Whatever Floats Your Boat!

September 7-11, 2021

5 Days – 9 Meals

Highlights

  • Dinner cruise aboard the Mary M. Miller
  • Lunch cruise on a private yacht
  • Visit falls of the Ohio State Park
  • Visit the Howard Steamboat Museum
  • Full day visit of the Ark Experience
  • Rock and Roll “Luau” riverboat dinner cruise
  • Private tour of Hillforest House
  • Overnight in historic French Lick Resort

If you love getting out on the water, this tour is perfect for you! This fun, regional adventure has almost every type of marine excursion you can imagine. Relax on an old-fashioned paddle-wheeler, dine on a private yacht, relive the past on the Ark, and do the “Twist” on a river boat. Relive the days past when river commerce was king, sample some local wines, and try your luck in an historic resort casino. Planned in the spirit of our railroading tours, this water-based tour will be full of fun-you don’t want to miss the boat!

Prices

Double – $1345 pp

Single – $1645   

Triple/Quadruple – $1245/pp    

Deposit (due at time of booking): $50/pp     

Trip protection (due at time of booking):

Double/Triple – $168/pp

Single – $207

Final payment due on 07/26/21

Day 1 Tuesday, September 7
We depart Springfield early this morning with our sights set on Clarksville, Indiana. After checking in to our hotel, we take a short drive to the river. We will board the Mary M. Miller (named for America’s first female steamboat captain) for a delicious dinner as we glide through the water. (D)

Day 2 Wednesday, September 8
This morning we take a short drive to the Falls of the Ohio State Park Interpretive Center. Here we learn the history of the area, from fossils through Lewis and Clark, and the importance of riverboats; all from a beautiful facility overlooking the falls. Then off to board our private yacht the CQ Princess for a wonderful buffet luncheon. Then a visit to the Romanesque-style Howard Mansion. Built in 1894, almost entirely by shipbuilders, it now houses the Howard Steamboat Museum. Then, on to Lexington, KY for the night. (B, L)

See the source image

Day 3 Thursday, September 9
Put on your comfy shoes for today we visit the “grandaddy” of all boats, the Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY. This massive wooden structure (the largest in the world) is a full-sized replica of Noah’s Ark. This a one-of-a-kind museum uses hundreds of displays, stalls, and even live animals, to represent how Noah and his family may have lived. You have the day to explore at your own pace, so don’t wear yourself out! Tonight, we will take a rockin’, Hawaiian themed, dinner cruise with Queen City Riverboats. Don your favorite Hawaiian shirt and get ready to relive the glory days of rock and roll! (B, D)

Day 4, Friday, September 10
This morning we venture to Aurora, IN for a private tour of the gorgeous Hillforest House Museum. This stately home was built for Thomas Gaff, a financier and industrialist with great shipping interests. Sitting on a bluff overlooking the Ohio river, the home has been beautifully restored and has a unique front porch designed to look like the hull of a steamboat. We then travel along the Ohio to the lovely, historic town of Madison. With over 100 blocks on the National historic register, Madison resembles a quaint mixture of both Charleston and New Orleans. Here, we take time to explore and enjoy lunch overlooking the river. After lunch, we are off to French Lick, IN. Home to two impressive, landmark hotel resorts (combined into one large resort property), we have some time to enjoy the property. We will be treated to an extensive tour of the grounds and hear some of the grand stories from the resorts’ colorful past. This evening, we will stop at Patoka Winery for a tasting before cruising out on the lake for a tasty dinner. (B,L,D)

Day 5, Saturday, September 11
After four wonderful days together, it is time to depart for home. We have the day to reflect and relax as we journey back to Springfield. (B)