American Symphony continued The Music Cities’ River
e Ohio River brought a so er mood with its broad surface reected the weather in silvers and greens. Wooded banks and the occasional burst of industry waved hello through passages. We passed through our rst lock, which was an unexpected surprise and quite interesting for cruisers who have never experienced it. “River cruising does not race toward its destinations. It allows each place to arrive gradually, rst as a line on the horizon and then as a story with a voice.” Days underway were not empty, although the schedule rarely felt overwhelming. Naturalists and local historians supplied context for the waterways and towns ahead, while trivia, cra s, cards and cooking demonstrations o ered gentle reasons to gather. Live musicians were especially e ective at connecting the route to its subject. Blues, country, gospel and familiar standards sounded di erent when the landscape that shaped them was sliding past the windows. Passengers generally skewed mature, conversation came easily and the ship’s scale prevented anonymity. By midweek, dining partners had become excursion companions, and the evening question was less “Where should I sit?” than “Who has room at the table?” e dining room continued the ship’s thoughtful visual language. White linens and generous windows gave the space a clean brightness, while woven-back chairs, warm wood overhead, plants and slim metal dividers kept it from feeling formal or cavernous. At breakfast, the room was washed in cool river light; by dinner, the same windows framed wooded banks and small riverside towns in the warmer tones of late a ernoon. e Back Porch Café o ered a casual alternative for a quick meal or snack, especially useful on days when an excursion returned close to lunch or a balcony and a book seemed more appealing than a long table. Meals leaned toward familiar American and Southern cooking, o en with regional touches. Menus moved among sh, pork, turkey, steak and vegetarian choices, followed by desserts such as fruit pie, red velvet cake or a whiskey-laced cake that encouraged considerable table diplomacy over the last slice. Open seating made each meal social, and cocktail hour brought passengers together before dinner with drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Service was warm and personal, even when the polish varied slightly from one meal to the next. A fork might arrive a beat late, but someone on the crew usually remembered how I took my co ee, which seemed the better measure of hospitality. continued
“The Upper Mississippi becomes more and more storied as people start claiming their river history.” — Douglas Brinkley, historian
32 Coastal Pearl Living - TREASURE
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