Monday September 11, 2023 Hannibal, Missouri

Tom Sawyer’s Home
Becky Thatcher’s Home
Hannibal’s Main Street
Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Stained Glass Window
One of Hannibal’s Homes
Mark Twain Statue
Jeff Hutson our Cruise Director Singing Candyman in a Candy Covered Jacket

Hannibal, with a population of about 18,000 inhabitants, is located about 100 miles northwest of St. Louis and 100 miles west of Springfield, Illinois. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, early European settlements were established in the area by ethnic French colonists, some from Illinois, who largely spoke French and were Roman Catholics. Molly Brown, the survivor of the Titanic, was a distant relative of Mark Twain’s and was a widow of a rich mine owner. Hannibal was home to this river community and is best known as the boyhood home of Samuel Langhorne Clemens, otherwise known as Mark Twain, (1835-1910). Twain drew from his childhood settings for his novels, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The weather on this day was cooler although a bit drizzly in the morning and much more humid than it had been previously. We visited Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home and Museum where we learned about the Hannibal of Samuel Clemens’s childhood and explored the stories created through the powerful imagination of American icon, Mark Twain. There was an Interpretive Center where we explored interactive exhibits highlighting the stories and life of Samuel Clemens. We then visited Mark Twain’s Boyhood Home to see the home where Clemens was raised between 1844 and 1853, and where the adventures of Tom Sawyer took place. Next, was the original museum built in 1937 and now houses a gift shop offering Twain’s books. Another building was the Huckleberry Finn House – The childhood home of Tom Blankenship, the model for Huck Finn along with the Becky Thatcher House – The home of Laura Hawkins, the inspiration for Becky. The next stop was J.M. Clemens Justice of the Peace Office – The location where Sam’s father held court. Lastly there is The Mark Twain Museum Gallery, a lovely two-story building featuring interactive exhibits, the Norman Rockwell Gallery and treasured Clemens family artifacts.
Our next stop was at the Trinity Episcopal Church where for more than 150 years, the Sanctuary of Trinity Episcopal Church, designed by architect Joseph A. Miller, has stood the test of time. With an interior consisting of a deeply arched heavy wooden beamed ceiling, beautiful bronze lanterns and side wall lamps, an impressive pipe organ and 18 illustriously conceived stained-glass windows, Trinity Church is truly a historic marvel. As you step into the church, you are immediately transported back in time. Early church members commissioned well-known artists to design the Sanctuary’s beautiful stained-glass windows. With signature designs by Charles Booth, Emil Frei, Jr. and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Glass Company, these windows are truly remarkable in their diverse artistic style, thematic construction and conceptual execution.
We visited the Hannibal History Museum with its wide variety of artifacts, photos and memorabilia from times gone by. Exhibits included items on the Civil War, the Steamboat Era, the local lumber barons, the Industrial Revolution, local architecture, historical figures and more.
Early in the afternoon we set sail for our next stop in St. Louis, Missouri. Kent rested in the cabin while Mark worked on a 2,000-piece puzzle in the card room with several other guests.
The evening’s entertainment was a one man show by our cruise director, Jeff Hutson. He changed his jacket with every song and all of the jackets were sequined and ready for Vegas. Jeff has a wonderful voice from his 50-year career of performing in television shows to Broadway and Las Vegas as a headliner at the Stardust Hotel in “Enter the Night.”

Sunday September 10, 2023 Muscatine, Iowa

Mussel Catching Device
Button Making Machinery and Shells with Button Holes
Button Museum Gift Shop Items
1908 Musser Mansion
Musser Mansion Living Room
Musser Mansion Dining Room
Environmental Learning Center
Environmental Learning Center Taxidermy

Muscatine, with a population of approximately 24,000 inhabitants, began as a trading post in 1833. The name Muscatine is believed to have come from the Mascoutin Native American tribe that lived along the Mississippi. From the 1840’s to the Civil War, Muscatine was home to Iowa’s largest black community, consisting of fugitive slaves who had traveled the Mississippi from the south and free blacks who had migrated from eastern states.

Our stop on this day took us to the National Pearl Button Museum to learn how Muscatine, Iowa, became the “Pearl Button Capital of the World” at the turn of the 20th Century. In 1884, German immigrant John F. Boepple immigrated to the US after international German tariffs put him out of business in Germany. The Mississippi river provided fresh water mussel shells suitable for button production, reigniting Boepple’s button business. By 1905, Muscatine’s factories were producing 1.5 billion pearl buttons annually. While this fantastic feat brought prosperity to the local economy and workers, the mussel harvesting came at an environmental cost. The creatures were nearly driven to extinction, as a result, the river’s quality was diminished. At the National Pearl Button Museum, stories of immigrants, entrepreneurs, and everyday workers are told through artifacts, photos, videos, and oral histories. In later years, not only were mussel buttons manufactured, but also plastic and other types of buttons. We enjoyed seeing the vintage machinery that was used to produce the buttons as well as the large collection of all types of buttons. The last of the button manufacturers finally closed in 2019.

