On the 22 Nov we boarded the American Queen river steamboat for a cruise down the Mississippi to New Orleans stopping at towns on the way. We were with our neighbours, Rob and Kathy.
We boarded the boat in the afternoon and after settling into our cabin (last post) we watched the sunset over the mighty river.
Then we had dinner, which was delicious with as much wine as you like. After dinner we went to a show. It was very entertaining.
It was late at night before the boat left the dock. We went on deck to watch but it was very cold.
Every time we left a port, the calliope was played. A calliope is a steam driven organ. The steam is sent through large whistles, see on the roof of the deck. The whistles are tuned to a chromatic scale but it has to be tuned often as the pitch is affected by the temperature of the steam, however the off pitch notes have become a trademark of the calliope. It is very loud and can be heard for miles. There is no way to vary tone or volume. In the age of steam the calliope was popular on riverboats. The player uses a keyboard. It was fun the first few times we heard it but after a while it got on your nerves.
The next morning the weather had improved. After a delicious breakfast we walked around the deck to take in the scenery, which was a little disappointing. There are steep flood levies on each bank and you can't see much above them but it was nice and relaxing. We had fun watching how the boat got under the low bridges.
These smoke stacks are too high to get under the bridges.
So they are lowered into cradles.
And thats how the American Queen gets under the bridge.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
