Hallelujah! Breaking News!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to three very qualified people! Hiring such quality people speaks loads about the new company. We can all rejoice at this news. Thanks, Keith.

-Denny Hamilton-

GREAT news. It should come as no surprise, they are well qualified!!!! Cap'n Walnut

Great News !

Greetings From New Orleans ,

Good news , it is indeed ! When Mary and Fred were visiting me last week , she received the word that she and the other two others were officially hired but was told to keep it under wraps !

Please to see that it is now official ! The " Powers That Be " , certainly made that right choice !

Smooth Sailing !
Ted Davisson
WA-4141

When I looked at the list of former Riverlorian's that I had traveled with, it would sure have been a tough job to pick just three. I'm glad it wasn't I that had to make that decision. My congratulations to all three!

What GREAT news!! Very deserving team there!

Gee, wonder if they need a tour director?
I've no experience, so no bad habits to lose ! 🙂
Well, I shouldn't say NO experience, I did grow up in a resort, and I have put together a train excursion also.
Oh well, IF I landed a river job, I'd likely come home to an empty house. . .
S'
David D.

Congrats to Mary, Travis and Jerry!! Great to hear that they got such a good team back onboard!!

Mary´s name was already mentioned in the press release of Dec 1st posted by Tim Rubacky in the riverlorian thread :-).

Carmen

Ok, just so I understand. If I get to take another trip on the AQ, the young man in this picture could be the Riverlorian on that trip?

Here is what I know: Travis appears to have had his fingers stuck to the keyboard for the last 30 years and still can't play the piano. He has produced a cd set containing his Riverlorian talks from the DQ, as well as a music CD. Pretty good for someone that can't play piano.

Jerry Hay retired from the Delta Queen Riverlorian staff, and has written guidebooks to the various rivers known as the Mississippi River system.

Mary, in addition to serving as a Riverlorian on the DQ, has worked as a bartender.

So, I know a lot of you are reading this and thinking "There is so much more to these people than just those simple statements. You can't reduce their river experience to that level without leaving out the substance."

Could you fill in the details?

I'll add my hearty congratulations as well! I don't know Jerry Hay, but if he's as qualified as his compatriots, everything will be great!

That picture!

Bruce,

That picture is hilarious! Gee, the 14 year old me on the BELLE OF LOUISVILLE, I sure had a lot of hair, didn't I!!! And those Grasshopper Eye Glasses...what were my parents thinking?!?!?!

On a serious note...

To everyone who has posted here, thank you so much for your kind words of support of our team and our new endeavour. I am so honored and proud to have the chance to return to the rivers with such a great team of river professionals!

All I can say is we are gonna have a great time out there on the AMERICAN QUEEN this year! Having the chance to welcome you all back to overnight steamboating is a thrill for us the crew of the boat, our gracious employer (the new Great American Steamboat Company), and the passengers who are going to join us. We have all missed this great part of American history together and our patience has paid off!

I know several of you have already booked cruises aboard the boat. To you, I say a hearty Thank you for your support. For those who have yet to have booked, or for what ever reason can't book, we are looking forward to the time you can sail with us.

This is about so much more than just a boat. It is about the creation of jobs in a dire time of need, it is about preservation of history, it is about tourism to parts of our country which desperately need the support, it is about a wonderful group of people who were willing to put money behind this dream and saw what us, the steamboat fans saw was missing, overnight steamboating! It is about the dream of a beautiful white wedding cake steamboat sailing around the bend and the wide eyes of the townsfolk as they first set their glance on it's gleeming white superstructure. The towering majestic black smokestacks, the churning red paddlewheel, the steam whistle announcing the arrival, the pied piper call of the calliope. Things that have been the hallmark of the Mississippi River towns for over two hundred years, coming back to many who have not been able to enjoy them for over four years!

For every steamboat fan aboard the boat, new to steamboating, and on the shores for whom we can awaken the time tested call of "Steamboat's a comin""....I say...this one is for you!

Travis

Congratulations to all!
-Jim Herron

*RE: Congrats to AQ appointments*

Steamboating colleagues:
Ground in here for days and just catching up on all the postings and news. Added GONGRATS! to our troika to join the AQ. Not a bad 'gig' in anybody's book. Sent Travis an aside E=Mail today.

Attended a noon luncheon today hearing that the 'Lecturer/Historian/Naturalist' position on ACL's new boat has/will be posted today--probably on FACEBOOK where I never tred. This 'gig' longer than a month. Don't know if ACL will use 'Riverlorian' or not. Again, I'm catching up on .org now. Ruth Guenther hosting her annual big Holiday Bash in her fantastic home and no doubt will see many of the local gang Saturday evening.

Interminable rains here with rapidly rising Ohio River and tributaries. Colder with some snow flurries today. Cheers! From the 'North Shore' as Cap'n Walnut terms it.

R. Dale Flick
Coal Haven Landing, Ohio River, Cincinnati.

That Picture!

Travis:

Well written relative to the AMERICAN QUEEN. It's good to know the interests south of the Country. I duly share your sentiments and enthusiam and can only hope the same revitalization comes north to our region.

My best wishes to you all.

Respectfully,

Rex Stewart

Hallelujah!

Great to hear here in England all the good news about American Queen, and that Jerry (who I have not yet met), Travis and Mary are back!

I will be aboard with my friend Nigel Coombes on September 21 st., and we both look forward to meeting some old friends again!

The good news here is that Paddle Steamer Waverley and her motor stablemate will again be sailing in 2012, and that I still hope to do a spell as relief pureser on Waverley

Here's a little information on the Riverlorian Team who are going to be aboard the AMERICAN QUEEN this season. As you might imagine, we are all excited, busily working on our chats, handouts, announcements (you know a lot has changed on the Mississippi since we all last shared time out there!) and programs, and can't wait to welcome all of you aboard the vessel this season. If you haven't booked already, please do, we promise it will be well worth your time and a phenomenal experience! With the chance to be back on the river traveling, watching America from a rocking chair at 8 miles per hour, having some of the best bill of fare on the rivers ever (Thanks to Executive Chef Regina Charboneau), and a completely star studded line up of entertainers...could there be a better way to spend your time? There are going to be a lot of familiar faces and some new ones, too! As the late Vic Tooker used to say..."Be there when the band starts playin'"! It's gonna be one heck of a time!

Riverlorian.com -> River Books, Maps & Programs by Riverlorian and Author Jerry Hay

Oh...and a big thanks to Jerry Hay for sharing space on his personal webpage with Mary and I!

Thanks for that link - even though many of us know all three of you, there are those who do not, and the Facebook wall of Great American Steamboat doesn't list all three Riverlorians...