|
Island View Dining Waconia. 952-442-2956 |
|
CLICKSTART 952-902-2014 |
|
Leuthner Well Company Victoria * 952-443-2582 |
|
Swanson Insurance 952-448-4580 |
|
The Victoria Fire Department City of Victoria 952-443-2771 |
|
Headlines and bylines |
|
Front Page Feature Story |
|
From the Editor |
|
Sophie’s Drawing |
|
Letters to the Editor |
|
Victoria Moments |
|
Hook Line & Sinker |
|
Calendar of Events |
|
Click here to Advertise |
|
the Gazette |
|
Return to Home Page |
|
Order paper Gazette |
|
Notes and Quotes |
|
The Scoop at City Hall |
|
Cruising Down the River |
|
Dedicated to the sunshine of truth, the moonshine of meeting deadlines, and the starshine of Victoria. |
|
8661 Deer Run Dr. * Victoria 952-443-2351 |
|
The Victoria GAZETTE |
|
Victoria’s Corner Bar. Nightly Specials and Menus. 952-443-9944 |
|
by Sue Orsen/The Victoria Gazette An adventure in mid March took us cruising down the Mississippi River as it was flooding from Memphis to New Orleans. The trip was on our calendar before high water hit the headlines. We lived for a week on board the luxurious American Queen, the grandest steamboat that's ever been built. It is also the largest steam powered boat ever built. Nothing is steam powered anymore. The giant 50-ton paddle wheel in back of the American Queen is not just for looks. It is a hardworking apparatus, 30 feet wide, painted bright red, and kept in good repair on a daily basis. In fact, there's a workshop on the boat for just that purpose. We witnessed and learned firsthand how the river affected cities and the nation from the days of the Civil War to the present. The river certainly affects the daily decisions of a steamboat captain. For one thing, because of high water, the American Queen couldn't dock in Memphis as planned, and a couple days later couldn't dock in St. Francisville as planned. The Mississippi River was now 25 feet above average and within a couple feet of going over the levies. But we continued cruising down the river and got to spend a couple extra days in New Orleans at the end. The American Queen staff accommodated us every step of the way as though the changes in agenda were part of the itinerary. It worked well!
Mall of America--March 9/10 Our trip began with a deluge of snowfall predicted for the Twin Cities and Victoria the weekend of March 9th and 10th. Concerned we wouldn't be able to navigate Sunday morning, we drove to the airport on Saturday, parked our car, took the LRT to the Mall of America where we spent a night at the Radisson Blu, enjoyed dinner at Bubba Gump's, and took a shuttle the next morning directly to the airport. The predicted foot of snow fizzled, thankfully, but was replaced by gusty winds of 30 mph which caused flight delays to the point we missed our connecting flight in Chicago. Again, thankfully, we were re-routed to a direct flight from Minneapolis to Memphis. Always an adventure!
Memphis, Tennessee -- March 10/11 Because of high water on the Mississippi, the American Queen was unable to dock at Memphis and so plans changed. However, the Sheraton Hotel accommodations at Memphis were deluxe and we enjoyed dinner down the block at Westy's, a recommended hole in the wall. Their bacon-wrapped shrimp was excellent. We could hardly believe that after the circuitous struggle to get to Memphis, we were going to be subjected to a three-hour bus ride to Greenville, Mississippi, where the American Queen was waiting for us. Who ever heard of Greenville? But we took advantage of the extra time in Memphis and visited the Pyramid, which houses the largest Bass Pro Shop in the world. It's an amazing, totally indoor place with ponds stocked with fish, biggest aquarium, fancy boats, even overnight accommodations. It also has the tallest free standing elevator in the world -- 300 feet, which is taller than the Statue of Liberty. The skyway restaurant presented panoramic views of the city and its bridges and flooding rivers. The bartender said that every evening around 4 or 5 o'clock, there is standing room only up there at the top. The solitary entrance to the restaurant is via the elevator and a $10 per person charge for the ride, round trip. It's worth it.
THE REST OF THE CRUISE STORY IS IN THE PAPER GAZETTE. |
|
Sue’s Album A symphony of photos and fewer than a thousand words at www.VictoriaGazette.com |
|
April 2019 |
