Twenty-five years ago, as part of the Grand Opening festivities for the Mud Island Waterfront Park in Memphis, I had the privilege of being aboard the Delta Queen as she defeated the Mississippi Queen in a race from Natchez to Memphis. The two captains, apparently by prearrangement, made certain that neither got out of sight of the other throughout the event, and the scenic race, which always included another riverboat, was gorgeous. The Delta Queen was actually much faster than the larger Mississippi Queen, and WE ultimately won the race by about a half-mile, and it was a terrific party!

I believe that the Mississippi Queen went out of service more than a decade ago. It would be a shame to lose the Delta Queen, too. The only other boats along the river are strictly local cruise boats. Nobody else can show you the whole river.