Jim's Bicycle Adventures: The other "QUEEN"

The other "QUEEN"

One of the great things about commuting by bike is you get a chance to see things you over look or take for granted while driving. Like a lot of you I live in a city (Louisville, KY ) which has so much to offer if you just SLOW down a take a LOOK..

As some of you may have read from previous posts one of my spring and summer routes to work carries me along the Ohio River. Most commutes present themselves with the usual people, animals, interstate and bridge construction. However, this spring and summer has presented itself with a fleet of steamboats with ports from the month of the Gulf of Mexico to the Queen City. One of the paddle wheelers is the "Queen of the Mississippi".

This very young "Queen" was built in 2012 and calls New Orleans,LA home.Owned by the American Cruise Lines; this vessel offers overnight river cruises along the Mississippi, Ohio Rivers.

The Queen of the Mississippi is 295 feet long and has 5 decks.It accommodates 150 passengers in 77 staterooms, 65 of which have private balconies which have ceiling to floor sliding doors. The staterooms offer private bath, interior entrance with Satellite TV, DVD player and Wi-Fi in all staterooms. Features include six unique lounges, a library, an elegant dining salon, and elevator service to all deck. The Queen of the Mississippi was built by Chesapeake Shipbuilding in Salisbury,MD.

The stern-mounted 20-ton paddle wheel is driven by a hydraulic motor, powered by Caterpillar diesel engines and has a maximum speed of 14 mph.

On this stop in Louisville, KY. the Queen of the Mississippi was on a voyage headed for Cincinnati, OH.

Unfortunately, the Queen of the Mississippi will not be one of the riverboats participating in the Centennial Festival of Riverboats October 24th - 19th for the 100th birthday celebration of the Belle of Louisville.