Enjoy your complimentary stay at the pre-cruise hotel. The evening is yours to become acquainted with the city. 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. Both American Queen Steamboat Company and local representatives will be readily 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 as 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.

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.

Decatur is a city in Morgan and Limestone counties. The city, nicknamed “The River City,” is located in Northern Alabama on the banks of Wheeler Lake, along the Tennessee River. It is the largest city and county seat of Morgan County. History awaits in Decatur. Reach out and touch the past – with living stories of the Civil War at your fingertips. Did you know that Decatur was home to the largest collection of Victorian and earlier 20th century craftsman and bungalow homes in Alabama or that Hartselle was once the site of a bank robbery? Decatur is really a small town, but its charm is unmistakable. Discover the history of Morgan County at the area’s many historic locations, including the Old State Bank Building, one of only four structures in the town left unscathed by the Civil War. The oldest standing bank building in the state; its vault, with 22-inch-thick walls, was a haven from blistering bullets, mortar bombs and cannon fire. Whether you want to hike, rent a kayak or go fishing, get lost in Decatur’s dynamic geography. Home to hundreds of species of wildlife, birds and game fish, take advantage of the great bass fishing on Wheeler Lake or walk the trails of Point Mallard. Explore the new state-of-the-art natural science museum. Deciding what to do during your port call may be your biggest challenge. Relax, reach out and touch the past; take time out to experience this Tennessee River legend and absorb the living heritage it has to offer. 

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 shortlist 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.

The town’s charming original name was “Rudd’s Ferry,” named for James Rudd, an early settler who established a ferry at the site in the early 1820s. Rudd’s Ferry was later purchased by a wealthy landowner, David Robinson, who renamed it “Savannah” after Savannah, Georgia, the hometown of Rudd’s wife, Elizabeth. The most common association with this historic town is the Battle of Shiloh – one of the bloodiest of the Civil War fought in 1862. Also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, the conflict took place 10 miles southwest of town. Today, the Shiloh National Military Park is considered one of the best-preserved battlefields in the U.S. It spans 4,200 acres which include a visitor center that houses many artifacts and a historic demonstration video for guests to get a better understanding of its importance. The Cherry Mansion just off the town square, while not open for tours, is one of 41 historic homes in the area. The circa 1830 house was built by David Robinson and later expanded on by his son-in-law William H. Cherry. It was commandeered by Union General Ulysses S. Grant for use as his headquarters during the war. American Queen Voyages guests can uncover all the history associated with Savannah and the Tennessee River Valley through interactive and educational displays at the Tennessee River Museum. Savannah is also renowned as the “Catfish Capitol of the World” so if you get peckish while exploring town, why not sample the local catch before returning to your boat.

Paducah’s significant American heritage can be traced to the city’s strategic location at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee rivers. Paducah, originally known as Pekin, was settled around 1815 in McCracken County. The community was inhabited by a mix of Native Americans and Europeans who lived harmoniously, trading goods and services. In 1827, William Clark, of Lewis and Clark fame, arrived in Pekin with a title deed to the land he now owned. The town was platted out and named in honor of the largest nation of Native Americans that ever roamed North America, the Padouca Indians. Lewis and Clark had made acquaintance with many of them on their trek west. Discover how Paducah played a pivotal role in American history from rivers to railroad transportation, the Civil War to civil rights. Museums and riverfront “Wall to Wall” murals by the Dafford Murals Team weave the story of Paducah’s past and guide viewers to experiences and landmarks throughout the town, where historical markers detail the significance and cultural heritage. 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. 

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. 

As the journey concludes, there are other opportunities for you to take in the town. Enjoy the city at your leisure, or consider an airport transfer.