Blue Hawaii, An Elvis Tribute 2013

Included Tour: Hop aboard your deluxe Steamcoach and start an adventure by visiting gift shops like Delta Gypsy Caravan and Gist Music Company. Then visit the Malco Theater, which was made famous in the movie “Walk the Line.” Visit Handworks Boutique, a store that was featured on “ABC World News Tonight.” Then, discover historic downtown Helena, including the Delta Cultural Center, a museum that preserves and presents the heritage of the 27-county region of eastern Arkansas.

For those of you into the blues, Bubba’s Blues Corner offers the best selection of hard-to-find blues music in the nation.  Biscuit Row is an exciting recent development featuring the rehabilitation of several buildings at this gritty intersection that was the home of the blues in Helena in the style’s earliest days.

Experience the region’s cultural heritage and generations past at the Helena Museum.

Lastly, visit two amazing pieces of architecture preserved from the late 1880s and 1890s: the Fort Curtis/Moore–Horner House and the Pillow Thompson House.

Also on our path is Freedom Park, Arkansas’ first Network to Freedom site—a National Park Service designation for key Underground Railroad sites across the nation.

Day 3: Vicksburg, MS
Arrival: 12:00 p.m. — Departure: 5:00 p.m.
Discover a unique blend of old and new in Vicksburg, Mississippi. Take in the diversity from Vicksburg National Military Park to the Waterways Experiment Station. Billed as the “Red Carpet City of the South,” Southern hospitality is alive and well and awaiting your arrival.

Included Tour:  Vicksburg, Mississippi, is bursting at the seams with local culture, character, art, entertainment and outdoor adventure. With sweeping views of the Mississippi River, Vicksburg perfectly blends Southern culture and heritage with exciting modern-day attractions. Stops along the way include the Old Court House Museum, which showcases thousands of artifacts from pre-Columbian times to Civil War implements, bringing exciting pieces of history to life. It also contains a unique gift shop with authentic Civil War relics. The Duff Green Mansion and Levee Street Depot Museum are also part of the history Vicksburg has to offer.

You will also find the Biedenharn Coca-Cola Museum, where Coca-Cola was first bottled in 1894, and the Yesterday’s Child Doll and Toy Museum, one of the largest collections in the United States of rare 19th- and 20th-century French and German bisque dolls, where you will stroll through childhood, viewing dolls and toys dating from 1843 to the present.

Day 4: Natchez, MS
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 9:00 p.m.
Step into the plantation lifestyle of the antebellum south in Natchez, site of numerous restored mansions. Visit historic Jefferson College, or just amble down the Natchez Trace.

Included Tour:  Natchez is the center of the Antebellum South. From Spring Pilgrimage to Christmas, there's no shortage of excitement in this small town as you tour the antebellum mansions, drink in the history and enjoy the evening entertainment. A narrated tour of the mansions includes Longwood, Stanton Hall and Rosalie Mansion. Stanton Hall and the Longwood mansion were built in the early 1800s and are owned and preserved today by the Pilgrimage Garden Club. Stanton Hall is widely regarded as the grandest of the Natchez mansions.

Day 5: St. Francisville, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 5:00 p.m.
This quaint town located on the bluffs of the Mississippi River is your window to the past. With over 140 buildings on the National Register, beautiful plantation homes nestled in the rolling countryside, and bustling Main Street shops, you’ll find plenty to keep you on the go in St. Francisville.

Included Tour: Hop on the bus, or venture out on foot - either way, St. Francisville awaits your arrival. Stops along the way include the new Grace Episcopal Church and the West Florida Republic Park, as well as Old Market Hall, where you can browse through art, jewelry, handmade items and music. The Tourist Information Center, located in the Historical Society Museum on Ferdinand St., has some great exhibits. When you leave the museum and travel up Ferdinand St., you’ll see gift shops, antiques dealers and galleries; gifts, when you reach Commerce Street, there are places for lunch, a snack, spirits, coffee or ice cream.

At this point, hop back on the bus, which will take you along Commerce Street up to the shopping center, if you are in need of groceries, medicine, batteries, etc.

You can continue on to Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site for a tour of the house and gardens at an additional cost.

Day 6 Baton Rouge, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 9:00 p.m.

The capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge is the center of all the great things the state has to offer—visitors delight in the seamless blend of past and present experiencing authentic Louisiana at every turn. With its semi-tropical climate, the outdoors is tempting and the attractions abound. No wonder this is one of the south’s fastest growing cities.

Delight your eyes with the sparkling new $55 million Shaw Center for Arts museum and theatrical space. Later, discover a landmark in the gigantic march of the Catholic Church’s history, St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Finally, stroll through a center of commerce for regional farmers, local chefs and artisans, and small businesses at the Main Street Market.

Day 7: Houmas House, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m. — Departure: 3:00 p.m.
Houmas House Plantation and Gardens is so much more than just a tour of a grand antebellum estate. Experience the southern splendor of "The Sugar Palace" when you step into 16 rooms filled with period antiques and Louisiana artwork.

Included Tour: Disembark from the American Queen and experience the magic of time gone by when you enter the grounds of historic Houmas House Plantation & Gardens. Your four-hour stay will take you on a journey through a time when sugar barons reigned supreme along the Great River Road.

As you begin your walking tour of the grounds, you will be greeted with the sights and scents of 16 acres of lush gardens, cool fountains and moss-draped live oaks that stand witness to the extraordinary lives spent in this beautiful setting. Circle the mansion to find the Turtle Bar nestled beside a garden path. Here, you will find a cool respite and an opportunity to try a mint julep, the bourbon cocktail that was first concocted at Houmas House. Take your drink with you while continuing your stroll among the formal gardens.

During your stroll, you may happen upon the kitchen gardens, from which the sous chefs harvest each evening in preparation for meal service inside the mansion. You’ll enjoy full access to every room of the mansion, and photography is permitted throughout.

Finally, you’ll want to take a piece of Houmas House home with you. An 8,000-square-foot gift shop is filled with treasures to remind you of your visit, fine art and furniture, and a library offering a large selection of history books about Louisiana, plantations and the Civil War. Additionally, there are books for children, cooks and collectors.

Day 8: Disembark in New Orleans, LA
Arrival: 8:00 a.m.
Tie up in New Orleans near historic Jackson Square and bid your ship adieu. But give in to the temptation to hang around and explore.

• Complimentary wine and beer with dinner
• Complimentary cappuccino, espresso, specialty coffees, bottled water and soft drinks throughout your voyage
• The family recipes of acclaimed Southern chef Regina Charboneau
• The only steamboat with multiple specialty dining options, all at no additional charge
• Gracious service from a friendly all-American staff
• Casual elegance abounds, no formal wear required
• Daily lectures by the Riverlorian, our onboard historian
• Professional showboat-style entertainment and dancing nightly
• Our own dedicated fleet of Steamcoaches
• The most all-inclusive American river voyage
• The only authentic steam-powered overnight paddlewheel riverboat in America
• The greatest vacation value in America

* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines. Sorry, we are unable to offer air from countries other than the U.S. However, for those international customers who are able to arrange their own transportation to the trip origination city, we are able to offer the land/cruise portion of the package at the price quoted.