Steaming down the Mississippi

Author: By Richard P. Carpenter, Globe Staff

Date: SUNDAY, August 3, 1997

Page: M9

Section: Travel

The two legends from Hollywood's golden age were featured performers on the American Queen steamboat during a four-day, 400-mile trip on the Mississippi River from Memphis to St. Louis. The celebrated author, meanwhile, was present in spirit and by proxy, thanks to a talented performer and historian named Lewis Hankins.

But the real star of the journey was the riverboat itself, the kind of vessel that Twain loved so well. Only he never had it so good. For this was the American Queen, the newest and arguably most attractive vessel of the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., whose three steamboats cruise along nine inland waterways and whose vacations are consistently rated highly by people over 50.

Little wonder: The pace is relaxed, with the average sailing speed just 8 m.p.h. and land virtually always visible. The service, by an American staff, is prompt and cheerful, if not always polished to a high gloss. There are usually ports to visit, and at the end of a cruise, most passengers feel they've participated in something that is both unique and truly American. Fares, which begin at $390, include air-conditioned staterooms, four meals a day, showboat-style entertainment, lectures, on-board tours, movies, games, and other activities -- even kite-flying. A steamboat cruise, I found, is as different from other kinds of cruises as the Mississippi River is from the Atlantic Ocean.

Our trip had a theme: ``Great American Performers,'' which explains the presence of Grayson and Johnson. The stars put on a show of songs and reminiscing, and happily chatted with passengers who remembered the actors' glory days. And while the celebrities' presence was a decided bonus, the cruise would still have been a delight without them.

For starters, there is the lovely look of the two-year-old, $65 million American Queen. It is the world's largest paddlewheel steamboat, stretching 418 feet, rising six decks high, accommodating 436 overnight passengers, and combining modern technology and comforts with 19th-century style. Whenever the boat is at a landing, it draws a crowd that oohs and ahs over the fretwork and curlicues, the two towering fluted stacks, and the 45-ton, bright-red paddlewheel. And that's just the outside.

Immediately upon boarding, my wife, Linda, and I were struck by the boat's Victorian beauty. On one side of us was a public area called the Gentlemen's Card Room, complete with a stuffed black bear, a barber's chair, a bird cage filled with chirping finches, and an old Victrola. Opposite it was the more genteel Ladies' Parlor, filled with lace, flowers, and elegant furniture. While most of the furnishings in these rooms and elsewhere aboard are reproductions, they are authentic to the era when steamboats ruled the rivers.

Past those rooms and leading to the purser's lobby is the Mark Twain Gallery, replete with antiques and containing a library, whose books we felt were as much for decor as for actual reading; most were nicely bound volumes from the last century and the early part of this century.

We continued past old-time photos lining the walls, to our stateroom, which had a name -- Rutherford B. Hayes -- and, as do many of the cabins, a view of the Mississippi and the shore. Our cabin was roomy enough, with two beds, a bathroom with shower and tub, and an attractive decor that included an old-style bureau so good-looking that we wish we could have hauled it home.

Rooms have four music-and-lecture channels, but noticeably absent are television sets. At first I thought I might miss watching TV, but by the end of the cruise I found myself applauding the decision to omit these boxes of sound and fury that so often signify nothing.

But with or without TV, this was no time to stay in our room. Exploration of the rest of the ship awaited.

First up was the Grand Saloon, the scene of live entertainment in the evenings and a variety of activities during the day. And it does live up to its name -- the ``grand,'' not the ``saloon.'' Conceived as a miniature opera house in a prosperous river town in 1890, the two-deck-high Grand Saloon features a tall proscenium stage and is flanked by box seats on the mezzanine level.

Activities here included highly animated talks about the Mississippi and its history each day by the ``riverlorian,'' Lewis Hankins; an hour with Mark Twain, ably portrayed by the self-same Hankins; a lively re-creation of a night at the USO during World War II, in which the performers seemed to sing nearly every popular song of the era; and, on the next-to-last evening, the Grayson-Johnson show.

In addition, the saloon was the place for trivia and other games, music, dancing, riverboat bingo, and miniature steamboat races. Bingo and the races are it for gambling, though. Unlike on most cruise ships, there are no gaming tables and no slot machines.

There are other notable features. At the bow of the boat, a sweeping exterior staircase ushers guests to the second-level Cabin Deck. Up one more deck, on the Texas Deck, is the aptly named Front Porch of America. Here you'll find rocking chairs for river watching, a porch swing, a bar, and snacks. This area, I thought, is just delightful.

