Mississippi River Boat Road Scholar Adventure-Part 4

Monday, April 3: We checked out and had to be on our bus first thing in the morning. After identifying our luggage in the lobby we boarded with our carryon luggage and went to the French Quarter for the last time. It was about a three block walk to the famous “Court of Two Sisters” for their amazing buffet lunch with local specialties from turtle soup to Bananas Foster and everything in between. Of course, they had me at the chilled shrimp. A jazz trio played right next to our table so it made conversation challenging but it was very nice. 

Shelby, ready to board the bus for the last time in New Orleans

Mary and Peggy outside the Court of Two Sisters

Our table for brunch was right next to the Jazz Trio

We had extra time before the bus was taking us to the World War II museum so the six of us decided to meet the Saint Charles Avenue street car and just ride for a while before returning to catch the bus. Everyone else was only 40¢ with transfers but I was $1.25 per ride so I bought a $3 all-day pass. We rode out for about 15 minutes and got off near Lee Circle, intending to catch the streetcar going back the other way.  But as our wait extended we realized that we were running short of time, and then we realized we were only blocks away from the World War II museum. So Ann called Sharon and told her we’d meet the group at the museum and I gave my all-day pass to a family waiting for the same streetcar on which we had given up. As we walked up to the monument at Lee Circle the streetcar finally came around the circle. 

Aboard the Saint Charles streetcar

The monument at Lee Circle

We arrived at the museum with plenty of time as the bus was caught in traffic and made it just in time for the award winning film “Beyond All Boundaries”, narrated by Tom Hanks. Afterwards we all got dog-tags for different people to follow through the museum. Marv and I split up as he went to “The Road to Tokyo” to learn more about the war in the Pacific, where his dad served, and I went to “The Road to Berlin”. My dog-tag belonged to a medic who served in North Africa and then Italy, just like my dad did, but then he went on to Berlin while my dad stayed in Italy. I learned a lot, including more about the Merchant Marines, with whom my Uncle Harry served and I didn’t know much at all. The museum is so well done and the two or three hours we had was only time enough to do the one part we managed before we had to leave. 

From "Beyond All Boundaries"

It was a short ride to the dock where we boarded the American Queen, our luxurious home for the next week. As some of the first to board we had plenty of time to settle in our state room and explore the boat before our first fabulous dinner followed by a musical performance in the theater by the cruise director, Alex, called “All Hands on Deck” where he introduced a lot of the crew members. Afterwards we went to the Engine Room Bar, just down the hallway from our state room, to watch UNC beat Gonzaga in the NCAA Championship Game.

Our journey for the week on the Mississippi River

Some of the furnishings were antiques.

 Our stateroom was the James Buchanan Room.
That's his picture on the wall.

There was a small pool on the top deck.

While we waited The Creole Queen,, where Hank and Janis
were married, came chugging upriver past us!

We spent a lot of time in the rocking chairs on the deck overlooking the paddlewheel.

Safety First! We had the obligatory drill first thing after everyone had boarded.