To almost no fanfare, the American Queen pulled into Lambert’s Landing in downtown Saint Paul today for the first time in at least four years. The riverboat is so huge, especially considering the relatively small river on which it cruises, that it’s impossible to get a good picture of it.
The ship’s arrival means summer is over in these parts. It spends most of its time between New Orleans and Memphis, but in the fall it works the St. Louis to Saint Paul route.
For a few years, Saint Paul never got a glimpse of her. The company that once owned her, went bankrupt and it was turned over to the U.S. Maritime Administration, which holds her mortgage.
The “nice” cabins for the 9-day cruise run from between $3,000 and about $6,000.