Our next stop was at the Muscatine Art Center, located in the historic 1908 Musser Mansion and commissioned by lumber baron, Peter Musser, for his daughter Laura and her husband Edwin. In 1965 the mansion was donated to the city with some of the family’s furnishings for the use and enjoyment of the residents. The family also left an endowment, for as long as the funds would last, to maintain the residence. The two-story brick home is quite grand with spacious rooms, high ceilings and is beautifully furnished. Today, the residence not only shows off world renowned artists’ works through the family’s collection but also through traveling exhibits of art.

We then made a stop at the Muscatine County Environmental Learning Center to uncover the natural history of Muscatine and its environmental conservation efforts. This 10,500 sq. ft. facility is located in Discovery Park and features natural history exhibits including live reptiles, amphibians and fish local to the area. We saw how the wildlife habitats of Iowa have changed over the years, and experienced interactive hands-on displays. They have two 1200-gallon aquariums where you can see native species of fish and learn about over 100 mounted animals from Iowa. Outside, guests can visit the live raptor enclosure to meet local birds of prey.

Due to the distance to our next stop on the following day, our boat sailed at noon. Onboard activities in the afternoon included a lecture about the early explorers on the American rivers like Lewis Clark, a game show, and the liars club. Mark spent some time in the card room working on a 2,000-piece puzzle someone had started. The card room has lots of windows so it is easy to keep an eye on the river as we transited more locks, passed unique bridges and small towns. It was a lovely afternoon on the river.

The evening’s entertainment was a collection of music performed by the onboard band and the cruise director and his colleagues. They performed a variety of classic songs, mostly from the sixties, as well as some theater musical numbers. We gave them an “A” for effort and they appeared to be having a good time performing but some of the numbers lacked a little pizazz.

Saturday September 9, 2023 Bettendorf, Iowa

Isabelle Bloom Studio Gift Shop
Isabelle Bloom Studio Gift Shop
Isabelle Bloom Workshop
Grant Wood Self Portrait
Two of Grant Wood Paintings
Vanessa German Sculpture at the Figge Museum
German Immigrant Accommodations
German Toy Exhibit
Botanical Garden
Entering Lock
Lock Begins Opening
Lock is Fully Open
Bridge With Railroad and Roadway Begins Pivoting
The Roadway and Railway Line Bridge are Nearly Fully Open

The weather was sunny and warmer on this day, climbing to about 80 degrees. Bettendorf, with a population of about 40,000, is one of the Quad Cities along with Davenport, Moline and Rock Island. Bettendorf is a relatively new city developed about 1900 when residents Willian and Joseph Bettendorf of Davenport, Iowa, were given 70 acres of riverfront land near what was at that time the town of Gilbert, with the condition that they move their iron wagon business out of Davenport. In 1903 the 450 or so residents petitioned for incorporation and requested that the town name be changed to Bettendorf in honor of the brothers whose factory was a major economic influence in the early development of the city. In the late 1940’s ALCOA, the Aluminum Company of America, chose Bettendorf as the site for the worlds largest aluminum mill. This created thousands of jobs and quickly increased the population of Bettendorf.

Our first stop of the day was at the Isabel Bloom Sculpture Studio where we had a tour and a demonstration. Born Isabel Rose Scherer in Galveston, Texas, in 1908, her family soon moved to Davenport where she was raised and lived her entire life. After graduation Isabel would study briefly at the Art Institute of Chicago as well as at the Vogue School of Fashion where she developed a love for dress making. After returning to Davenport Isabel taught for Singer and opened her own dress design business. Davenport, not being the dress capital of the world and Isabel, not wanting to move to the big city, closed her business and found a job as a receptionist at a doctor’s office.

In 1932 a visit to an art colony in Stone City, Iowa, would change her life. 90 students were offered room and board as well as a variety of art classes in drawing, painting and sculpting for six-week terms at a cost of $100. It was here that Isabel learned to carve limestone flawlessly. Here Isabel would also meet her husband to be, John Bloom, who was an accomplished artist.

Throughout her life Isabel continued to expand her sculpting abilities and she became a prominent artist in Davenport. She was well known for her garden art created with concrete. During a guided video tour, we learned about the steps in making Isabel’s wet concrete garden sculptures and got the chance to see many of her original works of art. Today the studio is owned by her protégé and fans of her sculptures and they continue to bring her sculptures to life.

