Description: Hop aboard this authentic Mississippi River paddlewheeler and sit back to enjoy the views of the river bluffs of Minnesota and Wisconsin. As part of my "Fall Colors Road Trip" I spent the afternoon in and around La Crosse enjoying a sunny day on the river.
Docked at the Riverside Park, the La Crosse Queen holds approximately 150 passengers, offering a number of different tour options. For me, I did the 90 minute cruise upriver, which worked out perfectly given that the 1:30pm tour would fit into my road trip on the way to St. Croix Falls.
Our cruise crew included Capt. Mike along with Ann on the lower deck tending to the bar and Lynette our guide who provided commentary. Her narration was outstanding, giving a history and biology lesson about the Port of La Crosse and the Mississippi River as well as the Native Americans of the area and the settlers who came to the area in the 19th century.
The river was noticeably low due to the summer drought this year. There were plenty of recreational boats enjoying the waterways, as well as folks beached along the sandy shores on both sides of the river and its channel. We also saw a number of tugs pushing barges downriver. For anyone interested, it is 2,100 miles from La Crosse to the Gulf of Mexico on the Mississippi River.
The steep cliffs on the Minnesota side of the river were ablaze with color as peak fall colors were probably about a week or two away. We did see some wildlife on our slow ride, including turtles sunning themselves on logs and a beautiful great blue heron hunting for lunch. Someone up front also reported seeing an American Bald Eagle in a tree on the Wisconsin side of the river, but alas, I missed it.
One of the more interesting historical sights was the swing bridge which was built in 1876 for rail traffic. When boats approach the bridge, the bridge must be swung open to allow adequate clearance. This is also the same bridge that Amtrak crosses on the Empire Builder route that I took this past March on my trip to Montana.
While enjoying the ride, guests are invited to beverages (including alcohol) and snacks. Also on the lower deck there is ample seating for those who want to be inside, protected from the weather. As I said previously, the weather was perfect. The upper deck provided plenty of seating out on the back in an open area as well as an equal number of chairs (and tables) under a shade providing canopy. Wherever you choose to sit, there are plenty of options to enjoy the sights between La Crosse and the lock & dam of Dresbach, MN.
The 90 minute tour operates daily with several departures available, May through October. Adults are $14.95; kids (under 12 are $7.50 and seniors (62 and over) are $14.50. For a full description of all of their cruises including Sunday Brunch and weekend night dinner cruises, as well as times and pricing; check out their website: http://www.lacrossequeen.com/ .
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