A classy cruise down the ol’ Mississippi

By Victor Block

When my wife Fyllis and I first saw the ship that would be our home for a week, we were impressed. Our room — a spacious outside stateroom with private balcony — rivaled those in many upscale hotels.

The food and table settings in the ship’s dining room were both five-star, with a welcome all-inclusive policy (so that second dessert and adult beverage are “free”).

But we weren’t on one of those megaships designed to hold thousands, like cities on the water. Our vessel accommodated only 180 passengers, offering the intimacy of a smaller setting and far fewer people, yet with facilities, amenities and on-board and on-shore activities comparable to huge ocean liners.

Fyllis and I were enjoying one of more than 50 small ship itineraries available from American Cruise Lines, which plies rivers and other waters through 35 states in vessels that hold between 90 and 180 passengers.

Our Lower Mississippi River cruise offered opportunities to explore inviting Southern towns that provided deep dives into Civil War and other history, visits to magnificent antebellum mansions, and strolls through lovely gardens.

In addition, we were able to explore museums that brought to life prehistoric times, Native American history and

African American history in a fascinating corner of the country.

First stop: Vicksburg, Mississippi

Between Memphis, Tennessee (our embarkation point) and our first stop, Vicksburg, Mississippi, we saw a lot of nothingness.

Both shorelines are blanketed with woodlands. The only river traffic was an occasional “pusher” towboat pushing a long line of multiple barges.

In addition to on-board educational and entertaining programs, we enjoyed relaxing on our balcony, reading books and watching the mighty Mississippi River.

Fyllis and I were thus excited to set our feet on land and explore the first of the historic towns along our route: Vicksburg, Mississippi. We walked to some attractions that are close to the ship dock, and rode in provided tour buses to reach others.

A series of large murals along the waterfront depicts various scenes from the town’s past. These include the role of the river in the rise of the community and the contributions made by African Americans.

The city’s brick streets led us to a Civil War Museum, Vicksburg National Military Park, and an early 19 th-century church with beautiful Tiffany windows.

I was enthralled by a home that served as a hospital during the Civil War, with Union and Confederate soldiers recuperating on different floors. We paused in front of another house whose iron gate was still bent where a cannonball struck it during the war.

The next stop in Mississippi was Natchez, which was established by French colonists in 1716 and became part of the United States in 1783. Planters forced enslaved people to grow cotton and sugarcane, and built expansive mansions to demonstrate their wealth.

Many of these stately homes survive to relate part of this story, while the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture tells the rest. One tour of this town includes a stop at a historically Black church to hear a Gospel musical performance.

On to Louisiana

We docked at tiny St. Francisville, Louisiana (pop. 1,600) on day five. The Rosedown Plantation there, which once enslaved 450 people, is surrounded by formal gardens dating from the 19th century.

More gardens are in bloom at the

Audubon State Historic Site at the Oakley Plantation. Along with a blacksmith shop and cabins that housed enslaved people, it includes the home where John James Audubon lived in 1821, while working on 32 of his famous bird paintings. As in Audubon’s time, the site still is a bird-lover’s paradise.

Baton Rouge, where we spent our sixth day, has an interesting origin story for its name. In 1698, French explorers sailing up the Mississippi River spotted a red pole along the shoreline. After learning that it marked the boundary between the hunting grounds of two Native American tribes, they called the site le bâton rouge (the red stick), and the name stuck.

Over time, seven different governments oversaw the town, which grew to become the second largest city in Louisiana. In 1846, it was designated the state capital to replace “sinful” New Orleans.

Today, Baton Rouge is a culturally diverse community with 222,000 residents of many ethnic and religious backgrounds.

See MISSISSIPPI CRUISE, page 17