AMERICAN QUEEN RIVER TRIP--LOWER MISSISSIPPI ANTEBELLUM

American Queen River Boat

Paddle Wheel on the Mississippi

Dining Room

Grand Saloon--Golds, Nelsons, Flandros, Whetmans with Bob

Lobster tail dinner

Meals were so good

Snack time with Whetmans

Looking into our room

Getting ready for the day.  Small, quaint Victorian room on steamboat.  Opened onto our deck with patio chairs beside our door. Explored and had popcorn, ice cream, etc.  Dinner at 5:15-Beef tips-huge portions.  Too much. Staff show good music sung by has-been’s—kind of overweight but great voices.  Some of our group got handicap room.  Must remember to ask for those—lots more room at same price.    This boat company also owns HOHO buses that travel the road and meet us daily at port to take us sightseeing.  They also carry golf carts to help the handicapped go from the boat to the bus. So nice for Bob and others 

Beale Street Memphis

MLK Museum-

Just what we needed--from ship's deck overlooking Memphis, Tennessee

Scripture plaque at MLK museum.  Bob cried as he read it.

Famous Peabody hotel downtown Memphis

Outside our cabin

 Lorraine Motel-site of MLK shooting

Confederate Flag-Jefferson Davis museum

Hebrew Temple-Greenville

Stain glass windows in Hebrew Temple Greenville

Stain glass- 6 by Tiffany in Catholic church Greenville

Oldest Wooden Carousel-Greenville -rainy afternoon-Learned so much about the flood of 1927 that wiped out so much of the south—destroyed cotton fields, sharecroppers who then left to go north, and ruined their way of life.  Saw a great documentary about it in their museum.  Also rode the oldest wooden carousel, visited Hebrew Temple with now only 20 members with 10 of them from one family.  Visited a church with beautiful stained-glass windows—several from Tiffany’s.  Listened to the steamboat’s calliope play favorite river songs

Looking into mirror--Connie, Kathy, Nancy-

children's clothing Jefferson Home

Vicksburg--home to the first bottled Coca cola

Jefferson Davis Photo

Jefferson Davis home-Vicksburg

Vicksburg Visitor Center-pouring rain- Great civil war town. Learned the history of the civil war turning point. Toured Jefferson Davis home, Coca cola museum, and Confederate museum

Button store in St Francisville

Magnolia Mansion-Natchez, Miss

Flooded road in Natchez

Oldest church and graveyard in St Francisville

Rosalie Mansion

William Johnson home-Natchez--Toured 3 mansions.  Built on the bluff but their plantations were across the river in Louisiana. At one time Natchez had more millionaires than New York city—until the flood, fire, the civil war and the boll weevil.  Now Miss is the poorest state in the country.  Natchez down under was a hotspot for gambling and other vices.  Kitchens were built separate from homes.  Visited African American Museum.  Nice black young man as guide who loved Utah—Stockton and Karl Malone.  Part of the road had flooded so the bus shuttled us up to the bluff. Served BBQ ribs etc. Banjo player so good

Myrtle tree-no bark

Myrtlesville Plantation--haunted. see figures in mirrors

This is the life for us--Myrtlesville plantation.  Trees have no bark.  Spanish Moss growing all over the trees but don’t take nourishment from them.  It just hangs and catches water and airborne nourishment. Visited Button store, old church and had to be shuttled about 20 mins inland.   Ate canapes by pool and hot tubbed. Fun to visit with guests.

Gardens of the Capital building-Baton Rouge, La.

Looking down from 27th story onto Miss River and steamboat

Old Capital Building--French influence Baton Rouge

Our dock at Baton Rouge

Docked beside the USS Kidd WWII destroyer museum

Widest and tallest bridge across the Mississippi River--Baton Rouge

Guide at Nottoway Plantation

Side view Nottoway Plantation

Nottoway Plantation--Beautiful place now a B&B. Sugar cane plantation- 7 acres, 165 slaves- 64 room mansion,11 children. We watched a movie in theater room—10 min documentary. Saw the slave quarters, pool house, gardens, Relaxing Sabbath

Myrtlesville Plantation-Golds, Whetmans and Bob


New Orleans -Breakfast and disembarked to Hilton. Had help taking our luggage over. Saw Calvin the nice young man who helped Bob daily get on and off golf carts.  Tipped him and thanked him so much.  Wrote him up on survey for his kindness.  Everyone is so kind and nice.  Really felt southern hospitality. Took the HOHO city tour of New Orleans. Got off a few stops.  Stored luggage at Hilton Got Uber at 4 for the airport. Ate dinner there and got special attention with wheelchair—good seats and movies free from Dallas to home. Travis so nice to pick us up at 1 a.m. home and in bed by 2 a.m.

WONDERFUL, RELAXING TRIP.  LOVED THE CITIES, HISTORY, FOOD AND FRIENDS.