America's Great River New Orleans to St. Paul

Arrive and check in to your hotel. The birthplace of American jazz, New Orleans exudes a festive atmosphere along the balcony-lined Bourbon Street. Here, in the heart of the French Quarter, soulful rhythms lift the spirit, especially during the city’s Mardi Gras celebration. Founded by French colonists in 1718, New Orleans served as a territorial capital before the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. Its distinctive St. Louis Cathedral—named for King Louis IX of France—is the oldest cathedral in the country. The city’s French, African and other influences flavor its vibrant culture and tantalizing Creole cuisine.

After breakfast, check out of your hotel. Often referred to as “The Big Easy,” the city of New Orleans radiates charm and is renowned for its Southern hospitality. Steeped in a proud musical tradition, some of the finest jazz and blues musicians can be seen performing each night at the many historic venues found throughout the city. New Orleans is also home to the oldest continuously operating streetcar line in the world, and its four classic lines offer a convenient way to explore the city’s historic homes, parks and museums, which include the New Orleans Museum of Art and the National WWII Museum. The capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge paints a historic picture on the eastern bank of the Mississippi. Its early success was due to its flood-free location upon the first natural bluff north of The Delta. French explorer Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’Iberville, named the city after a red-hued pole that marked the area’s tribal hunting grounds. Its cultural diversity—from its Cajun and Creole music and cuisine to its arts offerings—reflects the European immigrant settlers and the African people brought as slaves. The city boasts the tallest capitol building in the United States. Embark your ship and settle into your stateroom.

Natchez has one of the highest concentrations of historic Southern estates in the country. More than 200 perfectly preserved homes line its avenues. It is the oldest city on the Mississippi, established in 1716 by French colonists and named for the Natchez tribe who once called it home. With its ideal locale, the city became a crossroads among Native American and European cultures. Famously, Natchez was the southern terminus of the Natchez Trace, the overland route to Nashville that allowed traders to bypass the strong upriver currents. Today, it evokes small-town America.

Located on a high bluff where the Yazoo River flows into the Mississippi, Vicksburg is the epitome of Southern heritage and charm. It was incorporated in 1825 and, with its prime locale on the Mississippi, grew into an important port. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln called it “the key to the South.” And it indeed proved to be the site of the conflict’s most pivotal battle, the Battle of Vicksburg, after which the Confederates surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant. The Vicksburg National Military Park preserves the battle site’s rolling green fields and grand monuments.

Greenville is Mississippi’s largest river port, set atop the highest point along the Mississippi River between Vicksburg and Memphis. Its rural setting belies a diverse artistic heritage. The Muppets creator Jim Henson was born here, and the city has been home to numerous authors, including noted historian Shelby Foote. Greenville is also steeped in the blues; famed songwriter W.C. Handy was inspired to popularize the genre after seeing pioneering musician Prince McCoy perform at a nearby dancehall and neighboring Indianola was the hometown of the legendary B.B. King.

Teeming with a wide variety of birdlife and a breathtaking array of picturesque landscapes—including deep-green forests, lush wetlands and a patchwork of fertile farmlands—the Lower Mississippi abounds with natural beauty. This portion of America’s great waterway is also rich in history and culture, as reflected in the classic literature and music that have drawn inspiration from it.

The “Queen City of the South” is the birthplace of Memphis blues, popular in vaudeville shows of the early 20th century. With its strong trade in agricultural goods and other natural resources, it grew into one of the South’s largest commercial centers. Memphis famously boasts a wealth of civil rights history, much of it along Beale Street and at the Lorraine Motel, site of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. It is also the home of Graceland, where Elvis Presley, “the King of Rock ’n’ Roll,” spent his final days.

Starting from the confluence of the Ohio River and the Upper Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois, the Lower Mississippi River flows more than 950 miles to the Gulf of Mexico; over the course of its winding run, it slowly descends 270 feet to sea level. Unlike the upper rivers, the Lower Mississippi’s route is not impeded by locks or dams, instead relying on a series of levees and dikes to control flooding and make the stretch of water navigable. While floods are a historic problem, they also created the Delta’s fertile soil and led to wide-scale agriculture in the region.

Starting from the confluence of the Ohio River and the Upper Mississippi River at Cairo, Illinois, the Lower Mississippi River flows more than 950 miles to the Gulf of Mexico; over the course of its winding run, it slowly descends 270 feet to sea level. Unlike the upper rivers, the Lower Mississippi’s route is not impeded by locks or dams, instead relying on a series of levees and dikes to control flooding and make the stretch of water navigable. While floods are a historic problem, they also created the Delta’s fertile soil and led to wide-scale agriculture in the region.