Next up was the Figge Art Museum, home to one of the Midwest’s finest art collections within a unique glass building designed by British architect David Chipperfield. The museum is known for its traveling art exhibits, special events, art classes and lectures. On this day they were even having a yoga class in the lobby of the museum. We did get to see several of Grant Wood’s original works of art including a self-portrait.

At the German American Heritage Center, founded in 1994, we learned about the unique German immigrant experience. They have a large permanent exhibit and two rotating exhibits, as well as an orientation theater. They teach about the immigrants journey by sea, train, and foot to their final destination at what was once a busy local hotel for thousands of immigrants to the area in the 1860’s. On this day they were hosting a fall craft fair with local artists who were selling everything from jewelry to jam and from wooden pumpkins to handmade sweets.

Lastly, Mark visited the Quad City Botanical Center where they exhibit exotic tropical flowers, a waterfall and reflecting pools. The outdoor gardens feature conifers, spring bulbs, colorful and rare perennials and more. These gardens host extravagant festivals, parties and events throughout the year. On this day they were having a wedding with a couple of hundred guests. There is also an extensive children’s garden area with water features, streams and things for kids to do. In the front of the center there is a miniature train city built along the tracks. There was a volunteer operating the toy trains.

While Mark was at the botanical garden, Kent attended a Riverlorian lecture on the American Queen Countess vessel that we are sailing on. He heard about the history of the vessel, cost of the vessel, cost of remodeling the vessel, water capacity, etc.

After departing Bettendorf, we sailed south entering another lock and a swing span bridge. As the bridge opens and closes all pedestrians, cars and trains must stop so that our vessel can transit along the river. Many of the guests came out on the deck to watch this intriguing operation. The entire process takes about 30-minutes.

The evening’s entertainment was a question and answer session with Mark Twain, who was played by the same actor we saw several nights ago. They had intended to have a variety show on the program but it was changed so we suspected someone was sick. Mark Twain answered guests’ questions about his life, books, inspiration and family without missing a beat. Always clever, interesting and thoughtful.

Friday September 8, 2023 Dubuque, Iowa

St. Luke’s Church
Interior of St’ Luke’s
Tiffany Altar Stained Glass Window
St. Luke’s Tiffany Window
Dubuque Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House Interior
American Gothic Painting
Fenelon Place Elevator
Elevator Tracks
View from the Top of the Elevator

Dubuque lies at the junction of Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin and has a population of about 60,000 inhabitants. It is often referred to as the Tri-State area and is the main commercial, industrial, educational and cultural center of the region. Home to five institutions of higher learning its economy relies on healthcare, publishing and financial services.

Spain gained control of the Louisiana Territory west of the Mississippi River following the defeat of the French, while the British took control of the territory to the east. In 1785 the first permanent settler in what is now Dubuque was Quebecois pioneer Julien Dubuque. The city is named after Julien Dubuque who received permission from the Spanish government and the Meskwaki American Indians to mine the area’s rich lead deposits. Control of the mines shifted briefly back to France in 1800, then to the United States in 1803 following the Louisiana Purchase. The Meskwaki continued to mine with full support of the US government until 1830 when the Meskwaki were pushed out of the mine region by American prospectors.

After lead was exhausted, the area became home to numerous industries. Its proximity to forests in Minnesota and Wisconsin led to a timber industry and mill working businesses. They also had boat building, brewing and by 1874 the Diamond Jo Railroad Line had moved its headquarters to Dubuque. Between 1860 and 1880, Dubuque was one of the 100 largest urban areas in the United States.

In the mid 19th Century and into the 20th Century, thousands of poor German and Irish Catholic immigrants moved to Dubuque for manufacturing jobs. The large Roman Catholic congregations led to numerous convents, abbeys and other religious institutions to be built. In the past twenty years the warehouse district and the port area have experienced massive investment and growth bringing new businesses including hotels. Today, tourism, technology and publishing are among the fastest growing businesses. Over 1.5 million tourists visit the city annually.

Just a short walk from the port we visited the Historic Millwork District where repurposed warehouses are now home to niche retail stores, cafes, coffee shops, apartments and offices. Through sustainable urban designs these old warehouses have renewed this area with a strategy of connecting people in a mixed-use neighborhood.

We then made a visit to the Dubuque Museum of Art which is an affiliate of the Smithsonian and was the first art museum in Iowa. The museum is home to two of the most important paintings outside of Chicago by the renowned Iowan artist Grant Wood. Grant DeVolson Wood 1891 – 1942 was an American painter and representative of Regionalism, best known for his paintings depicting the American Midwest. He is particularly well known for his painting titled American Gothic (1930), which has become an iconic example of early 20th Century American art. This painting is of a farmer and his wife in front of a church holding a three-pronged pitch fork. Unfortunately, the Wood paintings were not on exhibition at this time. Instead we saw two exhibits with contemporary artists using a wide variety of media from photography, crochet, weaving, ceramics, oils and more.

