Appalachian Elegance

Arrive in Louisville and check in to your deluxe hotel, which is adjacent to the city’s attractions. Discover this captivating city, named after King Louis XVI of France, as you sip a mint julep and stroll the waterfront. Be sure to head to the Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, Churchill Downs, or learn about a boxing legend at the Muhammad Ali Center.

Your fare includes breakfast this morning at your hotel as well as a transfer to the Louisiane and all porterage. Settle into your stateroom or suite, head to The Veranda for a light snack, and then bid Louisville farewell as the Louisiane departs and you immerse yourself in the joys of life on the river. Bon voyage!

The pleasures of the Louisiane become apparent as you start your day with a made-to-order beignet and café au lait in The Veranda. Read a book, talk to the Illuminator, the onboard historian, and then enjoy made-to-order crêpes for lunch. Spend the afternoon with new friends and sip a pre-dinner aperitif in the Bar Royale. Then indulge in the Southern and Continental cuisine of The Crescent Room followed by stimulating entertainment before retiring to your suite or stateroom for a restful night’s sleep.

You're sure to find this sleepy little village's 19th-century swashbuckling past rather intriguing. From their base in a natural cave along the river, armed river pirates used to hide where they could easily row out and rob passing steamboats.

Picture 42,000 Union soldiers boarding 185 ships on their way upriver, and get a sense of the rich local history that is captured at the Floodwall Murals. See the Wacinton Sculpture honoring the Chickasaw Indians and tour the enchanting National Quilt Museum.

Commemorate one of the most legendary Civil War battles at Shiloh Battlefield, where more than 111,000 Union and Confederate soldiers clashed and casualties reached nearly 24,000. View the many evocative statues dotting the battlefield and learn about this momentous struggle at the exhaustive interpretive center.

Rejoice in the extraordinary tale of Helen Keller at Ivy Green House, where “The Miracle Worker” Anne Sullivan saved the young girl from a life of darkness, and step into a rich musical legacy at FAME recording studios, where luminaries such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and The Osmonds laid down iconic tracks.

Take flight at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center, featuring exhibits and artifacts detailing the dramatic history of America’s space exploration, an extensive collection of rockets deemed “the finest in the world” by legendary astronaut John Glenn, and even g-force simulators for the boldest among you.

Bid adieu to the Louisiane and tarry in lively Chattanooga, graced by nature with remarkable vistas including a view of seven states from atop towering Lookout Mountain, home to the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Park. Stroll to the world-class Hunter Museum of American Art across the wrought-iron Walnut Street Bridge, the world’s longest pedestrian bridge.