The other day I heard Marilyn and Al talking about planing a vacation. It occurred to me that I am not sure what a vacation is, so I looked the word up on the computer:
A vacation is leisure time away from home/work devoted to rest or pleasure.
Oh boy, I looking forward to go on a vacation. I understand that they took a vacation cruise on the steamboat Delta Queen down Mississippi River in June, 1989. This is their story:
We flew from Philadelphia to New Orleans where we were met a representative of the steamboat line to take us to the terminal. At the terminal the check-in procedures went smoothly, better than some of the larger cruise lines we have been on. Since both the Delta Queen and the Mississippi Queen were leaving that after noon there were about 500 people to handle. A nice array of complimentary snacks were available. Personnel from the steamboat line dressed in period costumes were circulating.
A girl was passing out Mardi Gras colored beads, later we would board according to the color of the necklaces we wore. Finally it came boarding time and we went onto the boat and were shown to our cabin. The one and only disappointment of the trip came when we saw our cabin. To say it was small would be an understatement, one of us had to leave the cabin if the other wanted to change clothes the cabin was so small. Nevertheless because everything else was so wonderful we learned to love our small cabin.
The cabin also came equipped with fly swatter (which is needed in the Mississippi delta) and a sign over the sink “Do Not Drink the Water” — the pipes were old and water was heavily chlorinated and brown, right out of the Mississippi. Fresh water and ice were brought to the cabin morning and evening.
We were only on a short three day trip from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and back with stops in Cajun town and at Nottoway Plantation which is the largest plantation home in the south — three stories high and 64 rooms. Nottoway was an interesting side trip a short walk from a landing where our Delta Queen tied up. Nottoway was completed in 1859 after 10 years of construction. Built by John Hampden Randolph as the focus of his 7000 acre sugar plantation — a lot of space was needed to accommodate his eleven children. It was saved from destruction during the Civil War by a Yankee officer who had earlier been a guest at Nottoway.
The Delta Queen is the last of the truly authentic riverboats — she is listed on the National Register of Historic Paces. She carries only 176 passengers and you made to feel like a guest of honor in a fine old home. At one time there were more than 1100 paddle wheelers traveling the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. The Delta Queen is the only one left of the original river boats. The Delta Queen was originally built in California in the 1920’s. It originally traveled the Sacramento River between San Francisco and Sacramento.
After reading about their vacation on a dumb boat I am not sure I want to go on a vacation.
Lucky
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