Chattanooga to Memphis

Enjoy your complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening is yours to become acquainted with the city. For your convenience, our Hospitality Desk will be located in the hotel, and our friendly staff can assist with everything from general questions about your upcoming voyage to reserving premium experiences. Representatives from American Queen Voyages and our local port/city partner will be available to provide you with dining, entertainment and sightseeing options to maximize your time here.

Chattanooga is nestled along the Tennessee River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains which invites visitors to capture the natural world without wandering far from its vibrant city center. Chattanooga is one of America’s most breathtaking cities. According to whom, you say? Lonely Planet named it the “Best in the U.S.” and one of “10 U.S. destinations you need to see in 2018.” And The New York Times named Chattanooga one of the “Top 45 Places to go” in the world. Downtown Chattanooga harmonizes its water worlds, verdure, and industry into a picture-perfect melody. Some visitor highlights include the Chattanooga Choo Choo, located in the heart of downtown, which serves both as a historic landmark and an experience in itself. And the Walnut Street Bridge, a 2,376-foot-long pedestrian bridge that connects downtown with North Chattanooga. Walking the bridge offers scenic views of the river and the cityscape.

History awaits in Decatur. Reach out and touch the past – with living stories of the Civil War at your fingertips. Be sure to visit the Old State Bank Building, one of only four structures in the town left unscathed by the turmoil of the Civil War. Its vault, with 22-inch-thick walls, was a haven from blistering bullets, mortar bombs and cannon fire. Take time to experience this Tennessee River legend and absorb the living heritage it has to offer. 

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS: 
Decatur Hop On Hop Off

Old State Bank Building  Built over 180 years ago, the Old State Bank in Decatur stands today as a reminder of Decatur's rich history. Completed in 1833, the building originally housed the Tennessee Valley branch of the Bank of the State of Alabama. After the failure of the state bank, it saw many varied uses and even survived the destruction of Decatur during the Civil War. Throughout an often turbulent history, the Old Bank has stood sentinel over the growing city of Decatur and today it is preserved as a building filled with both historical and architectural significance.  Suggested Visit: 45 minutes - 1 hour    

Florence is home to the University of North Alabama, the oldest college in the state. From composing bluffs that overlook the Tennessee River to historic homes within the city’s beating heart, this college town harmonizes the twang of the country with the coolness of R&B to create a culture all its own. Visit the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home in the state and tour the recording studios that launched the careers of such legendary performers as Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, The Rolling Stones, Paul Simon, The Osmond Brothers, and Percy Sledge. This short list cannot encompass the many talented musicians who found their place in history by recording in nearby Muscle Shoals. FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals Sound, and a host of other recording studios made little Muscle Shoals, Alabama, the Hit Recording Capital of the World in the 1960s. It is said that musical heritage was the area’s birthright. W.C. Handy, the Father of the Blues, was born in Florence, and so were Sam Phillips and Buddy Killen, often considered to be the fathers of Rock and Roll. Today, there are recording studios all over the Muscle Shoals region, still making hits and propelling artists to fame. Stroll through the Sweetwater District, just past the Singing River Bridge, an up-and-coming neighborhood where the streets come to life with the scent of azaleas and dogwood trees. Within this melting pot, traditional meets contemporary to compose the beauty that is Florence. If your preference is nature, there are walking trails, legendary fishing, world-class golf, and water sports.

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS: 
Florence Hop On Hop Off

Florence Tourism and Visitor Center  Make a stop at this information center to learn about Florence's past, present, and future plans. Pick up some useful brochures and local maps that will help make the best of your time in the city and make sure to check out the unique merchandise! There will be free coffee, water, and lemonade available for guests, and a documentary about Muscle Shoals will be shown.  Suggested Visit: 15 - 30 minutes    

Pope's Tavern and Museum  This one-time stagecoach stop, tavern, and inn, now owned by the city, is one of the oldest structures in Florence. Both Confederate and Union Forces used it as a hospital during the War Between the States. It is located on what was known as Jackson's Military Road and Andrew Jackson himself is said to have stopped here.

The most common association with this historic town is its tie to the Battle of Shiloh – a major Civil War battle also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, fought on April 6, 1862. Uncover the stories and history associated with Savannah, and explore the city’s many trails and paths winding down the lush banks of the Tennessee River. 

Watch small river towns and lush landscapes slowly become lost in the horizon as sunlight plays upon the deck. Take hold of a literary classic, curl up on a plush chair in a cozy corner and relish in the moment of tranquility. Experience the fulfillment that river cruising offers

In 1805 a state-appointed commission purchased a 30-acre plot on the Cumberland River from Robert Nelson and established the county seat of Dover. By 1850 the Tennessee frontier town had blossomed into a large river trade center and the second-largest steamboat port on the Cumberland. A resting dock meets American Queen Voyages guests in Dover, a town that reveals the value of serenity in river living, where peace and quiet are interrupted only by birdsong and cricket chirps. Adventure through Fort Donelson – Dover’s touchpoint during the Civil War – which has been resurrected into Fort Donelson National Battlefield Park, a nexus of history and natural riches. Fort Donelson was the site of a major Union victory. Here, hilltops harbor somber stories, country roads lose themselves in golden horizons, and historic treasures are kept secret behind the tree lines. Union troops, who had occupied the town since the fall of Fort Donelson in 1862, set fire to Dover to prevent the town from falling into the hands of General Nathan Bedford Forrest; only four buildings survived the conflagration.  Capture the romance of this little river town’s past and experience the everyday phenomenon of its future at Cross Creeks National Wildlife Refuge, an 8,862-acre habitat for waterfowl and aquatic plant life. Or venture to Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area, one of the largest blocks of undeveloped forest in the eastern U.S. with over 170,000 acres of forests, wetlands, and open lands on a peninsula between Kentucky and Barkley lakes in Western Kentucky and Tennessee. 

