Down a Lazy River

Down a lazy river is often used to describe a slow, relaxing journey or a carefree escape from the craziness of everyday life. It's a chance to relax and enjoy simple pleasures.

That's exactly what we'll be doing starting tomorrow as we travel with American Cruise Lines (ACL) on the American Melody with a passenger capacity of (are you ready?) 180 cruisers. Fewer passengers is definitely our preference.

Beignets

Our tour starts today with a flight from Boston to New Orleans, LA, and an overnight stay at the Intercontinental Hotel there before boarding the ship early Wednesday.  We won't have a lot of time to explore the Big Easy, but will ride its world-famous street cars with a $3 all-day pass. One stop will be at Cafe du Monde on Decatur Street, the original French Market Coffee Stand established in 1862 and legendary home of the classic beignets, puffy square French doughnuts covered in powdered sugar. (These are similar to zeppole, traditional Italian fried dough pastries served warm and dusted with powdered or cinnamon sugar.)

Intercontinental Hotel on Charles St in New Orleans, LA

All ACL sailings include a complimentary pre-cruise hotel night in the departure city, This ensures cruise passengers have time to get to the departure destination. The cruise line picks up passengers for transport to the ship the following morning.

Our travel route is from New Orleans, LA, to Memphis, TN

Our cruise will traverse the lower Mississippi River from New Orleans, LA, to Memphis, TN. The itinerary includes stops and excursions in Vacherie, St. Francisville and Vidalia, LA; Natchez and Cleveland, MS; and Memphis, TN. We return to Boston April 18 after a transfer in Atlanta, GA.

This will be our second cruise after the Alaska land-sea adventure last fall and our first-ever river cruise. After traveling abroad for the past couple of years, we wanted to experience U.S. waterways and small ship cruising and wanted to cruise the mighty Mississippi.

American Cruise Lines (ACL), founded in the early 1970s, is headquartered in Guilford, CT, and operates the largest river and small-ship cruise line in the U.S. with a motto of Small Ship Cruising Done Perfectly. The line has 28 small U.S. flagged ships with 5 riverboats on the Mississippi River and 8 on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Each vessel is USA-built at Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury, MD, and is American-flagged and crewed. The ships travel with between 90 and 180 passengers maximum. The series of 6 modern American riverboats all have musical names — American Melody, American Jazz, American Song, American Harmony, American Serenade and American Symphony. 

American Melody was launched in 2021

We're sailing on the five-deck American Melody. Launched in 2021, it has 91 staterooms, all with private balconies and full-length sliding glass doors with an average room size of 350 square feet. The ship has several lounges, fitness center, large dining room, café for casual dining, sun deck, library and a four-story glass atrium in the center of the ship. What it purposefully lacks are casinos, buffets, gift shop's, photographers, swimming pools, water slides, large crowds, nickel-and-diming for extras like wi-fi and drinks, included with the cruise cost. The emphasis is on a relaxed atmosphere with no formal nights or loud, high-energy activities.

American Melody flip-up bow

The unique ship’s unusual flipped-up bow is an attention getter with a crucial function. It opens to extend a retractable gangway for passengers to comfortably walk on or off the ship. And, with its shallow draft and unique bow, the ship can dock in places other ships might have to bypass. The upper deck offers a walkway with ever-changing sights as the ship cruises the Mississippi River.

The Mississippi River is a massive waterway flowing approximately 2,350 miles Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico ending in Louisiana, just south of New Orleans. The river's name comes from the Ojibwe (or Chippewa) word Misi-ziibi meaning Great River. The river is some 20 feet wide at its source, expanding to over 11 miles at its widest point. It's the second-longest river in the U.S. after the Missouri River at 2,341 miles passing through 10 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana). One of the most important commercial waterways, it also serves as a major migratory flyway for 60% of North American bird species. 

We won't be cruising full time as shore excursions are included in the cruise itinerary with at least one included in every post stop; others have an added charge. Our selections included many of the included excursions. Here's some of the sights we will experience.

Live Oak trees form a canopy leading to the Big House mansion

Oak Alley Plantation in Vacherie, LA, is a historic site is famed for its 800-foot canopy of 300-year-old live oak trees planted in the early 1700s years before the mansion they lead to was built. The 28 evenly spaced live oak trees form a path from the Mississippi River to a Greek Revival mansion. In 2021, winds from Hurricane Ida's significantly damaged the historic oak trees in what was described as a significant pruning. Branches were blown off, but the trees remained stable.

The Big House mansion was built in 1829

Known as the Big House, the mansion was built in 1839 for sugar planter Jacques Roman who was known as the King of Sugar and one of the wealthiest men in the South. It was constructed by enslaved labor and first named Bon Séjour (pleasant stay). The mansion is renowned for its 28 Tuscan columns surrounding the entire structure. The property has seen different uses in its over 200-year history from a prosperous sugarcane plantation, an abandoned investment property and a cattle ranch in the 1920s. Now, a National Landmark, it's been open to the public since 1976 and is managed by Oak Alley Foundation.

