Posts Tagged ‘Mississippi Tourism’
A Perfect Mississippi Cruise
A Mississippi cruise is truly a wonderful experience. But to avoid the crowds, you can take advantage of a little known secret that will make your cruise a much more individual experience. Instead of booking a downriver cruse, take an upriver one, starting on the Mississippi Delta. You will be much less inconvenienced by fellow travelers.
Galveston is a lovely place to start on a Mississippi cruise, being a short drive from Houston, and an interesting sight in its own way. It already was a bustling port city on the 19th century, and was an arriving point to many immigrants to the country.
Galveston is blessed with several beaches, nice fishing spots in the surroundings, so before you go on that Mississippi cruise you can partake in local water sports. As for food, sea fare such as shrimp is very good, preferable to Tex Mex, which is more common in Texas’s landlocked areas. As for sights, don’t miss out on Moody Gardens, which includes a butterfly zoo, and extensive gardens.
New Orleans’s weather is similar to Galveston’s, but apart from that the cities are fundamentally different. New Orleans mostly below sea level, and built on the two shores of the river, a perfect Mississippi cruise embarking point. Recent hurricanes notwithstanding, much of New Orleans is back open for business.
In fact, the Mississippi cruise business is important for the city and those who want to help New Orleans get back on her feet can’t do better than by leaving for a Mississippi cruise from her port, after having spent a couple of days in the city.
Start your visit in the French Quarter, which is the town’s most historical area, and also its most lively. Lots of shopping and interacting with the locals takes place there, and you can buy any items you may need on your Mississippi cruise.
You certainly won’t go hungry in New Orleans, as there are tons of options, from the humble muffaletta, a sandwich with olives, to a ritzy supper with oysters and seafood. And you will probably encounter both these local staples again, on that upriver Mississippi cruise.
Talking about cuisine, you will find that two distinctive styles predominate. These are Creole and Cajun cooking. Creole food is inspired by French bourgeois cuisine and is more refined and heavy, which makes it popular for formal dinners during a Mississippi cruise.
Cajun kitchen on the other hand is the rural, popular cooking of the area, influenced by African cookery and sometimes quite spicy, incorporating meat which is tasty, but which you may not have eaten before, such as crocodile. This is also popular on Mississippi cruises, for its exotic flair.
Concerning your safety, make sure to bring a hat and sunscreen if you are leaving for your cruise in the summer and be especially vigilant for pickpockets in the town centers. You can relax your guard once you have boarded your Mississippi cruise.
Tags: Adventure Cruising, Boating, cruises, cruising, Cruising Advice, Cruising Tips, Houseboats, Live Aboard, Mississippi Cruises, Mississippi River Travel, Mississippi Tourism, Mississippi Travel, Mississippi Trip, Mississippi Vacation, Tourism, travel
Mississippi Cruise Offers: From Foodies To Jazz Nuts, All Are Welcome
River cruises are some of the most pleasurable ways to travel, and a Mississippi cruise is no exception.
When deciding on a Mississippi cruise, you have a series of different alternatives. Besides the obvious ones, such as length and itinerary, you should also spare a thought to whether you want a historical or themed trip, and on if you prefer spending time in towns and cities, or in the unspoilt countryside.
A paddle-wheel steamboat is certainly the best way to cruise and at the same time explore the history of the Mississippi River. You get to see the “showboat” amusements of the past. You will visit cities such as New Orleans, Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis, and visit sights such as the latter’s Gateway Arch. You will taste excellent Cajun food on board.
The most famous ships catering to this kind of trade are the steamboats Delta Queen, the Mississippi Queen, and the American Queen, although there are others.
The alternative to a “back to olden times” cruise is a trip focussing on specific subjects, such as the area’s vibrant music tradition, or Civil War battle sites.
You can participate in bluegrass celebrations. You can experience the region’s Native American culture. Battle sites from the Civil War abound on Mississippi cruises.
Several cruises are narrated, providing informative history accounts and bringing the Mississippi of olden times to life. Most themes are linked to the region’s traditions and glorious past.
Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s cruises are available for the whole family, and these are great ways to enjoy during the holidays with your loved ones while someone else cooks for you!
A voyage in spring, with flowers in bloom and a great variety of fresh fish and fruit on the cruise ship’s menu, will feel very different than a trip in another season. Springtime is a great moment to visit the Mississippi with a loving someone, but also with a group of friends.
Mississippi cruises are superb ways to explore the history of the Midwest and South. You have lots of alternatives that will please you and whomever you may be traveling with. Regardless of what you want to explore along the Mississippi, there is a cruise that is just right for you.
Tags: Adventure Cruising, Boating, cruises, cruising, Cruising Advice, Cruising Tips, Houseboats, Live Aboard, Mississippi Cruises, Mississippi River Travel, Mississippi Tourism, Mississippi Travel, Mississippi Trip, Mississippi Vacation, Tourism, travel