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Dover Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

Fort Donelson River Batteries Late in 1861 Confederate military leaders selected locations in Stewart County, Tennessee, to construct two earthen forts to hinder anticipated Union naval advancement up the parallel and strategic Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. The first was Fort Henry, located on the east bank of the Tennessee River. Twelve miles to its east, on the other side of "Land Between the Rivers," Fort Donelson and more than two miles of outer works were erected. Substantial river batteries with large artillery were positioned to fend off newly designed and armored Union gunboats. On February 14, 1862, an intense naval bombardment occurred between the flotilla and the Upper and Lower batteries, ending in a Confederate victory for the day. Brigadier General S.B. Buckner surrendered the southern garrison to Grant on February 16. 

In the hands of artists, modern Paducah was thrown into form. Fingertips muddied with passion and eased by the vision of river water glided along the surface to pull up the community and create the National Quilt Museum. Residents backstitch past into the present, then bind appreciation for culture – ensuring that the seams of history will not soon come undone. The people of Paducah have taken great care to orchestrate every crevice of its community into a symphony of craft and color. Life is a work of art, and the town of Paducah certainly is alive and well. Feast in this foodies’ fantasy. Uncover mastership. Catch a glimpse of Paducah.

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Paducah Hop-On Hop-Off Tour

The National Quilt Museum  Celebrating 30 years in 2021, the National Quilt Museum is the largest of its kind in the world. It is the portal to the contemporary quilt experience and features exhibits and workshops by renowned quilters who implement creative approaches to fiber art. The museum features over 600 pieces of art highlighting a collection of modern quilts and changing thematic exhibitions that celebrate the talent and diversity of the global quilting community. The National Quilt Museum shares the artistic tradition of quilt making and played an integral role in Paducah's designation as a UNESCO Creative City in 2013. Visit the Museum Shop & Book Store for Kentucky-crafted items and quilt-related instructional and collector books. Suggested Visit: 30 minutes - 1 hour

Columbus, the oldest town in Kentucky’s Jackson Purchase, was first settled in 1804 on the Mississippi floodplain. Initially, it was known as Iron Banks after the site’s French name “Les raiages de fer.” The name was changed to Columbus in honor of the Italian explorer in 1820, the year the town received its first post office and was formally established. It was the original Hickman County seat before the transfer of the court to the more central location of Clinton.  In 1861, after the Civil War broke out, the town was seized by Confederate forces, who fortified the site-building Fort de Russey, overlooking the Mississippi. Confederate General Leonidas Polk attempted to string and maintain a large anchor chain across the entire river at Columbus to block Union traffic downriver. Columbus was also the northernmost spur on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The Union responded by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant engaging the Confederates at Belmont on the Missouri shore. This was Grant’s first direct combat during the war. These actions are today commemorated at Columbus-Belmont State Park near Columbus. The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 deluged the town, as well as many areas downriver in the Mississippi Delta, where hundreds of thousands of acres were flooded. Survivors moved the town of Columbus, rebuilding it on higher ground above the flood plain. Some of the original houses were saved and moved inland. Given its isolated location in a rural area and the decline in river traffic, the town has lost its population for years.

INCLUDED SHORE EXCURSIONS:
Discovery Park of America

Explore this expansive museum located in the beautiful Heritage Park in Union City, Tennessee. The expansive museum features ten exhibit galleries that focus on a wide variety of intriguing subjects. The Discovery Park of America's galleries include science, space, technology, military, natural history, regional history, art, transportation and much more!

Columbus-Belmont State Park Civil War Museum

During the Civil War, Columbus, Kentucky was a strategically significant city. Whichever side controlled Columbus, had control of the Mississippi River. In 1861, the confederate army fortified a bluff along the river in Columbus. This marked the northernmost confederate base along the river, which gave protection to key cities like Vicksburg, Mississippi. 

New Madrid is known for being near the military engagement in the Battle of Island Number Ten during the Civil War. The city is also famous for being the site of a series of more than 1,000 earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, caused by what is called the New Madrid Seismic Zone. Explore the history of earthquakes, documented with seismographic recordings, in addition to Native American artifacts, Civil War artifacts, and family life in New Madrid during the 19th and 20th centuries. 

As your American Queen Voyages journey concludes, there are other opportunities for you to take in the town -- whether it's an optional premier post-cruise experience or a quick transfer to the airport for your final trip home -- your AQV team can pre-arrange everything for you.