American Queen - Mississippi Paddle Wheeler

The American Queen is the Largest Paddle Wheeler in the World

She is a Complete Replica of the Original Stern Wheelers that Sailed the Mighty Mississippi

We Board the Ship and Go Through the Traditional Life

Vest Drills

The Interior Decorating is Authentic and Incredible with Many Real Antiques Throughout

These Ships Bring You Back to the Feel and Style of the Mark Twain Period

The Atmosphere Onboard was Incredibly Relaxing. The Crew was Fantastic. The Food was Non-Stop and Excellent.

At Every Port, the River Tradition is to Play the Calliope as One Sails Away

There were Wonderful Entertainment Acts that Changed Every Day Including a Mark Twain Impersonator

Navigating the Mississippi River is an Ever Changing Process. The Channels are always Moving and the River Conditions can be Treacherous.

This Year the Water Levels were Especially High. Sailing under Bridges can be a Real Challenge.

To get Under Certain Bridges, the Ship has to Literally be Lowered.

The Following Sequence of Photos Shows how the Smoke Stacks are Hydraulically Rotated onto Cradles.

Once the Smoke Stacks are Both Rotated Down, then the Pilot House must also be Lowered Sufficiently to fit under the Bridges.

The next photo is an Interior View of the Pilot House.

The Entire Pilot House with all its Controls is also Hydraulically Lowered Far enough to allow Bridge Clearance.

(At left, Pilot House in Fully Raised Position.)

Just enough Clearance to Allow the Captain and his Crew to Operate the Ship Utilizing Secondary Controls as we Sail Under a Bridge.

Captain’s (Pilot’s) Licenses are Not Easy to Obtain. The Test Requires the Captain to Draw the Mississippi River by Heart with all the Obstacles, Locks

and Channels.

We Sailed Through Twenty One (21) River Locks During our Journey from Alton, Illinois to Red Wing Minnesota.

Each Lock Includes a Complex Dam System with River Level Controls.

In Order to Control the Mississippi River Water Levels between Each Set of Locks and Dams, there are a Series of Huge Doors that Are Able to Rotate

Deep Under Water Regulating Flow.

The Locks are Controlled by Doors that Either Move Vertically Up and Down (Left) or Hinging

Doors (Right). Ships are Raised or Lowered inside the Locks by as Much as 120 Feet.

The Northern Mississippi River Winds through Many States and Sleepy Towns

But They Take Enormous

Pride in their Heritage

We are Greeted by Local Towns People who Love to Make you Feel Welcome

And When the Grand American Queen Ties to Trees

by the River’s Edge, the Town’s People Come Out to Enjoy the

Excitement

We Stop at Many Cities and Towns Along the Mississippi including the Birthplace of

Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)

There’s Nothing Like a Cold Ice Cream on a Hot Summer’s Day, Especially at the “Olde Ice Cream Shoppe”

In Case You Need any Dental Work Done, there are Traditional Methods and Tools Available

This is the Camp Where “Lewis and Clark”Started their Journey West

Red Wing, Minnesota is Famous for their Hand Made Stoneware

Each Hand Made Pot is then Loaded into this Incredibly Hot Kiln for Firing

Red Wing, Minnesota has been Making Their Stoneware for Many Decades

We Visited an Amish Farm to Learn about

their Methods of Living Close to the Earth

without Electricity or Indoor Plumbing