My friend, Lynn, and I continued down the Mississippi River
on the American Queen to our last stop in Iowa. We only had half a day in
Burlington so we were up early to have a quick breakfast and get started on exploring.
President Thomas Jefferson sent Lt. Zebulon Pike to explore
the Mississippi River in 1803. When saw the bluffs of Burlington, he placed an
American flag above them, and recommended construction of a fort. It was easy
to see why this town needed to be a stop on the river.
At one point this city was considered part of Wisconsin, but
it earned its place in Iowa and downtown buildings on the National Register of
Historic places. Before we got on the hop-on, hop-off bus, we had a preview of more
of what the city had to offer.
The Port of Burlington Welcome Center was by far the most advanced
port we had been to on this trip. It was filled with items made in the city as
well as the state of Iowa. There was even a tasting of Lindon Wines and plenty
of brochures and maps of places to visit.
The bus stopped at the Des Moines Heritage Center and
Mosquito Park, which gives you a good look at the bluffs Lt. Pike was intrigued
by. Next was the Garrett-Phelps House Museum, a home on the hill built by an
early merchant who has a ballroom on the third floor that later became the
first Protestant Hospital.
There was a stop that I got off to only take a look. I wasn’t
taking a chance on my scooter going down Snake Alley, the most crooked street
in the United States!
We did spend time at the next stop to see some of the other downtown
sites in Burlington, which included the grand Capitol Theater and the Art Center
of Burlington, which highlighted a lot of local artisans.
Before heading back to the ship, we also made a quick visit
to the Burlington Gem shop. Unfortunately, there was a lot of construction
downtown and it was difficult to navigate with my scooter.
We arrived at lunch a little late and weren’t happy with the
dessert choices left so we went to the Front Porch Café for lattes and ice
cream. As with all other food and drinks on the boat, these were always complimentary.
It was then time to go back to our cabin to rest, shower,
and get dressed for dinner. We had the routine down and it worked well for us.
We were in the John Wesley Powell Junior Suite. Powell was a soldier and a geologist. He was also a professor at nearby Illinois Wesleyan University.
It was not your usual cruise suite. It was smaller than
suites I’ve had and decorated differently. The American Queen reflects the
steamboat period, with antique furnishings. Only the bathroom was modern (and very
big).
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the food on the
American Queen is the best I’ve ever had on a cruise ship, and I’ve been on dozens.
Nearly every single dish was done carefully to perfection and presented
beautifully.
After dinner, I did what had become another habit, I went out to the deck to watch the sunset over the Mississippi. It was different every night. I always find sunsets to be very relaxing.
I met Lynn outside the balcony entrance to the show. It was pianist
Gary Peterson performing a variety of music. We then finished the night at the
Engine Room Bar with a nightcap before heading back to the cabin.
We would be heading to a place I’d been to and loved,
Hannibal, Missouri, the next day.
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