Meet the Riverlorians

[HostDave]

The river historians aboard the American Queen, or Riverlorians, are dedicated to sharing their vast knowledge of the rivers, bringing its rich history to life with vivid historical accounts and mystical tales. On your American Queen voyage, they will give lectures relevant to your location on the river, recommend reading, explain river navigation, give tours of the vessel and even play the calliope! Through a lifetime of experience on America’s rivers, they have forgotten more about the river than most people will ever know. Travis C. Vasconcelos and Jerry Hay are truly masterful in their knowledge of the river and their ability to share that knowledge in a way that makes their love for the river contagious. That is what Travis and Jerry like to refer to as edutainment, and it is a big part of what has kept people returning to the American Queen year after year.

Travis C. Vasconcelos

Travis C. Vasconcelos is right at home as Riverlorian on the American Queen. After all, he assisted with designing her festive calliope. His love of the river began at the young age of 3, when he first remembers hearing the unique pied piper of the river. "I remember asking, ‘What is that sound?’ and being told, ‘It's the showboat calliope calling people to the show,’" says Travis. That was 1967, and the showboat Majestic was playing her calliope at the city-front of Jeffersonville, IN.

Later, Travis became interested in the steamer Belle of Louisville. He came to know the Captain and the crew, and he visited often to hear and play the calliope. He would record the work of other calliope players, or calliopists, and practice until he could reproduce what he had recorded.

Travis met crews from boats like the Julia Belle Swain, Mississippi Queen, and the legendary Delta Queen. They always had great stories to share of river adventures and the men and women who had gone before them. "I was very fortunate to have come to the rivers when I did, for I got to know and work with some of the last of the steamboaters from the end of the fabled steamboat age."

In 1981, Travis became the Calliopist aboard the Belle of Louisville where he branched out into many other fields aboard the boat. He worked as a Deck Hand, Narrator, Souvenir Salesman and later even a Public Spokesperson for the vessel in his 14-year career with the boat.

In 2003, Travis returned to river life as Riverlorian on the Mississippi Queen. He would also serve aboard the Delta Queen and the American Queen over the next 6 years. Travis was heartbroken when the vessels ceased operations in 2009, "When overnight steamboating came to an end, I was lost!" Writing articles, lecturing on river history and performing on calliopes filled his time but not his need for river adventure. Dreaming about returning to the rivers on a full-time basis has been an obsession for him, and the American Queen was never far from his thoughts.

In 2012, Travis returned to his beloved rivers on the grandest steamboat ever built, the American Queen as Riverlorian. On your next American Queen voyage, look for Travis discussing the changing river in the Chart Room, giving a lecture on the importance of steamboats in the Grand Saloon, or playing a lively waltz on the American Queen’s grand calliope.

Jerry Hay

Jerry Hay grew up near the Wabash River in Indiana. He built his first boat at the age of 14, and his life of river adventures began. Over the years, he has traveled many rivers and written river guidebooks for the Wabash, White, Ohio, Illinois, Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. These books are helpful for any adventurers attempting to navigate the rivers on their own.

Jerry has authored several published works, including Beyond the Bridges and A Goose Named Gilligan. Beyond the Bridges was eight years in the making and encompasses nearly every aspect of river life, from river stories and history to practical information. A Goose Named Gilligan is a popular children’s book based on the adventures Gilligan the Goose, a goose that Jerry actually rescued.

Jerry also produced a CD of humorous river stories called Life on the River. Jerry has traveled or worked on nearly every type of watercraft, including canoes, kayaks, jonboats, pontoon boats, deckboats, cruisers, towboats, steamboats and even a raft. He spent many years serving as Riverlorian on the Delta Queen, American Queen and Mississippi Queen, and was ecstatic to return to the river when overnight river cruising resumed on the American Queen last year.