The museum is also home to one of only 200 intact sets of photographs by Edward S. Curtis’s masterpiece, The North American Indian. In 1906, J.P. Morgan provided Curtis with a $75,000 grant to produce a series on Native Americans. The work was to be in 20 volumes with 1,500 photographs and the project would take more than 20 years to complete. Curtis would receive no salary for the project and Morgan would receive 25 sets and 500 original prints as repayment. Eventually, 222 complete sets of photographs were published. Curtis made over 40,000 wax cylinder recordings of Native American language and music. He took over 40,000 photographic images of members of 80 tribes. He recorded tribal lore, history, described traditional foods, housing, garments, recreation, ceremonies and funeral customs. They only had a handful of these prints on display and they were very monochromatic and lifeless, desperate and depressing looking.

Our next stop was at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church with its world-famous Tiffany stained-glass windows, which have been called “one of the five finest religious Tiffany Collections in the world.” This beautiful Romanesque church has 32” thick foundation walls built from Bedford limestone from Indiana. Each stone cut by hand and even some include embedded fossils. The original organ from 1897 has been carefully restored and recreated marble Florentine murals grace the ornate chancel. They had many members of the congregation on hand to tell us about the stunning Tiffany windows and this historic church. The windows are spectacular in color, design, use of glass and the amount of light they let in. It was the highlight of our day.

At the Fenelon Place Elevator, we saw what is described as the world’s shortest, steepest scenic railway, 296 feet in length, carrying passengers up 189 feet from 4th Street to Fenelon Place. The elevator was constructed in 1882 for the private use of a wealthy banker and former senator, J.K. Graves. Mr. Graves wanted to go home for lunch but the hill was too steep for him to make it home for lunch and back to the bank, so he installed the elevator. Originally the elevator only had one set of tracks for a single car to transit up and down the track. Soon others wanted to use the elevator as it was so convenient and the idea was hatched to make it a money-making proposition. Today there are two tracks and two cars alternating from top to bottom in unison. The views over the city and the Mississippi from the top were extra special even on a cool and cloudy day.

A short distance away we visited the Hotel Julien Dubuque on the site of a hotel or inn dating back to 1839 and located at the corner of Second and Main Streets. The original structure, four stories high was called the Waples House, named after Peter Waples, a wealthy Dubuque merchant. Known far and wide for its gourmet cuisine, it was furnished extravagantly and could be seen from across the river. The hotel over the years endured a severe fire, hosted famous guests such as Abraham Lincoln, “Buffalo Bill,” Cody and Mark Twain. It is believed that Al Capone once owned the hotel as he would escape here from Chicago for a retreat or to hideout.

Next, we explored Dubuque’s historic Grand Opera House that opened in 1890 presenting opera, theater and vaudeville until 1928. Then, converted to a movie theater until 1986 when it returned to showing live performances. Over the past three decades it has been beautifully restored and presents locally produced theatrical productions, touring musicals and variety acts.

In the afternoon we attended a lecture on Presidents Lincoln and Grant and their lives along the Mississippi River.

The evening’s entertainment was an internationally recognized mentalist by the name of Brian Imbus. He awed the audience with his ability to read minds and interpret the subtle body language of people. We enjoyed his performance and his 45-minute show flew by.

Thursday September 7, 2023 La Crosse, Wisconsin

Dahl Auto Museum
Dahl Auto Museum
Hixson House Exterior
Kent at the Friendship Garden Entrance
Bronze Statuary at the Boat Dock
A Barge Pushing Grain Down the River
Mark Twain Character

The weather on this day was considerably cooler with a low of 58 degrees and a high of 68. Much cooler than the 90 degree plus weather that we were having over the last week. We were in port until 1:00pm when we set sail for our next port — Dubuque, Iowa.

Breakfast in the morning each day consists of a large variety of options to choose from. For starters they offer coffee, fresh juices, berries, fruit plates, eggs any style, bacon, sausage, potatoes, oatmeal, toast, English muffins and more. Then each day there is a daily changing menu including items like eggs benedict, French toast, pancakes, quiche or other specialty breakfast items.

La Crosse is a regional technology, medical, education, manufacturing and transportation hub with a city population of about 55,000 residents and about 140,000 in the metropolitan area. The University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, Viterbo University and Western Technical College combined have about 20,000 students. It is believed that European fur traders were the first to see the region in the late 17th century although there is no written record of any visit until 1805 when Lt. Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi for the US. Pike recorded the location as “Prarie La Crosse” from a game with sticks that resembled a bishop’s Crozier (Staff) and was played by Native Americans there. In 1841, the first settlement was established when Nathan Myrick, a New York native moved to the area to work in the fur trade. Instead of the fur trade he opened a trading post. By 1844, a small Mormon community had settled in La Crosse, building several dozen cabins in the area.

