A Queen with steam in the belly

Henry from Colorado is 94 years old and not traveling alone – brought he, his wife, Carolin, 87, two daughters and two granddaughters. Every afternoon, the three generations sit lined up like pearls on a string in front of their cabins on the promenade deck of the American Queen. The story Henry knows by heart. In 1995 the ship after a year of construction was the largest ever built paddle steamer, the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. The cost: a proud $ 60 million. The baptism in the was: Instead of champagne, ergo 80 liters of Tabasco Sauce down the Front. But a few years later, the dark clouds went up, the Rates for the Queen could not be paid. After a change of ownership, the ship in 2008, was shut down and waited on a lake in Texas a new future. The bot then in 2011, with new investors, who put $ 6.5 million in a comprehensive renovation.

The paddle-wheels pounding their own rhythm

The heart of the ship, beats on Deck 2, the Cabin Deck. Here are the reception, the Excursion Office, and a surprisingly well-stocked Boutique. For ladies and gentlemen of their own society are rooms available in the Ladies Parlor Sofas and chaise longue a download, in display cases of silver tableware. The Gentleman's Card Room is set up like a historic gentlemen's club: heavy armchair, stuffed animals.

The Mark Twain Gallery, which is located between the bow and the reception, is equipped with ship models, small Seating groups, showcases, and a few places with Internet access. The Windows offer views of the chandeliers decorated, the J. M. White Dining Room is a Deck lower. Most of the 222 cabins are relatively small, but stylish, old furniture.

A walk on the beautiful wide wooden promenades is a pleasure. To see there's always something: the ballet of the front of the cabins, dancing in the rocking chairs in the Wind, the brown waters of the Mississippi river, on which kilometer-long Barges move there, the forests on the eroded Banks. And of course, the indescribable sunsets, the scuba diving the "Muddy River" in a deep Red and the shaft of combing pay a small glittering crown. At night, keys to the strong ship spotlight on the river, to the sand banks or the banks gradients are looking for. At a Bar in the back area you can listen to any departure by the sounds of the steam organ. The clouds of steam flow pipes, like small explosions from the organ. Over the machine room can be visited any time, is the Engine Room Bar, one of the certainly most unusual on cruise ships. In the evening live music by big bull eyes visible paddle-wheels pounding a rhythm of its own.

The bridge floats like a gondola on the ship

captain Bobby knows the Mississippi river with the changing currents like the back of his hand, he steered for years, freighters and pusher vessels on the river. His bridge is floating like a rectangular gondola high above the ship, can be lowered for low bridges, as well as the two long black Chimneys with the crown. Once a week the Capt'n occurs as a guitarist, playing Rock and country songs – and provides for a Standing ovation. Almost all of the 160 members of the crew come from the area, the sails of the ship.

The main route of the American Queen begins or ends in the vibrant Jazz and carnival-metropolis of New Orleans. The journey takes you through the Highlights of American colonial with magnificent mansions in Natchez and Helena, or to film scenes such as the centuries-old oak alley Oak Alley with the impressive manor house. In Vicksburg we visited the former battlefields of the American civil war, here in 1863, the war was decided. The main attraction in Memphis is Graceland, the Museum advanced the estate of Elvis Presley with the grave of the idol. www.mittelthurgau.ch

(Sunday newspaper)

Created: 18.02.2019, 06:12 PM