Taking A Paddleboat Cruise - Last Minute Fare

 Last Minute Fare

In May my husband and I took a wonderful steamboat trip on the Colombia
River, 1,240 miles long, and Snake River, 1,038 miles long, aboard the
American West's Empress of the North. This is the first time we had ever
done a "niche" type cruise and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

Yes, the clientele tends to be older, but, what a shame that the younger
mature adults are missing out on all this fun. It is steam boating in the
true sense of the word. The paddlewheel turns as you leisurely make your way
up and down the rivers and through the many dams that have been erected
since the time of Lewis and Clarke. The ship is patterned after the river
boats that plied the waters of Alaska, Oregon and Washington over 100 years
ago and has a distinctly Russian flavor.

On the particular adventure that we took it was to follow the path of the
Lewis and Clarke expedition so it was historical as well as fun. We boarded
the Empress of the North in Portland, Oregon with no mishaps just a bit of a
long wait. However, they did supply entertainment and refreshments while
they prepared the ship for us. Once aboard we were escorted to a lovely
stateroom that was right out of the riverboat era. It was roomy, beautifully
decorated and had a balcony with two chairs and a table. There was a TV but
we never used it since the real entertainment was the trip and the
excursions which were included in the price of the cruise. The rooms
reminded you of the river boat era but were very much up to modern
standards.

Just a little tidbit: The "Portland Penny" is how Portland got its name
narrowly missing being called Boston. The partners Lovejoy and Pettygrove
who had filed the claim staking the territory needed to come up with a name
for the quickly expanding territory. Lovejoy being from Boston,
Massachusetts was adamant that this would be the name, while Pettygrove
equally adamant wanted it to be called Portland after his beloved Portland,
Maine. Hence the "Portland Penny" when Pettygrove won two out of the three
tosses.

The artwork on the Empress was truly impressive. There were beautiful
Russian artifacts and amazing pictures of the gold rush and life in the
Northwest during the 1800's. I spent a lot of time just going up and down
the four hallways perusing the artwork. (Every floor has a different theme).

Our first night out of Portland we were invited to cocktails and hors
d'oeurves at the Paddlewheel lounge which is in the back of the boat and has
windows overlooking the paddle wheel. We were still busy getting situated so
we grabbed a cocktail and took it back to our room to get organized. Dinner
was in the Romanov Dining room and the atmosphere really was one of a
riverboat. The food was very good served by a courteous and fun American
crew. Dinner lasted about an hour to an hour and a half and then it was off
to the Golden Nugget showroom to watch the Pat O'Neal and the River Boat
Jazz band play great Dixieland Music. Well, if you weren't into it by then
you never were going to be. What fun and you are sharing it with only 200
other passengers. After the show you could stay in the Showroom for dancing
or go to the Paddlewheel Lounge for the duo of Kari & Jerry who were not
only very good but extremely friendly.

Of course, you are in a new place everyday and everyday brings a new
exciting, educational and different excursion. Our first day out we where
cruising the Columbia River Gorge taking in the breathtaking vistas, granite
cliffs and waterfalls from which the Cascade Mountains takes it's name.

 http://www.lastminutefare.net/
Received on Sat Jul 14 2007 - 10:19:12 EDT