Six of the best cruise excursions from the Big Muddy
From the pioneers who inspired America’s westward expansion to the tales of Huckleberry Finn, there are plenty of good reasons for taking as many excursions as possible when cruising the Mississippi River, sometimes called the Big Muddy.
American Queen Steamboat Company and American Cruise Lines offer a selection of free and paid-for tours to key attractions along the river, giving visitors an insight into life along its banks.
On the front line
Vicksburg suffered some of the worst fighting during the American Civil War, with thousands of soldiers on both sides killed or wounded as Union troops tried to take the town, wrestle control of the Mississippi and stop the cotton trade, which was financing the southern states. Tours to the battlefield, now preserved as a National Military Park, drive along the frontline, which at one point was just the width of the road, and visit memorials to those who died.
When the fighting failed, a 47-day siege starved the town into submission. The people surrendered on July 4 1863 and Independence Day was not celebrated there for the next 81 years.
American Queen Steamboat Company’s 4.5-hour On the front lines of the Civil War tour costs from $79/£61.
The wonder of... Graceland
Graceland, Elvis Presley’s Memphis mansion from 1957 until his death in 1977, is the second-most visited home in the US after the White House so expect queues on this American Cruise Lines’ excursion. The tour is self-guided and, despite the crowds, a very personal peek into his life. His gaudy Jungle Room ‘den’ with green carpet, plastic plants and coloured lights, a Music Room with stained glass peacocks, a Trophy Building with photos, costumes and artefacts from his life. ACL’s excursion ticket includes the car museum, which houses Elvis’ 1955 pink Cadillac, Harley-Davidson motorbikes and more, and his two custom-designed aeroplanes.
American Cruise Lines’ five-hour Deluxe Graceland Exploration from Memphis costs from $190/£146.
Muddy River Radio
The Muddy River Radio Theatre’s rendition of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Hannibal is a step back in time to the days when radio shows were recorded around a microphone and the entire cast helped with sound effects. Mark Twain narrates as Huck flees a drunken father, helps his slave friend Jim escape on a raft down the Mississippi, and then frees him from ‘rascals’ who pretend to be a king and duke but sell Jim back into slavery. It’s all done at breakneck speed, with an amateurish touch to lighten the mood. Go ready to have some fun.
American Queen Steamboat Company’s 1.75-hour Muddy River Radio Live tour in Hannibal costs from $59/£45.
The Stone House
Among the grand antebellum mansions in Natchez is the Stone House. This was built in the 1850s in the style of a Greek temple and owned by Joseph Stone, who opens his home to ACL passengers. It is a fascinating glimpse into life in the southern states in pre-Civil War America, with four-poster beds, period furniture, chandeliers and decorative wallpaper. You can imagine wealthy plantation owners discussing the price of cotton in the billiard room. In the dining room, sliding doors have striking amber-coloured panes created by adding gold dust to the glass. After the tour, Joseph performs an piano concert exclusively for ACL’s guests.
American Cruise Lines’ 1.5-hour JN Stone House Tour and Concert from Natchez costs from $30/£23.
In the footsteps of Lewis and Clark
Americans grow up learning about Lewis and Clark, who were tasked by President Jefferson to lead an expedition to find the Pacific Ocean. The 31-strong expedition left St Louis in May 1804, sighted the Pacific in November 1805 and returned as heroes in September 1806. They suffered storms, freezing temperatures and near starvation. They lost one member of the team, but that was to appendicitis. AQSC’s Lewis and Clark pre or post-cruise tour of St Louis takes passengers up the 180-feet-tall Confluence Tower, where the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers meet and the expedition started, and to the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, which documents their travels.
American Queen Steamboat Company’s 4.5-hour Lewis and Clark St Louis tour from Alton costs from $69/£53.
Where eagles dare
Bald eagles are so well protected by law in the US that even owning a feather is illegal unless you have a permit. They were adopted as the national symbol of America in 1782 because Congress thought the birds were strong, which they are, and were only found in North America, which they’re not. They are nonetheless extraordinary birds, able to spot a rabbit running three miles away and with a wing span of up to 7.5 feet. ACL’s tour to the National Eagle Centre in Wabasha in Minnesota from Redwing allows you to get close to rescued birds that live permanently on site, spot wild eagles in the wild and even climb into a replica bald eagles nest.
American Cruise Line’s one-hour National Eagle Centre tour from Redwing is complimentary.
Book it
American Queen Steamboat Company’s nine-day Upper Mississippi cruise from Alton to Red Wing on the paddlewheel American Queen starts with an included hotel night in St Louis and visits Hannibal, Clinton, Dubuque and La Crosse. From £3,795pp including flights and hop-on, hop-off tours departing August 9, 2020.
American Cruise Line’s 15-day Grand Heartland Cruise on the paddlewheel America starts with a pre-cruise hotel night in St Paul, and visits Red Wing, La Crosse, Dubuque, Davenport, Hannibal, St Louis, Memphis, Vicksburg, Natchez and Baton Rouge before ending in New Orleans. From £6,850pp including flights and selected tours departing August 27, 2020.#
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