The Myrtles was renamed after the crape myrtles on the grounds

The Myrtles Plantation is a historic home and former antebellum plantation in St. Francisville, LA, built in 1796 by General David Bradford. It was originally named Laurel Grove. In the 1830s, new owners renamed it The Myrtles after the crape myrtles that grew in the vicinity. In the early history of the property, it was worked by enslaved people. Reportedly haunted, the mansion has been featured on TV shows of paranormal activity. The Myrtles Plantation has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1978.

Vicksburg (MS) National Military Park

Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, MS, preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. It borders the Mississippi River, and commemorates the greater Vicksburg Campaign that led up to the battle. The park has many reminders of the 47-day siege that ended in the city's surrender. Victory here and at Port Hudson, farther south in Louisiana, gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.

This nearly 1,800-acre park includes 1,325 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of historic trenches, reconstructed forts, a 16-mile tour road, 12.5-mile walking trail, 2 antebellum homes, 144 cannons, the restored gunboat USS Cairo (sunk in December 1862) and Grant's Canal site, where the Union Army attempted to build a canal to let their ships bypass Confederate artillery fire. There's also a national cemetery with more than 17,000 Civil War graves. 

The national military park was established in February 1899, to commemorate the siege and defense of Vicksburg. The park and cemetery were transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service (NPS) in August 1933.

Cleveland, MS was named for a former President

Cleveland, MS, is a cultural hub in the Delta known for its deep musical heritage, and has the only Grammy Museum outside Los Angeles, CA. 

This 26,000-square-foot facility features interactive exhibits on Mississippi musicians and American music.The city was named after U.S. President Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president, who served from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893. The town was officially renamed in 1886, during Cleveland's first term in office, to coincide with the development of the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas Railroad running through the area. (Cleveland wasn't a MS native, and was born in Caldwell, NJ, our home state.)

Cleveland was named one of the best small towns in the South by both Southern Living and Smithsonian Magazine. The downtown historic area was listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

Gateway to the Blues Museum housed in a former train depot in Tunica, MS

The Gateway to the Blues Museum and Visitors Center in Tunica, MS, is dedicated to Mississippi Delta blues featuring displays on history, art, and famous musicians. Located on Highway 61, it's the first place many people see when they come into town. The museum features interactive exhibits, artwork and a recording studio. The museum tells the story of how The Blues was born and the role Tunica played in building its legacy.

Housed in a rustic 1895 train depot, It had been used as a grain storage facility for years. The train tracks it served were pulled up some 40 years ago. It remains the last original train depot in Tunica County.  W.C. Handy, a popular blues bandleader often played at the depot.

Beale Street in downtown Memphis is the most popular tourist attraction in the state of Tennessee. This renowned National Historical Landmark is considered the Home of the Blues and includes three blocks, about 1.8 miles, of live music clubs, restaurants and shops.

The street was created in 1841 by entrepreneur and developer Robertson Topp who later named it Beale Avenue in honor of Edward Fitzgerald Beale, a naval officer, frontiersman, rancher and diplomat who fought in the Mexican-American War, emerging as a hero of the Battle of San Pasqual in 1846.

W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues

In 1916, American composer and musician William Christopher (W.C.) Handy penned the influential piece, Beale Street Blues, which played an important role in the decision to change the street's name from Beale Avenue to Beale Street.

Handy, who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues, was one of the most influential U.S. songwriters. One of many musicians who played the distinctively American blues music, he didn't create the genre but was one of the first to publish music in the blues form, taking the blues from a regional music style (Delta blues) with a limited audience to a new heights of popularity.

In the 1920s to 1940s, Beale Street saw performances of legendary musicians Louis Armstrong, Muddy Waters, Memphis Minnie, B. B. King and others. Their contributions shaped the musical style known as Memphis Blues. B. B. King was introduced as the Beale Street Blues Boy during his early career.

Beale Street holds great historical significance for the city and the blues music genre. In recognition of its importance, the stretch of the street spanning from Main to 4th Street was designated as a National Historic Landmark on May 23, 1966. In the present day, the blues clubs and restaurants along Beale Street are major attractions for tourists visiting Memphis.

Presley note

Elvis Presley spent a lot of time with musicians on Beale street. Their music made a great influence on his own style. Presley bought his trademark black and pink suits, jackets, and bluesman-inspired clothes from Lansky Bros. Clothing, which remains open in the original location at 126 Beale Street. 

If time allows, we'll look for Presley's name on the Brass Notes Walk of Fame between Second and Fourth Streets. The 127 musical notes that line the sidewalks honor mothers and fathers of blues, soul, and rock ‘n’ roll. Created in 1986, it connects the street's rich past with the future by celebrating artists, producers, and others who put Memphis music on the world map.

Posting and blog commenting will be on hold during our adventures. We'll be relaxing and enjoying the sights on the river. This post was a brief intro of our first 2026 major travel. We invite you to come along as more adventures are planned this year and we hope you will take us along on any of yours.

And, it seems we're leaving NH just in time as light snow is forecast for early today a.m will winter never end. in New England?