Day 3 - St Francisville, mile 265

---

Geo: 30.7608, -91.3954

The American Queen's journey is shadowed by four AQ-branded tour coaches. These do hop-on, hop-off shuttle duties at the various stops. 'Docking' is where we tie up at a wharf. 'Landing' is where we pull into the bank and launch the gang plank.

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, the US was keen to encourage settlers to the new (ex-French) lands west of the Mississippi. In the next few decades paddle steamers reigned supreme for the carriage of goods and passengers up and down the river. The first railway crossing of the Mississippi was in the early 1850's, and railways slowly gained ascendancy as the preferred means of transport.

Today the river is deep enough to carry ocean going ships and tankers as far upstream as Baton Rouge (mile 229). The Upper Mississippi starts at the confluence with the Ohio River at Cairo, IL (954 miles). This is at the junction of Missouri, Kentucky and Illinois. The Ohio River (which drains the Appalachian Mtns) actually contributes more water than the Upper Mississippi. Further up the Missouri River joins, just north of St Louis, MO. The Missouri drains the Rocky Mtns. The US Corps of Engineers is charged with ensuring the shipping channel is at least 9ft deep, all the way to the upper reaches and they use locks and dams in the Upper Mississippi. The draught of the AQ (the largest paddle wheeler ever built) is 8.5ft.

---

Photos

Myrtle Plantation
Built at the end of the 18th century, Myrtle was one of the biggest cotton plantations around - 5,000 acres and 500 slaves. I was interested to learn that the mansion used a brick-lined underground rain water tank, 30ft in diameter and 20ft deep.

Engine Room Bar
The bar has port holes overlooking the paddle wheel.

Comments

[Morag]

Beautiful property, i would so love to experience all you are doing, tho recalling the slavery would upset me.

[Morag]

Ivan says big diving pool!