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.  

Memphis’ history and heritage began with the indigenous people who lived by the mighty Mississippi. Throughout the years it has been home to cotton tycoons and enslaved people, to musicians who sounded the first notes of songs that still echo around the world today, and to civil rights icons including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Visitors embrace the diversity of this city that has been coined not only the home of the blues but also the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll and its many music-themed attractions. As one of the most famous music destinations in the world, Memphis is a melodious port for American Queen Voyages guests to experience, including Beale Street Historic District, Blues Music Hall of Fame, Center for Southern Folklore, Graceland, Gibson Guitar Factory, Memphis Music Hall of Fame, Memphis Rock ‘n’ Soul Museum, St. Blues Guitar Workshop, Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studio and the W.C. Handy home and museum. Memphis is also rich with arts, sculpture, and painting exhibits offering pieces from Rodin to Renoir. Explore the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, Memphis Botanic Garden, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Metal Museum, Belz Museum of Asian and Judaic Art, CrosstownArts, and the Cotton Museum at the Memphis Cotton Exchange. If you prefer to discover a destination by walking its streets, boogie on down to Beale Street – it’s alive with quirky places to indulge in some authentic Southern barbeque, shop for souvenirs and sip on a Blue Suede Tini or some other music-inspired local libation.

Ashport Landing is situated southwest of Golddust and northeast of Ashport Revetment, a levee with an elevation of 223 feet. Ripley, the county seat, lies 14 miles to the east and Memphis is 40 miles north. Strategically placed above our boat’s docking area on the Chickasaw Bluffs is Fort Pillow, built by Confederate Brigadier General Gideon Johnson Pillow in early 1862 and used by both sides during the war. Fort Pillow is rich in both historic and archaeological significance. One of the most controversial battles of the Civil War occurred here. The Battle of Fort Pillow – also known as the Fort Pillow massacre – was fought on April 12, 1864. The battle ended with a massacre of 221 Union soldiers (many of them blacks) attempting to surrender. Military historian David Eicher concluded: “Fort Pillow marked one of the bleakest, saddest events of American military history.” Today, at Fort Pillow State Historic Park, among the restored fortifications, you can study cannons and other artifacts along the 20 miles of trails

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. 

Nestled along the western banks of the mighty Mississippi River, you’ll find Cape Girardeau, Missouri – a community rich in history and heritage. For more than 250 years, people have been drawn to Cape Girardeau and the river on which it lies. As you stroll along the riverfront, pause for a moment... you’ll feel the passion that led Mark Twain to write so eloquently about Cape Girardeau in Life on the Mississippi, the inspiration that Gen. Ulysses S. Grant used to lead with firm conviction as he took command of the Union Army in the historic downtown and the warmth and hospitality that community founder Louis Lorimier extended to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, while on the journey of a lifetime as they set forth to explore the Louisiana Purchase on their Corps of Discovery. Cape Girardeau, which has shown hospitality to the likes of Twain, Lewis, Clark, and General Grant, greets today’s guests in the same vein. Whether pedaling along the bike lanes that strip the city streets, hiking through a state park, walking across one of many covered bridges, shopping for antiques, visiting area wineries, viewing murals that stretch the entire length of the downtown area, or stepping back in time at any number of historic sites, the Show-Me State does not disappoint. Peeking through the long-standing architecture and handsome panoramas are moments that will mature into golden memories. Take time to embrace legends, discover a simpler time and relive the wonders of the past. 

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. 

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

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. 

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.

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. 

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

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.

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