During the second half of the 19th century, La Crosse grew to become one of the largest cities in Wisconsin. It was the center of the lumber industry since logs cut in the interior of the state could be rafted down the Black River toward sawmills built in the city.

During our stay, we visited the Dahl Auto Museum where five generations of the Dahl family have owned Ford dealerships. They currently operate dealerships in La Crosse and Onalaska, Wisconsin, as well as Winona, Minnesota. The museum includes about 20 antique and classic cars highlighting each decade since the Dahl families first dealership in 1911. They also feature a fairly substantial hood ornament collection.
Our next stop was at the Hixon House with 4,700 square feet, built in 1858, by pioneer Gideon Hixon, a wealthy lumber baron. The family had retained it in the original state that wife, Ellen Hixon had left it when she died in 1913. In 1965, their descendants gifted the house to the La Crosse Historical Society complete with its original Victorian Arts and Crafts furnishings. The home is very plain from the exterior although the interior is extremely ornate and filled with tons of family heirlooms. A major restoration was completed in 2004 to paint, restore wallpaper, clean, reupholster furniture in keeping with how it was when the Hixons were alive. Several docents took us on a 30-minute guided tour of the lower level of the property pointing out all of the interesting furnishings and accessories in the home.

Next, we visited the La Crosse Area Heritage Center where we saw exhibits on the Ho-Chunk native tribes’ history, steamboats, the logging industry, beer making, fishing and early manufacturing. The Ho-Chunk was the dominant tribe in the area in the 16th century with an estimated population of several thousand.

The shopping avenue in town is called Pearl Street and that is where Kent found the Wisconsin cheese curds that he had been looking for. He selected the garlic flavored cheese curds and found them to be very satisfying. In Wisconsin, it is the cheese!

Our final stop of the day was at the Riverside International Friendship Garden built in celebration of La Crosse’s relationship with its sister cities. It features a Chinese garden using the elements of Feng Shui, a more formal French garden with finely trimmed plants, a German garden using hydrangea, roses and fruit bearing shrubs. A Norwegian garden includes many waterfalls, rhubarb, strawberry and blueberry plants, making it not only beautiful, but also aromatic. A Russian garden with a pergola and many sculpture pieces among the tree-filled groves was also there.
In the afternoon we sailed south towards Dubuque, Iowa. Along the way we marveled at how wide the river was and how many islands of trees there are with the water meandering far and wide around patches of land. We passed under many bridges and along many small towns. The banks are green with trees and we continue to pass through many locks along the river. In total there are something like 27 locks that we must pass through along the upper Mississippi.

The night’s entertainment was an evening with Mark Twain. A gentleman dressed as Mark Twain, gave a forty-five-minute dialog about the life of Mark Twain, where he lived, about his family and some of the stories and experiences leading him to be the author he became. His stories were cleaver and funny at times.

Wednesday September 6, 2023 Winona, Minnesota

Liz Sexton Paper Mache Mask
Liz Sexton Photograph with the Mask
Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka
Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka Interior
Basilica of St. Stanislaus Stained Glass Windows
Winona Architecture
Winona 1905 Fire Truck
Watkins Remedies Carraige
Watkins Spices

Winona gets its name from the sorrowful legend of a young Dakota Sioux maiden of the area who leapt to her fateful end at nearby Maiden Rock in order to avoid marriage to a betrothed she did not love. Winona has a population of about 27,500 inhabitants. European immigrants settled the area in 1851 on the site of a Native American village named Keoxa. The original settlers were immigrants from New England but soon Germans, Poles, and Yankees worked together building businesses based on lumber, wheat, steam boating and railroads. The town is not very diverse as reflected in the racial makeup of Winona in 2020 census which was nearly 90% white.

On our stop in Winona, Minnesota, Mark visited the Minnesota Marine Art Museum to explore the human relationship with water. The museum’s collection focuses on traditional marine or maritime art but also includes many fine art pieces from both European and American artists such as Picasso, Monet, Van Gogh and Georgia O’Keeffe. A favorite exhibit was a young artist by the name of Liz Sexton and her paper mache masks. There was an entire gallery room filled with paper mache animal masks beautifully painted depicting a wide variety of animals. Once Liz completes the masks she then wears the masks out in public and has photos taken of her with the masks. Very intriguing.

Our next stop was at the Winona County History Center in downtown Winona which displays all sorts of local history. The history center is housed in the 1915 Armory Building as well as a contemporary building called the Laird Norton Addition. The upper level featured a time line from the 1800’s to modern day showing artifacts from each decade of its history. On the lower lever there were replicas of things like a local general store, a steam boat as well as items like horse drawn carriages, an antique fire engine and many photographs and historical documents of Winona.

