, no doubt, some years we don’t even bother to go see our local town or city’s fireworks display. It’s not only just as magnificent as it ever was but is even more glorious thanks to computer-controlled ignition sequences and the sophisticated shapes created by each exploding shell packed specifically to create an expanding star or a facsimile of the American flag. However, we barely notice. The bustling world we live in has encroached upon our sense of childlike wonder and fighting crowds, finding a place to park and staying up so late might just not be worth the effort.

While the American Queen is a truly elegant riverboat, offering far more amenities and delights than any other vessels cruising the world’s rivers, she also helps bring out the little kid in all of us. Even as our guests sip a glass of complimentary wine with an authentic but sophisticated Southern dinner in the soaring two-deck J.M. White Dining Room, they are keenly aware of the tales spun by Mark Twain and the link to the past forged by this graceful yet thoroughly modern vessel.

We see that genuine spirit of childhood rekindled in so many ways, from the stories told by our onboard Riverlorians to the simple pleasure of watching the sun set over the river as the bright red paddlewheel churns the water, methodically propelling the American Queen along her route. One of our favorite voyages of the year is our 10-day Good Old Summertime voyage from St. Louis, MO to Minneapolis / St. Paul, MN.

Guests will enjoy one of the nation’s most extravagant Fourth of July festivals, the 33rd annual Fair Saint Louis. Celebrate Independence Day with air shows, live music and, of course, brilliant fireworks. Then, they will rest easy in a complimentary hotel before continuing the festivities with a voyage through America’s heartland on the American Queen. If you reserve your accommodations before March 31, 2013, you can even save up to $750 per stateroom and receive a one category upgrade.

As you can imagine, there’s plenty to love on this journey along the Upper Mississippi River. Sitting next to the Mississippi River under the shadow of the impressive Gateway Arch and watching fireworks explode overhead brings a whole new perspective to Independence Day. For most of our guests, it’s a perspective through which they haven’t seen the world since their childhoods. Over the next 10 days, the jaded adult attitude will dissolve into pure joy at each new experience and appreciation for little things that seemed frivolous as the years went on. It makes our guests question why they put off taking a river voyage for so long, and most will come back again and again.