By Ron Coffey

There's something about a sternwheeler that brings joy. When the historic Delta Queen passes by, people tend to stop what they're doing and wave. Maybe it's the happy sounds of the calliope or the colorful lore of riverboating. Whatever it is, people usually perk up when they realize a steamboat's coming.

The slow-moving sternwheeler certainly contrasts with our modern lifestyle of faster, bigger, more. Once I became acclimated, I found myself moving at a slower pace and enjoying life to the max.

River cruising certainly has its devotees, as I discovered on my cruise from Cincinnati to Charleston, West Virginia and back. Out of 156 passengers, 107 had previously cruised with the Delta Queen Steamboat Company. One lady was on her 96th river cruise!

There are thousands of miles of rivers to explore, and each has its special attractions. Influenced by the works of former riverboat pilot Mark Twain, many travelers choose to cruise on the lower Mississippi River. However, I met veterans who felt the upper Mississippi was much more beautiful. "St. Louis to St. Paul is a great trip," one recommended. My wife and I were content to cruise the Ohio, with a foray into the Kanawha River that leads to Charleston.

No matter what river the Delta Queen cruises, she is a part of the legend and lore of riverboating. This authentic steam-powered sternwheeler is one of the oldest boats of a vanishing breed. Built in the mid-1920s, she began her illustrious career on California's Sacramento River. She was painted navy gray during World War II and served as a troop ferry in San Francisco before being eased into retirement. But Capt. Tom Greene saw her and had other ideas. "The grand staircase beats anything I ever saw including the Waldorf Astoria," he wrote to a friend. "The builder tore it down twice getting it right, they say. The lady passengers could really peacock down that staircase in their evening dresses for the Captain's dinner."

Greene purchased the Delta Queen, had it transported through the Panama Canal to the Mississippi River, and the rest is history. The Betty Blake Lounge on the Cabin Deck features pictures and artifacts from the boat's colorful past.

There are even rumors of a ghost aboard. A fellow passenger told us about Mary Greene, the matriarch of the steamboating Greene family and the first woman captain of the DQ. A devout teetotaler, Mrs. Greene forbade the presence of any bars on the boat, and that's the way things remained until she passed away in her stateroom one night in 1949. Soon afterward, the DQ was outfitted with two bars to meet the demands of passengers. That's when a series of strange incidents began to occur, and stories of Mary Greene's hauntings began to pick up steam.

Perhaps the weirdest incident occurred when the Delta Queen was rammed by an out-of-control towboat. Imagine the reaction when the crew noticed the name of the runaway boat: the Mary Greene!

Hauntings aside, we never felt frightened or threatened by spirits while on board. The atmosphere was more like a family reunion. Many of the passengers and cruise staff knew each other from previous trips together. In a short time, Dianna and I felt like family members too.

"You're starting right by starting on this boat," said Hiram Hiller, a Missouri resident who was one of our dinner companions. "Then you should ride on one of the other ones," he recommended, referring to the Delta Queen's sisters, the Mississippi Queen and the American Queen. These newer, larger riverboats carry more passengers, have more public areas and certainly have their devoted fans. However, Hiram's preference seemed clear when he suggested that, after trying the others, "you might come back to the Delta Queen."

Passengers who roam the Delta Queen’s 285-foot-long decks soon get to know one another. Within a few days, we were on a first-name basis with several of the crew members. Even Captain Gabe Chengery was no stranger as we watched him dealing with the news media, chatting with passengers or giving orders in the pilot house. It seemed fitting that the captain occasionally played the calliope. The shrill, steam-powered musical instrument whistled out bits of Americana like "Beautiful Ohio" and generated dreamy smiles from onlookers as we cruised through locks and past peaceful river towns.

Steamboatin' and music are strongly connected. The house band and various soloists kept our feet tapping with a variety of Dixieland, ragtime and banjo-laced music that seemed perfect for a trip into America's heartland.

At each port we had the opportunity to explore on our own or take a tour showcasing the area. In Maysville, Kentucky we took a walking tour of the downtown and paused to explore the Mason County Museum. Near Gallipolis, Ohio we visited Jewel Evans' grist mill and had our picture taken with Jewel and her husband, Bob Evans of restaurant fame. When we stepped off the gangplank at Huntington, WV a barbershop quartet serenaded us. At nearly every port, we were greeted by people dressed in old-time clothing. The desire to re-create some aspect of the steamboating tradition was strong.

Passengers enjoy the view in front of the Delta Queen's pilot house.

The scenery along the Ohio and Kanawha rivers was not as exotic as one might find in the Caribbean or the Mediterranean, but it certainly met our needs. We had not come to escape from America but to experience this great land. The sight of the golden dome on the West Virginia Capitol in Charleston was particularly appealing. As we chugged past tiny towns, hardwood-covered hills and big cities, the river presented a never-ending panorama of a past both rustic and industrial. Blue-collar dwellings nestle along the floodplains, and mansions dot the hills. Regardless of socioeconomic level, it seems everyone likes to watch the river roll along.

The best view of the river, I felt, was from the deck of the Delta Queen. I shared a table with Hiram and his son one afternoon, looking out on America while absorbing Hiram's views on whiskey, cruising, and life itself (the three were very closely related!). It had been rainy and the river was the color of coffee with cream, but the Delta Queen steamed along smoothly, her giant red paddlewheel creating a fine mist. When the sun came out, a miniature rainbow formed in the spray from the paddlewheel, and I savored the moment.

If you like history, you'll find a barrel full on any DQ cruise. In addition to a "riverlorian" who explained many of the traditions associated with steamboating, we heard from a guest lecturer who gave us the inside scoop on the Great Kanawha River and its colorful past.

At 7 p.m. each day we waited expectantly at the stairs to the Orleans Dining Room, waiting for the dinner chimes to ring. There with our dinner companions the talk turned from Mark Twain to Capt. Fred Way (the man who brought the DQ through the Panama Canal) to John Hartford (a musician and licensed riverboat pilot; John passed away in 2001) to the best stretches of river to cruise. Taking it all in, I began to understand why so many of the passengers were repeat customers.

Most of the entertainment aboard the DQ involved music or food, or both. One day the emcee called for volunteers in the floozy contest. Suddenly Diane from Johnstown, New York grabbed Dianna's hand and said, "let's go!" Before I knew it, a half-dozen new floozies had been enlisted, and as they picked out their floozy costumes, all became fast friends for the remainder of the trip.

What is the essence of riverboat cruising? Well, history comes to life. Strangers become friends. Waistlines expand and cares disappear, at least for a while. At our farewell dinner we exchanged addresses with eight or ten good new friends, and began plotting a sequel.

The golden dome of the West Virginia Capitol is one of the scenic highlights of a cruise up the Kanawha River.

L-R: Jewel and Bob Evans with Dianna and Ron Coffey.