Itinerary
- Day 1
St. Louis
You'll arrive in St. Louis and head to your cruise ship for check-in. After that, the afternoon is yours to explore the city. St. Louis has some great architecture to see, like the Cathedral Basilica with its intricate mosaics, City Hall, and the Gateway Arch. Dinner happens onboard once you're settled in.
- Meals
- Dinner
Included Activities
- Dinner onboard
Optional Activities
- Self-guided exploration of St. Louis
- Visit Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
- Visit Gateway Arch National Park
- Visit Museum at the Gateway Arch
- Explore Old Courthouse
- View Renaissance Revival City Hall
Landmarks Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis Gateway Arch Gateway Arch National Park Museum at the Gateway Arch Old Courthouse City Hall - Day 2
Hannibal
Hannibal is your stop today, and it's where Mark Twain grew up. You'll visit the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, which has 15 original Norman Rockwell paintings on display. The Mark Twain Cave tour shows you the setting from Tom Sawyer, including the whitewashing fence. A walking tour connects seven museum properties all within two blocks of each other.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum
- Tour Mark Twain Cave
- Walking tour of seven museum properties
- View Museum Gallery with Norman Rockwell paintings
- See Tom Sawyer's fence
Landmarks Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum Mark Twain Cave Museum Gallery - Day 3
Burlington
Burlington comes next as you cruise down the Mississippi. A guided tour takes you through this historic town with stops at the Des Moines County Heritage Center, Garrett-Phelps House Museum, First Congregational Church, and Capitol Theater. You can walk along Snake Alley, which is known as the world's crookedest street, and check out Mosquito Park for river views. Optional excursions to Nauvoo and Fort Madison are available if you want to venture further. Back on the ship, there's an afternoon cookout.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Burlington's historic downtown
- Visit Des Moines County Heritage Center
- Visit Garrett-Phelps House Museum
- Visit First Congregational Church
- Visit Capitol Theater
- View Mississippi from Mosquito Park
- Stroll along Snake Alley
- Afternoon cookout onboard
Optional Activities
- Optional excursion to Old Fort Madison
- Optional excursion to Historic Nauvoo
Landmarks Des Moines County Heritage Center Garrett-Phelps House Museum First Congregational Church Capitol Theater Mosquito Park Snake Alley Old Fort Madison Historic Nauvoo - Day 4
Quad Cities
Start with the John Deere Pavilion, where you'll learn about agriculture past and present, and see the Deere family homes. You'll have choices for what to do next, like taking a farm tour to see current farming methods, visiting the Quad City Botanical Center to explore its chocolate history, or checking out the Figge Art Museum.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Visit John Deere Pavilion
- Visit Deere family homes
Optional Activities
- Optional tour of local family-owned farm
- Visit Quad City Botanical Center
- Explore Figge Art Museum
Landmarks John Deere Pavilion Deere family homes Quad City Botanical Center Figge Art Museum - Day 5
Dubuque
You'll reach Dubuque, which sits along the Mississippi. The city tour covers the Steamboat Era period, and you can visit the Mathias Ham House to see Victorian-style luxury. Cable Car Square has historic shops in old brownstones worth walking through. The National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium is another option, or you can skip the tour and head to Galena instead, where Main Street has over 100 antique shops, pubs, wine bars, and restaurants in historic buildings.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Guided tour of Dubuque
- Visit Mathias Ham House
Optional Activities
- Visit Cable Car Square
- Visit National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium
- Shopping and dining on Galena's Main Street
Landmarks Mathias Ham House Cable Car Square National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium Galena's Main Street - Day 6
La Crosse
After breakfast on the ship, La Crosse is your port. A panoramic city tour shows off numerous sites on the National Register of Historic Places and statues along the riverfront. If you prefer something different, you can take an optional trip to Decorah, Iowa, to see Vesterheim, the largest museum dedicated to a single immigrant group. There you'll find boutiques, local lunch spots, a brewery tour, or the Seed Savers Exchange. Evening dinner is back on the ship as you sail on.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- Panoramic tour of La Crosse
- Exploration of National Register sites
Optional Activities
- Optional journey to Decorah, Iowa
- Visit Vesterheim Norwegian American museum
- Shopping in Decorah boutiques
- Lunch at local Decorah restaurants
- Tour Toppling Goliath brewery
- Tour Seed Savers Exchange
- Trout fishing
- Cycling on Decorah's biking trails
Landmarks Vesterheim Toppling Goliath Seed Savers Exchange - Day 7
Red Wing
As you sail through the Mississippi scenery, you'll reach Red Wing, a city known for making Red Wing Shoes (the kind soldiers wore in both world wars). The town was named after a Sioux chief and settled by New Englanders, then German, Irish, and Scandinavian immigrants came after. You'll get a city tour and can visit the National Eagle Center in nearby Wabasha to learn about eagles from the resident ambassadors. An optional scenic cruise is also available if you want to stay on the water.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Included Activities
- City tour of Red Wing
- Visit National Eagle Center in Wabasha
Optional Activities
- Optional scenic cruise across Lake Pepin
- Optional scenic cruise on the Mississippi
Landmarks National Eagle Center Lake Pepin - Day 8
St. Paul Departure
After breakfast, you'll head to the airport for your flight home. If you'd rather stay longer, you have the option to add extra nights in St. Paul before returning.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast onboard
Optional Activities
- Extend stay in St. Paul