During the 19th century, St. Louis was a gateway into the Louisiana Territory. In 1904, the city gained recognition as host of a world’s fair (officially called the Louisiana Purchase Exposition), whereby some accounts the ice-cream cone was introduced. Today, it is home to rich architectural treasures—among them, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis, with its 41-million-piece mosaic; the Renaissance Revival City Hall; the 19th-century Old Courthouse; and the Gateway Arch, standing along the Mississippi as a monument to westward expansion.

Hannibal is the childhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or Mark Twain, and the inspiration for his beloved stories of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Prior to the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and arrival of European settlers, a variety of indigenous Native American tribes called the area home. Hannibal grew into the primary port for steamboats and flatboats traveling the Upper Mississippi. “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” the early 20th-century socialite, philanthropist and survivor of the Titanic tragedy, was also born here.

The US flag was first raised over Iowa in Burlington—in 1805—by Lieutenant Zebulon Pike during his Mississippi explorations. Later, it became an outpost for the American Fur Company, a trading enterprise founded by John Jacob Astor. In 1834, it took its present name after the Vermont birthplace of its first settler, John Gray. During the steamboat era, it was a major port along the river. Today, the city is home to many magnificent buildings on the National Register of Historic Places, including the art deco Capitol Theater and the Gothic Revival St. Paul’s Church.

Straddling the confluence of the Mississippi and Rock Rivers, the Quad Cities area comprises Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Rock Island, Moline and East Moline, Illinois. As the only section of the Mississippi that flows from east to west, it is geographically unique. Its tightly knit riverside towns thrived due to thoughtful planning and effective leadership. Today, the Quad Cities rest amid the fertile farmland known as “America’s Breadbasket”—the nation’s most expansive and scenic agricultural region—and is home to agribusiness giants including John Deere.

One of Iowa’s few cities laid out among rolling bluffs, Dubuque is called the “Masterpiece on the Mississippi” for its 19th-century ingenuity and modern-day cultural evolution. Timber and boatbuilding were central to the city’s growth, with wood harvested in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The spirit of this river town lives on in the Cathedral Historic District, dotted with well-preserved buildings and authentic period lampposts. Today, the city is praised for its livability and for its riverside developments, including a museum and aquarium dedicated to the Mississippi River.

La Crosse has a deep connection to the towering bluffs and rolling farmland of the Norskedalen, or “Norwegian Valley.” Here, a Norwegian immigrant population has created a unique culture over generations. Historic immigrant villages dot the valley still, a collection of preserved homesteads reflecting a frontier way of life. Today, La Crosse boasts numerous sites on the National Register of Historic Places. Its important architectural landmarks, along with an array of engaging statues along the riverfront, make La Crosse feel like a vast open air museum.

After breakfast, disembark your ship. Red Wing is known for its Red Wing Shoes, which produced footwear for soldiers in both world wars. The city was named after a Sioux chief whose red-dyed swan wing indicated his rank. The first settlers—many from New England—arrived in the mid-1800s. German, Irish and Scandinavian immigrants followed, bringing skills in tanning, shoemaking, pottery and more. The city boasts a diversity of legacies, including Red Wing Stoneware and Pottery, founded in 1877 as the nation’s first commercial potter. Today, Red Wing enjoys a place in the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Arrive and check in to your hotel. St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota and one of the state’s oldest cities. Situated on a series of bluffs overlooking a deep S-shaped bend in the Mississippi River, it forms the “Twin Cities” with neighboring Minneapolis. The city has long been an important commercial center, first for furs during the early 19th century, then later for livestock and meatpacking after the development of the railroad. St. Paul boasts several historic neighborhoods and is home to Summit Avenue, the longest preserved street of Victorian-era buildings in the US.

St. Paul has several historic neighborhoods and is home to many late 19th and early 20th-century buildings, including the 1836 home of Henry Sibley, the state’s first governor; the Alexander Ramsey House (1872); the capitol (1904); and the Cathedral of St. Paul (1915). Its downtown features The Skyway, a system of enclosed, climate-controlled walkways on the second-floor of several buildings, which connect at various points. Over 160 parks lie within St. Paul, including the Saint Paul Grand Round, an unbroken chain of protected greenspaces and parklands around the city. After breakfast, check out of your hotel and journey home.