Padleford Riverboats specialize in Fall sightseeing tours in September and October. Padleford offers public dinner cruises and private charters as well. The company got its start in 1969, and claims to have serviced more than four million passengers.
Pioneer Press reporter Maja Beckstrom says of her autumn Padleford cruise, "Riding on the river lets you see everything from a new perspective...Among the wooded banks just beyond downtown we found plenty to look at. An eagle perched in the bare branches of a dead tree, and a flock of Canadian geese undulated overhead in "V" formation."
Padelford Packet Boat Co., Inc.
Harriet Island
St. Paul, MN 55107
651-227-1100
riverrides.com
Destination 360 reports of cruises like Taylors Falls: "You can make the most of your Mississippi Riverboat cruises if you decide in advance what you'd like to do. Nature lovers will love these trips, visit from January to March and be sure to bring your binoculars if you'd like to eagle watch. If you enjoy dinner there are lots of different offerings from dinner and dance cruises to candle-lit romantic evenings on an overnight excursion." Taylor Falls does have dinner cruises, but for adventurous types looking for something a little out of the ordinary, Taylor Falls offers an Elvis cruise, where boaters are entertained by an Elvis impersonator while munching on hors d' oeuvres and sipping beverages from the fully-stocked cash bar.
Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours
Wild Mountain
Taylors Falls Recreation
P.O. Box 235
Taylors Falls, MN 55084
651-315-8642
wildmountain1.reachlocal.com
According to Frommer's travel website "Though true 'sleep on the boat' overnight service has ceased on the Mississippi, many options still exist for day cruises, evening cruises, and even a few pseudo-overnight cruises." Frommer's recommends the La Crosse Queen as one of those options. The La Crosse Queen travels the upper Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. There are daily sightseeing cruises, and dinner cruises on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The La Crosse Queen
P.O. Box 1805
La Crosse, WI 54602
608-784-2893
lacrossequeen.com
The Paradise Cruise Line has been around for more than 25 years. Paradise has a fleet of two boats: The Paradise Lady, a 96-foot charter yacht; and the Minneapolis Queen, a 125 passenger traditional paddle-wheel river boat. The Paradise Cruise line offers public cruises from May through October. Both the Paradise Lady and The Minneapolis Queen are also available for private charter rental.
Paradise Cruise
P.O. Box 563
Excelsior, MN 55331
952-474-8058
twincitiescruises.com
