An enduring image of 19th century America is the riverboat - a sternwheeler belching wood smoke from tall twin stacks as she dashed up and down the Mississippi, Ohio or Missouri Rivers. There was probably a high-stakes poker games going on within the fancy white superstructure, ending in gunplay when five aces came down in the same hand, whilst Mark Twain watched from the bank, pen in hand. Well, maybe it wasn't quite like that, but these stylish craft certainly played a vital role in developing the central-southern and mid-western USA.
Americans are good at marrying tradition with commerce, so it's still possible to experience the delights of this traditional river transport by taking a paddlesteamer trip.
The modestly named Majestic America Line runs a variety of cruises using a couple of late 20th century steamboats - American Queen (the largest river steamboat ever built) and the Mississippi Queen. Each is the ultimate in old-fashioned comfort and style, though American Queen is something of an impostor - she looks the part and has a sternwheel driven by steam, but her main source of propulsion is diesel-powered propellers. The company's Delta Queen, built in 1927, is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly her cruising future is on hold as a result of modern safety regulations.
These steamboats offer both a selection of "see of river" cruises and theme cruises including the popular Jazz and Civil War itineraries. A cruise won't be cheap, but really is an opportunity to experience the elegant atmosphere and travelling style of a bygone era. The romance of paddle steamers is infectious. If you don't fancy the Mississippi, sternwheelers are now working Alaska's Inside Passage and the great rivers of the northwestern USA (Columbia, Willamette and Snake) for the first in a century.
HOW
By boat
WHEN TO GO
Cruises are available all year round.
TIME IT TAKES
Most cruises are seven nights, but there are shorter and longer options to be found.
HIGHLIGHTS
Hearing a calliope - these steam-powered organs were, and still are, very much part of the riverboat scene.
Small-town America at its best (plus 29 locks) on an Upper Mississippi cruise from St.Paul down to St.Louis seven nights).
All the charm and elegance of the old Deep South on a Lower Mississippi cruise from New Orleans to Memphis (seven nights).
YOU SHOULD KNOW
Louis Armstrong sure knew what he was talking about when he sang the classic song "Ol" Man River - he travelled up the river from New Orleans by paddle steamer, stopping at various towns along the way to play.