We then stopped in at the Watkins Museum and Store, the site of the Watkins Company store dating back to 1885 when they started selling products such as J.R. Watkins Liniment, which was their very first and most popular product. J.R. Watkin began selling the liniment back in 1868 door to door before moving the company to Winona in 1885 where it remains today. They claim to have been the first American company to offer a “money back guarantee” when Watkins made most of his sales going door to door. They originally sold products like pepper, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, peppermint extract and lemon extract. During World War II Watkins devoted 90% of its production to the support of the war effort with dried eggs, powdered juice packets, vitamin tablets, hospital germicide, DDT and insecticide powder. During the 1940’s Watkins was the largest direct-sales company in the world. Over time they added more and more products which they sold through retail channels as well as through an independent sales force of 25,000 people. The museum tells the more than 150-year story of the company through the perspective of the Watkins family. Photographs, articles, artifacts and memorabilia are displayed in addition to the gift shop offering more than 350 unique Watkins products that have stood the test of time.

We visited the magnificent Basilica of St. Stanislaus Kostka dating back to 1894 when the Romanesque-style red brick building was begun. Inside the basilica dedicated to the patron saint of the youth, we admired the beautiful stained-glass windows, the pipe organ, the beautiful pillars and extravagant altar.

After sailing we attended a Captain’s Welcome Toast with champagne. They also introduced the officers of the boat so that we could get a chance to meet them. The officers came from Croatia, East Africa as well across the United States.

The evening’s entertainment was a selection of river songs performed by the house band, the cruise director and the husband and wife assistant cruise directors. They all had excellent voices and their choreography was perfectly synchronized.

Tuesday September 5, 2023 Minneapolis to Red Wing, Minnesota

Minnehaha and Hiawatha Sculpture
Beautiful Tree Lined Summit Avenue
St. Paul’s Cathedral
Intriguing Architecture
Cherry on a Spoon Sculpture
Blue Rooster Statue

This morning we departed our hotel for a five-hour bus tour of the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis. Minneapolis, with a population of about 430,000 people, is the largest city in Minnesota. Called the “City of Lakes” because of its abundant water, including thirteen lakes, wetlands, creeks, waterfalls and the Mississippi River. Minneapolis was not only known for the flour milling industry that we learned about yesterday, but also for the lumber industry which was also prominent due to the white pine forests of Northern Minnesota. St. Paul is the capital of Minnesota with a population of around 300,000 inhabitants. It is known for its cold snowy winters and humid summers.

We discovered the rich history of Minnesota’s Twin Cities. From the comfort of the motor coach, we meandered our way through the downtown skyscrapers of Minneapolis and the historic Summit Avenue in St. Paul, filled with historic homes. The homes along Summit Avenue date back to the 1800’s and are mixed with churches and colleges. Our local guide introduced us to the vibrant culture, architecture, and history for which the cities are known. Minneapolis has torn down many of its older neighborhoods replacing them with newer construction while St. Paul has retained much of its original construction.

We drove by the Fort Snelling military post built between 1819 and 1825 and was renamed after Colonel Josiah Snelling who supervised its construction. It was originally named Fort St. Anthony. The fort served as the primary center for US government forces during the Dakota War of 1862. It served as a recruiting station during the Civil War, Spanish American War, and both World Wars before being decommissioned in 1946. The fort has a difficult history in that military officers at the time moved into the fort with enslaved people and the US Army officers were paid to hire servants but some used enslaved workers instead. The army allowed the practice and it was not exclusive to this fort.

We drove past St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Minnesota State Capital, and the new Guthrie Theater. We made a stop at Minnehaha Falls to watch the fresh water pour off the slick sheets of rock at the top of the cliffs, trickling into the small body of water located below. Due to the recent drought the creek is nearly dry. At the observation deck at the Guthrie Theater, known as the “Endless Bridge,” we got a view of the Mississippi River below. The view was very similar to the views that we had from the Mill City Museum a couple of days ago. We saw the Minneapolis Stone Arch Bridge and admired the beauty of the architectural link that contrasts the metallic structures of the urban city with the natural glimmer of the Mississippi waters. We watched as the Mississippi rapids flow towards Saint Anthony Falls downstream before visiting the restored Harriet Island Regional Park with its paddlewheel riverboats.

We stopped for lunch in St. Paul where folks had the chance to dine at an Italian restaurant and market, an Irish pub or a Mexican taco shop. We tried the new taco shop where the owner was very accommodating to tell us about his travels to Mexico during the pandemic and how he started the restaurant with different types of street tacos. It was very good.

