Wanderlust World Wanderlust World If you plan to visit St. Louis, then consider taking a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River while you are there. A wide range of cruise options is available, although the cruises do not operate from December through February. The boats used for these cruises do not offer gambling.
The riverboat cruises are offered daily with options available for special occasions. If you want a great riverboat experience, take a cruise on the Tom Sawyer or Becky Thatcher. These boats carry through the theme of a traditional riverboat, and the employees are in character and period dress.
The best cruise for a day trip is the one-hour cruise. The boats leave port at noon, 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. A park ranger aboard the boat explains how the river and its currents have affected the area. An optional box or hot dog lunch is served with advance registration. Children's birthday parties can be booked--parties that provide a hot dog lunch along with a sailor's hat and balloons.
The lock and dam cruise gives the visitor an opportunity to visit the lock and dam system on the Mississippi River. This cruise takes you as far as the Wood River, Illinois, bend, where Meriwether Lewis and George Rogers Clark began their voyage to explore the Louisiana Purchase. The St. Louis skyline makes this a beautiful trip, especially in the fall. A buffet is served with this cruise.
Another option is a Sunday brunch cruise up and down the riverfront--a cruise that offers a beautiful view of the St. Louis skyline. Visitors pass beneath the historic Eads Bridge, which was recently resurfaced. This arch-style stone bridge was the first bridge built across the Mississippi River.
Large groups can rent boats for specialty cruises. Each boat can carry about 200 people, and the cruises are great for convention events or wedding parties. For more information about any type of cruise, contact:
Gateway Arch Riverboats
50 S. Leonor K. Sullivan Blvd.
St Louis, MO 63102
877-982-1410
http://www.gatewayarchriverboats.com