Calliope on Steamboat Natchez in New Orleans (March 2013)

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Step back in time to the days of Mark Twain as you board the Steamboat Natchez in New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA).

Visiting New Orleans in early March was breezy and somewhat chilly, but an enjoyable cruise and interesting education about the river.
During our stroll in the French Quarter earlier in the day, we could hear the lively musical dance of the steam calliope. Historically, the Greek mythology tells us that Calliope (Kalliope) was the oldest daughter of Zeus and Mnemosyne. As the eldest of the Muses, she was a goddesses of music, song and dance. In artwork representations, Calliope is typically shown holding a tablet or a scroll representing poetry, but in some of the older artwork, she is shown holding a lyre as representation of music and song.

That’s the history lesson, so now back to the steamboat story of the beautiful calliope music. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, or have never heard the sound of a calliope, take a minute to go to the steamboats.org site. This site has recorded calliope sounds for several ships and a lot of information about the steamboat industry.

The sound is always loud and generally either loved or hated by the listeners. The calliope sound on the Steamboat Natchez comes from a pipe organ, powered by steam. Popular in the late 1800’s, it was a common tool for showboats and circuses to use to announce their arrivals into a town. The circus would have the calliope mounted in an enclosed wagon. The Morecraft Manufacturing company is in business today - building and restoring calliopes, and keeping this artform alive in America.

Boarding the Steamboat Natchez is truly like entering a historical time capsule. The calliope playfully tosses a melody into the air to welcome guests on board and as fascinating as the sounds, is watching the steam as it shoots from the individual whistles. The large red paddle-wheel churns through the muddy waters of the Mississippi River as the cruise gets underway. Your breathing slows and troubles drift away as the rhythm of the river lulls you into a comfortable stillness. The cruise tour is an easy way to see the city from a different perspective and includes commentary on the sights of interest along the route.

The Steamboat Natchez Lighthouse Ticket Office is easy to find in the French Quarter near Jax Brewery. Check the website for tour dates and times. Check local publications for discount coupons. We received a military discount (retired and spouse), with ID verification at the ticket office. Note that there are some specialty Jazz cruises and dinner cruises available in addition to the general educational cruise that we thoroughly enjoyed.

For reading about the Mississippi River and steamboat history, I recommend Mark Twain’s “Life on the Mississippi” which is a memoir of Twain’s experiences as a steamboat pilot and observations of a return to the steamboat in later years.

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