After the tour of the Twin Cities we headed the one-hour drive to the town of Redwing where we would meet up with our home for the next two weeks, the American Queen’s American Countess river boat. Our cabin was an inside cabin with a very spacious bathroom with large shower. The cabin had a desk and chair, TV, Keurig coffee maker and more. The boat has traditional public spaces like a grand lobby with a bar, formal dining room, casual dining room, show lounge, card room, library, chart room and more.

Prior to dinner, we attended a short orientation about the following days activities. The entertainment was an introduction to the four-piece band, the cruise director and married assistant cruise directors, riverlorian and shore excursion manager. They all have to multitask as most of them provided entertainment via a song or two. The cruise director was one of Andre Lloyd Weber’s Starlight Express singers in London and performed for years in Las Vegas shows. He had an excellent voice.

We had late seating dinner at 7:45pm in the main dining room where there were only about fifty diners. We had only two table mates, a couple celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, from New Mexico and moving to Oklahoma. Both of them were born not far from where Kent lived in Illinois. The eclectic American three course dinner was very nice. Offerings included a wilted greens salad, soup, ribs, chicken. fish, beef and more. For dessert they offered cheese cake, chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cake and ice cream.

Monday September 4, 2023 Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kent was spotted here picking out some new duds
One of the many mall rides
Sugar Factory Sundae Shop
Bubba Gump at the Shrimp Company

We had planned to take a pre-cruise extension to Itasca State Park, considered the confluence and beginning of the Mississippi River; however, there was not enough interest in the trip and it was cancelled. Here is some of the information I had gathered about the history of the park.
In 1832, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft was led by Anishinabe guide Ozawindib to the source of the Mississippi River. It was on this journey that Schoolcraft, with the help of an educated missionary companion, created the name Itasca from the Latin words for “truth” and “head” by linking adjoining syllables: verITAS CAput, meaning “true head.” In the late 1800s, Jacob V. Brower, historian, anthropologist and land surveyor, came to the park region to settle the dispute of the actual location of the Mississippi Headwaters. Brower saw this region being quickly transformed by logging, and was determined to protect some of the pine forests for future generations. It was Brower’s tireless efforts to save the remaining pine forest surrounding Lake Itasca that led the state legislature to establish Itasca as a Minnesota state park on April 20, 1891. Through his conservation work and the continuing efforts of others throughout the decades, the splendor of Itasca has been maintained. The park has more than 32,000 acres and includes more than 100 lakes. Here you can walk across the mighty Mississippi River at its confluence of rivers before it travels 2,552 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. The park offers trails, a paddlewheel tour, campgrounds, and a 2,000-acre wilderness sanctuary.
The diversity of vegetation in the park supports many wildlife species. Birding is excellent and visitors are encouraged to help spot and record the bird life they see in the park. The local birds include loons, grebes, cormorants, herons, ducks, owls, hummingbirds, woodpeckers, chickadees, nuthatches, kinglets, vireos, tanagers, finches, and warblers. Wildlife found in the park include deer, chipmunks, squirrels, beaver, porcupine, black bears, and wolves.
We had planned to take a two-hour guided tour on the waters of Lake Itasca onboard the 141 passenger Chester Charles II Paddleboat. The boat tour follows the route of Ozawindib and Schoolcraft in 1832 when they recorded the headwaters of the Mississippi River. They were to show us about the local wildlife including the bald eagles, common Loons, Indian and logging history.
We used this day to return the car to the airport and return to our hotel by way of the hotel’s shuttle service. We spent more time exploring the Mall of America including having sundae’s for lunch at the Sugar Factory. Like so many places after the pandemic, the service was poor due to not having enough staff. I also found it odd that they served us our sundae’s in plastic cups with plastic silverware often used for take away orders, even though we were seated at the bar.
In the afternoon, we checked in for our river cruise at the hotel and received our cabin keys and vouchers for our tour of the twin cities tomorrow. The temperature outside was nearly 100 degrees so a good day to stay inside and relax before our cruise began.
For dinner we headed back to the mall and to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for some shrimp and onion rings. After dinner we walked a couple of laps around the mall to work off some of the calories.

Sunday September 3, 2023 Cedar Falls, Iowa to Minneapolis, Minnesota

Kent at the Flour City Museum
Vintage Combine
Mary Tyler Moore Statue
Mall of America Amusement Park
Mall of America
Kent with the Wahlberg Boys

We departed Cedar Falls around 9:00am bound for The Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where we spent two nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel. The ride took us about three and one-half hours passing through beautiful countryside filled with lush green soybean fields and golden colored corn fields. Mixed in were meandering stripes of green trees creating a patchwork of colors.

