Rollin’on the River ^6
A LL A BOA R D! CRUISING WITH THE A MER IC A N QUEEN LINE FROM MEMPHIS TO NEW OR LE A NS
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photo essay by karen pulfer focht
here is just something about watching the river that calms the soul — taking in life on the river, life in the river, and life by the river. The American Queen Steamboat Company, based in Memphis, has given people an opportunity to do just that.
With the Mississippi River flows the heart of America. It’s survived great Civil War battles, storms, floods, and earthquakes. It has been a roadway for canoes, barges, paddle wheelers, and tow boats. It’s been home to Indian chiefs, slaves, Mark Twain, Tom Lee, Boss Crump, a Pyramid, catfish, dinosaurs, and cobblestones. It’s the great geographic barrier that split the country but united the people. Here in the South river people were brave enough to settle along the ever-changing Mississippi. (Mississippi is from a Native American name meaning “Great River.”) High upon river bluffs and along the river bottoms the people have changed, communities have changed, terrain has changed, but the river just keeps rolling along. Several times a year, the American Queen travels from Beale Street to Bourbon Street with a load of passengers from all over the world interested in learning about life on the lower Mississippi. Many of the guests are celebrating anniversaries and birthdays, or checking a trip on the Mississippi off their to-do lists. Some are traveling with alumni, friends, or spouses; some are children escorting their elderly parents; some travel alone. Each day the tables, rocking chairs, and swings on the forward deck fill up as people sit with their new friends, sharing a cup of coffee, a meal, a glass of wine, or a cold beer. For the next several days they will get a glimpse into life on the river. Along the way, history buffs relish the tales of love and war and of pride and promise. They will hear stories of bygone days from the people of the Deep South who live on the bluffs and bayous of the Mississippi. They’ll hear river lore, including colorful
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stories about river men, in what were once rowdy river towns with definitely sordid histories. Guests relax as the boat meanders downstream, reading a good book or simply setting their imaginations free as they watch the river go by. The boat pulls into historic ports in Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana — places like Greenville, Natchez, St. Francisville. At various places along the way travelers have an opportunity for a drink in a historic saloon in a town that was once wild with gambling, brawling, and brothels. Days are spent visiting plantations, learning about the trials of flooding, slavery, and “free people of color.” There are also tales of Southern kings whose families settled near the river … the kings of rock-and-roll, the blues, soul, and cotton. Those who engage the locals may meet manly men who show pictures of the 1,000-pound wild boar they hunted, or watch a fisherman haul in giant catfish. Tourists can hear personal conversion stories of men who are doing life in prison, as they visit Angola, the penitentiary in Louisiana, or they might take advantage of an opportunity to come face to face with an alligator as they explore a swamp. The more sedentary traveler finds contentment observing the banks of the river, many still unspoiled, as they sip a cold drink outside their stateroom. Passengers from as far away as Australia, New Zealand, and England describe their river observations and experiences as “fascinating” and “mind boggling.” They often express awe and wonder as they learn a new respect for the “Big Muddy” and the people who claim the shores of the river as home. contin u ed on page 111
inset: The Memphisbased American Queen Steamboat Company hopes to increase the number of trips from Memphis to New Orleans to meet the demand. It now visits Memphis 12 times a year. At 418 feet long and six stories high, the American Queen is said to be the largest steamboat ever built.
above: One of the favorite pastimes aboard the American Queen is swinging or rocking on the front deck, watching the river go by. The riverboat takes travelers into places along the Mississippi that they would have difficulty getting to otherwise. Many passengers were celebrating anniversaries and other special occasions. A U G U S T 2 0 1 5 • M E M P H I S M A G A Z I N E . C O M • 107