I am in Little Rock this week for business. Did the DQ or her sisters ever venture up the Arkansas River?
Wesley
DQ in Little Rock
Yes, the DQ visited Little Rock starting somewhere in the 90s I believe. It was late in her career but the trips were well received.
First trip to Little Rock was in 1972. They went again in '73, but then did not go back until the '90's.
Lucky for me, we even went to Little Rock during my tenure in the 2007 season. I loved it!
We took the DQ to Little Rock again in July, 1994, then several more times through the later 90's into the 2000's, including a couple of trips all the way up the Verdigris River to the Port of Catoosa at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stops on the way up included Pendelton, Pine Bluff Harbor- (always grounded there)North Little Rock,Petit Jean Mountain (Actually stopped at "Charlies Hidden Harbor" bait and tackle shop above lock 9,)Fort Smith, Muskogee, Ok, then Port of Catoosa near Tulsa. With its very low and narrow bridges The Arkansas was always either at dead pool, where we routinely scraped across gravel bars going up and down, or at near flood, or "the 2% flow line", which made the river a raging torrent, hard to shove upstream at 2 mph, and making the locks going south bound a one shot, MUST make it or disaster type of operation. Not a favorite river of pilots or Captains and never were we ever happier to see the great big, wide Mississippi River than when we were coming out of the White River south bound! Got a lot of great photos of this scenic river including a video of a black bear standing on its hind legs staring at the Delta Queen as we passed by 50 feet away! (Video by 80 time passenger Richard Peters)