American Queen attracting crowds?

At Cincinnati on Friday May 4, when the AQ left for Derby there were just four river people there, two Judds and Beebe and Rich Wilker, Beebe being Capt. Charlie Stone's daughter plus three other souls. The boat looked empty, nobody on deck and to add insult to injury they sounded the air horns to signal departure. On Monday the 7th. when she left for Memphis? there was nobody. Things sure have changed here in the Queen City.

Crowdless in Cincy

Well at least the important people were there - true river people! I'm sure the lack of passengers visible was due to dinner and the show happening at departure, and today those things are more important than watching a departure and hearing a calliope concert (I presume someone played on departing). And as to the lack of crowd on the levee, only the very dedicated will show up when they know they won't be allowed on board or probably won't see any familiar crew to talk to on shore. I don't want to start the Homeland Security bs again, but you need to continually reach out to potential customers and increase the base of possibilities. They are obviously, and rightly so, winning the travel agents back over after the previous regime's fiasco, but the general public has potential too. Considering the rapid growth of river cruising in Europe, one would think GASCo. would want to tap into that market, and how much easier could it be for them with Franz and Carmen experienced and available (and I'm sure willing) to help launch that initiative. I'll be on the Pittsburgh/Cincy trip in July and it will be interesting to see the crowds or lack thereof at the locks and in Point Pleasant and Maysville. I haven't been on the Upper Ohio since 1982, but as I recall, many locks had viewing stands well back from the lock, unlike our UMR spectator spots along the walls.

Crowds

Perhaps time will bring back some of those who saw the boats off or frequented the dams...

I'm sure I'll see the AQ pass Clarington in the early evening from my parent's home when you're southbound. I usually take a few pictures from my grandmother's on the next hill over because her view of the river offers a pretty nice shot. Usually if the boat left Wheeling at 5p she was passing Clarington by 7p and entering the locks at Hannibal around 8 or 8:30p. Not sure what the timeframe will look like since the boat skips Wheeling and Marietta on your trip. Anyone have an estimation of the time to get from Pittsburgh to Hannibal non-stop?

Enjoy your trip!

1) View of Clarington on the right tucked up against the hills and a tow southbound on the Ohio from my grandmother's home.

*What a great view!

I can see why you go over there for pictures! I'll be parked on the starboard stern if at all possible for as much of the trip as possible...

SHAME, SHAME ON ME. Also at the landing on Friday the 4th. was Jane Greene

Following the AQ

Nearly a hundred people watched the AQ depart on the Covington,Ky shore on the 4th of May.I viewed the boat from the old C&O bridge ,below the Roebling bridge. On monday the 7th of May I caught up with the AQ as she was heading into the small chamber at Markland.I followed the boat on the Indiana side. The wheel looks great it puts a good wash,instead of the mist that the previous wheels put out. I understand the wheel can move the boat at 6 miles per hour. She looked very good ,and the pilot was pleasing the people on shore with steam whistle salutes.

Thanks, Judy - certainly wouldn't trade that view for the world. I'll surely be at Hannibal to hear her calliope!

Vic and Capt. Bill - Good to hear that Covington gave the AQ quite a departure and those watching received one in return. Sounds like bad timing when she left Cincinnati. It's only been a little over a month since she started operating... Summer months may increase her publicity and crowd turn out. I know we can't wait to see her on our end of the river!

The smaller, the bigger

Taylor, over the years I think the smaller the town, the more people that turn out to see a steamboat, so this isn't a new phenomenon. Consider how much more important a steamboat arrival is to a small town, how it is a headline-grabber, a town social event. Then take a place like Cincinnati, where a boat's arrival may or may not be reported in the media, where you have to drive for miles through traffic to get to the levee, which may or may not have free parking. This phenomenon is also true regarding tramping steamboats - when the NATCHEZ came up in 1982, more time was alloted for Memphis than the other places. And where did the 1300+ people show up? Tell City Indiana. We tried to tell the NOSCo. office people this on the Katrina trip, but our words fell on deaf ears. They even had to cancel the downbound Memphis stop for lack of interest. In my years of riding the DQ, the lowest lock turnout was often right here in the QuadCities, the largest metropolitan area between St. Louis and St. Paul. Lock 13, out in the middle of nowhere above Fulton Illinois had the biggest crowds, followed by 8 in Genoa Wis. and 4 in Alma Wis. So accessibility, range of local activities, and community pride all factor in to the gatherings along the way for our steamboats.

In St Louis the Tuesday (Morning) STL Post Dispatch can be read by even a slow reader in probably less than 5 minutes. The Sunday STL PD doesn't even contain a dedicated Travel Section; [Home & Away]. The Sunday NY Times has a full Travel Section yet however since the AQ doesn't work that market--read dock at Pier 51 or any other pier there a write up would not draw sightseers to a Midwest Riverfront.

The point here is that it is most probably not as easy as it once was to get a local Newspaper to do a write up about a Steamboat arrival or departure. The Cincinnati Enquirer is basically a wire service & Gannet publishing Co. orphan-----even the Major League baseball standings are lifted from the Parent(USA Today) which lists American league standings first. (the Cincinnati Redstockings were the first Professional Baseball Team----A National League Team).

Maybe Lee Enterprises will run some good travel stories about the AQ in some of their 50 or so Newspapers and/or publications.

Hopefully the general public will become more aware of the AQ and Mr. & Mrs & Jr John Q Public will extract themselves from their couch/home theatre/X-Box and venture to the Levee and take in the sights and sounds of a fire breathing Steamboat.

Quite true, Judy... Most of the towns on the upper Ohio, as I'm sure you know, are lucky to have a few thousand people in them. Wheeling is a mere 25 minutes north of Clarington and always broadcasts news of the boats arriving and departing the city up and down the valley from WTRF's studio. Whenever I was in Wheeling to visit the boats, a crowd always gathered at the waterfront near departure time as well as on the roof tops of nearby offices. Always a nice send off from Wheeling and its beautiful waterfront.

Interesting to see the major ports like Cincinnati and St. Louis, which at one time prided themselves on their steamers, now all but overlooks them... Times have changed. My generation isn't going to be much help either in the future I'm afraid. If it doesn't have buttons, a screen, and wireless internet, many want nothing to do with it. Everything is spur of the moment, rush-rush-rush... Those few of us who are young and want to preserve this history are a rare bunch anymore. Guess there's only one thing to say about that - God Help Us!

You are absolutely right, Judy! I'll never forget pulling into Marietta about 0600 during the deadhead portion of the first cruise up to Pittsburgh in '95. The landing was well dotted with folks covered with blankets, having stayed all night despite our considerable delay. As we came about after the whistle salute I noticed that the paddlewheel was motionless, remember thinking how it must have seemed to those watching. Pleanty of "ah- ha!" moments on the river, guess this one was an "uh- ohhhh!".