Oh, the things you can learn from a good tour guide. On a two-hour walking tour of Koblenz, Germany, with Heinz Gerd Reis, I learned about:

– The naughty spitting boy

– The woman in a boat who brought wine to Germany

– The horse statue with its rear end turned toward France Read more...

Floodwalls in river towns certainly perform a very useful service. But they also can be a blank canvas for creative people.

One of the floodwalls I always enjoy seeing is located in Cape Girardeau where riverboats tend to stop.

In the 1730s, a young Frenchman named Jean Baptiste Girardot established a trading post at a rock promontory jutting from the west bank of the Mississippi River. This large promontory was referred to as “the cape,” a significant headland projecting well into the river. Read more...

Think you can recognize a new vessel by the flag it flies while cruising the waterways of Washington and Oregon?

Of course, most of us know that when we see Mickey Mouse or those trademark ears, it must be a Disney ship. And Norwegian Cruise Lines ships boast those colorful Peter Max murals. Read more...

If you’ve ever cruised on this vessel, you might have relaxed in this very spot and watched the sun set on a beautiful day.

For a bit of cruise ship trivia, see if you can recognize this popular vessel. Don’t look at the answer below until you have formulated yours. Read more...

Summer may be coming, but this morning we’ve got the holidays on the brain. Christmas is always a magical time of year, and its a holiday that truly comes alive in Europe, especially at the Christmas Markets in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. And there are lots of great ways that travelers can catch the Christmas spirit all across the continent this December. Read more...

Blog contributor Jackie Sheckler Finch loves river cruising, and recently spent some extra time in Memphis before her American Queen river sailing.

Since Memphis is the American Queen’s new homeport and Priscilla Presley is the boat’s godmother, I thought I’d visit the home of the city’s most famous son when I arrived a day early for my cruise. Read more...

An early morning sun sweeps off a shroud of wispy fog as the American Queen paddles her way along the Mississippi River. In the J.M. White Dining Room, I’m savoring a big Southern breakfast while a friendly dining staff delivers coffee, tea and cheerfulness. Read more...