And now for the room that matters so much to so many: the J.M. White Dining Room. It is two decks high with ornate fretwork arches and a dropped ceiling in the middle, giving each half of the room a narrow yet soaring appearance. Diners facing in the right direction can enjoy views of the river through walls of mullioned windows.

On the American Queen, the food is good indeed. Five-course dinners feature steaks, chicken, duck, and fish served in a variety of ingenious ways. Low-calorie, low-fat, heart-healthy dishes are available, as are traditional river fare such as bayou stuffed catfish, coconut beer-battered shrimp, cajun cornish hen, gumbo, and red beans and rice. Desserts, too, were varied, but once I tried the bread pudding with whiskey sauce, I never ordered anything else.

Breakfast -- buffet or from the menu -- and lunch are also served in the J.M. White dining room. In addition, the Front Porch of America has continental breakfast and soup-and-salad luncheons. Hot dogs -- plump, juicy ones -- are available much of the day near the Calliope Bar, and each night at 11, there is a buffet in Main Deck Lounge. Also, people who watch the movies at the American Queen theater will find a basket of candy bars to choose from.

Our steamboating days sailed by pleasantly and smoothly, beginning with a lively departure featuring Tom Hook on the ship's 37-pipe calliope playing tunes such as ``Waitin' for the Robert E. Lee,'' and ending within sight of the magnificent St. Louis arch. In between, there was something almost hypnotic about watching the river roll by, listening to the whistling of birds, seeing huge barges being moved by towboats, and viewing the trees, houses, puzzling industrial equipment, and other sights on shore.

The mighty (and often muddy) Mississippi took on new significance, thanks to the daily talks by our riverlorian. With drama and humor, he explained the meaning of the river signs and sights. He also filled us in on the history of the areas we were traveling through, and some of the information was startling. Did you know, for instance, that the explosion of the steamboat Sultana just after the end of the Civil War took 2,100 lives -- more than were lost on the Titanic? I didn't.

The riverlorian also spoke through the public address system one afternoon to tell us that we had reached the point where Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri are all visible at once, and where the Lower Mississipi, Upper Mississipi, and Ohio rivers meet. It was traditional at this point, he said, to drop a penny overboard for luck, and I did. (What the heck, it was only a penny.)

We participated in many of the onboard activities, most of them hosted by the same talented people who put on the evening shows: Michael Bartoli, Fred Bishop, Jennifer Davis, and Traci Vaughn, with Larry Brown as our ``steamboatin' director.'' We even won a bottle of champagne, playing ``He Said, She Said,'' a game in which spouses have to match answers to questions such as ``Where did you go on your first date?'' Actually, we had an advantage: The other couples participating had been married for 40, 50, and 60 years; we have been wed a mere 30.

Our one port stop held a few surprises. The boat landed (steamboats do not ``dock'') in Chester, Ill., a town that was the home of Elzie C. Segar, creator of the cartoon character Popeye. Segar, in fact, based several of his comic-strip characters on residents of Chester. So the town now has a Popeye museum, Popeye statue, and a ``Welcome to Chester'' Popeye billboard.

At this stop, we were among those taking the optional bus tour to Ste. Genevieve, Mo., a town whose heritage dates to the days before the Louisiana Purchase when it was a colony of France. Included in the tour were visits to three antebellum homes; we were forewarned not to expect anything as grandiose as Natchez's mansions, but found the houses and their history fascinating.

Back to the boat: It was a treat having Van Johnson and Kathryn Grayson aboard. Both were familiar figures abaord the boat; they attended Captain Lawrence Keeton's champagne reception for passengers, and signed autographs after their performance.

That performance brought many to their feet to applaud. No one expected the stars to be as they were in their movies that were shown aboard: ``Showboat,'' ``Brigadoon,'' and ``Kiss Me Kate.'' He is 80 and has difficulty hearing; she is 75 and was having back problems. But both looked great. She sang sweetly, and he told animated tales about the golden age of Hollywood.

Just as it was good to see the celebrities remaining active, it was good to be aboard the American Queen. The past offers a lot worth treasuring.

The Delta Queen Co.'s two other steamboats are the historic Delta Queen, 70 years old and nicely maintained; and the Mississippi Queen, a stately Victorian vessel that was built in 1976 and thoroughly refurbished in 1996. The three riverboats ply the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, Arkansas, Illinois, Kanawha, and Atchafalaya rivers and the Intracoastal Waterway. There are a number of theme cruises throughout the year. Examples: foliage, holiday, Kentucky Derby, Civil War, great steamboat race, big band, and baseball.

For more information, write to the Delta Queen Steamboat Co., 30 Robin Street Wharf, New Orleans, LA 70130; or call (800) 543-1949.