Our home for the next two nights was the Radisson Blu at The Mall of America. The hotel was very neat, clean and comfortable with views over The Mall of America and the airport from our 12th floor room.

We headed out to The Mill City Museum located on the Mississippi River front in downtown Minneapolis. The museum was built within the ruins of the Washburn A Mill, the flagship mill of the Washburn-Crosby Company which later became General Mills. It was the largest and most technologically advanced mill in the world when it was completed in 1880. Millers at the Washburn mills in the 1870’s perfected a new process for milling, a revolution that made fine wheat flour available to the masses for the first time. Soon thereafter Minneapolis became the flour milling capital of the world, a title it held from 1880 until 1930. At peak production, the mill ground enough flour to make 12 million loaves of bread a day. Flour used to come in 196-pound family barrels, but over time flour sacks were introduced and sold in 100, 50- and 25-pound quantities. After Betty Crocker was introduced in 1921, flour began coming in even smaller sized bags. In 1928, Washburn-Crosby Company merged with 28 other mills and was renamed General Mills. In 2001, General Mills purchased Pillsbury uniting Minnesota’s two largest flour manufacturers.

The museum includes an interesting 19-minute film about the history of Minneapolis, some history of Betty Crocker and the Pillsbury Dough Boy, the history of the areas’ flour production and more. They have a very interesting elevator tour where guest sit in a room sized elevator and as they ride up and down the elevator the wall sized doors open to a room from the former mill along with film footage and stories about the mill. There is a ninth-floor roof top outdoor observation deck where you can look out over the river and city.

On our way back to our hotel we stopped in the downtown area to snap a photo of the bronze statue of Mary Tyler Moore. The statue has sat at the corner of 7th Street and Nicollet streets since 2001.The statue captures the iconic moment Mary throws her tam in the air during the opening credits of the 1970’s hit TV Show. The shows’ images of Minneapolis and references to the city helped catapult the city to a national stage.

We then visited The Mall of America which was extremely busy with shoppers of all ages and sizes. The ground floor has an enormous amusement park with roller coaster rides and carnival type booths of all sorts. Four stories of mall surround the amusement park with shops of every imaginable type. You can find tattoo shops, hookah shops, clothing stores, restaurants and so much more.

After wandering around the mall for some time we stopped at the Wahlberg family burger restaurant called Whaleburger’s for a bite to eat before returning to our hotel for the night.

Saturday September 2, 2023 Cedar Falls, Iowa

Downtown Cedar Falls
Downtown Cedar Falls
Starbeck’s Restaurant

This morning we joined Jenifer for breakfast at a local greasy spoon restaurant called J’s Homestyle Cooking. The diner had an eclectic crowd of folks from college kids to the elderly and everything in between. They served all types of eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, cinnamon rolls, pancakes, omelets and more.

After breakfast we returned to our guest room at Jenifer’s complex for a little rest before heading to downtown Cedar Falls. The main downtown shopping district has been beautifully renovated with wide sidewalks, lush trees and landscaping and the store fronts appear to mostly be occupied. You can find hair salons, restaurants, a vintage hotel from 1910, coffee shops, popcorn, a theater, jewelry shops, banks and more.

We meandered the shops munching on Reese’s peanut butter cup popcorn in 96-degree weather. For lunch we ventured into a Mexican restaurant where we enjoyed chips and guacamole, tacos, enchiladas and chimichangas. After lunch we continued our stroll down the other side of the avenue stopping in many shops to take advantage of the air conditioning.

By mid-afternoon we visited the James and Meryl Hearst Center for the Arts. They currently have an exhibit of the Thursday Painters of Cedar Falls who meet every Thursday to support each other’s art pursuits. The exhibit included watercolors, acrylics, oils and ceramics. The Thursday Painters have been gathering for 75 years this year so it was only appropriate that they honor the longevity of the group. Some of the painters are very accomplished while others may only be beginners.

James Schell Hearst ,whom the Center is named after, was a native Iowan who at the age of 19 had a swimming accident that paralyzed him from the neck down. After two years of physiotherapy James was able to regain the use of his arms. James began reading many books and began writing poetry and stories during the winter months when he was not assisting his family with the family farm business. In his mid-twenties he was published and paid for his writings. This encouraged him to continue his writing. Over his lifetime he would go on to write over 600 poems, mostly a realistic picture of life on an Iowa farm. He wrote 12 books of poetry, several books of prose and an autobiography. His work appeared in hundreds of periodicals, including the New York Times, Saturday Evening Post and Ladies’ Home Journal.

For dinner we ate at a local barbecue restaurant called Starbeck’s. They have great ribs, pulled pork, burgers and more. The décor of the restaurant both inside and out is very eclectic with old road signs, neon business signs, vintage farm equipment, etc.