Book Early for complimentary amenities!
SUMMERTIME on the RIVER By Classic Streamliner Train, the 'St. Louis Special' & the Steamboat Mississippi Queen July 27 - August 5 & August 20-29, 2006! 10 Days from $2395 Book now for complimentary train travel to Chicago. HURRY! This offer expires soon!. Click or Call (619) 890-8894 for reservations or to request a printed copy of this E-brochure.
P R O G R A M    F E A T U R E S    A T   A    G L A N C E
Travel aboard the St Louis Special, our own classic 1940’s Streamliner between Chicago and St. Louis with complimentary meals & drinks while aboard. A beautifully restored club car off the Santa Fe Railroad, this is a great start, or finish, to the holiday and evokes the heyday of Streamliner train travel. What better way to travel to a nostalgic steamboat than aboard a special vintage train! St. Louis sightseeing in-depth tour by the acclaimed Nini Harris, one of the finest historians of St. Louis and transfer to the Steamboat on sailing day. We have also left plenty of free time for enjoying St. Louis at your own pace, as you like.	Overnight hotel accommodations in St. Louis at the superbly located Drury Inn at historic Union Station including full breakfast.  We have left plenty of free time for exploring St. Louis, including the famous Arch. Minneapolis/St. Paul sightseeing tour of the Twin Cities including Nicollet Island and transfer to/from Steamboat. Seven-night American Queen cruise from St. Louis to St. Paul with stops en route in Hannibal, Dubuque, IA, La Crosse, WI and Red Wing, MN. Naturally all meals & entertainment aboard the American Queen are included.	Overnight hotel stay in St. Paul at the Embassy Suites Hotel with suite accommodations and full breakfast. Travel from St. Paul to Chicago aboard the Empire Builder train, a scenic day along the Mississippi River. Special welcome party and events just for our group aboard the Steamboat. Fully hosted by professional tour manager from start to finish to handle all of the details, making your holiday even more relaxing.

As late as the 1960s, travelers could board crack trains like the City of San Francisco, the Broadway Limited and the Cascade and enjoy, among other things, swank 'Club cars' with art deco interiors, comfortable lounge seating, large windows, stewards bringing drinks around and a generally civilized ambiance that made travel a pleasure, rather than a chore. Guests could relax in 'living room comfort' as the Illinois Central Railroad put it, drink in hand, speeding towards their destination, in style and comfort. We have always thought this represented the high point of 'land' travel and are most keen on offering this luxury amenity whenever possible, even today. Another now vanished form of travel we find wildly appealing is passage aboard the spectacular 'American Queen', the largest, longest, grandest Steamboat ever built. To enjoy piping hot muffins, banana French toast and freshly brewed coffee in a beautiful Riverview dining room as America floats past big picture windows is a marvelous way to start the day. In fact, we know of no better way to see the Heartland of America, in comfort, without packing and unpacking, than by a great Steamboat. While biased, when these two forms of travel are combined with great sightseeing, fine hotels and extra features both 'ashore' and 'aboard', we believe this qualifies, by any measure, as a Great American Vacation. For Summer 2006, we are offering two exclusive 'Summertime on the River' programs that combine our own 1940's Streamliner, the St. Louis Special with the seven-night passage between St. Louis and St. Paul on the Mississippi River aboard the Steamboat American Queen. Both include First Class hotel stays before and after the cruise, intelligent and comprehensive sightseeing, a relaxed pace and a professional tour manager to oversee everything, so that you need only sit back and relax. Our ports of call read like a Mark Twain novel: Red Wing, Winona, Burlington, La Crosse, Davenport, historic Galena, Illinois and, of course, Mark Twain's home town of Hannibal, Missouri. Our trips begin and end in Chicago, making for easy connections by air or train from all US cities and since there is hardly a better family vacation, children (and grandchildren!) sharing a cabin with two full-fare adults cruise free! We offered this program in 2005 and both departures sold quickly and we invite you to join us on this very special Summertime Holiday.   Book  early and enjoy free train travel to Chicago from ANY US City served by Amtrak. A great way to travel without the neccessity of airports, airplanes, and the hassles that go with!

DAY TO DAY ITINERARY Tour 1:    July 27 - August 5, 2006 Tour 2:    August 20 - 29, 2006 01 An afternoon departure on the St. Louis Special for St. Louis, a stylish and nostalgic way west. Overnight at the Drury Inn Union Station, a superb location. (D) An afternoon departure aboard the Empire Builder train for St. Paul, a scenic day trip. Overnight at the Embassy Suites St. Paul. 02 All morning to sleep in with time for visiting now wonderfully restored Union Station before our late afternoon departure for the Steamboat with a remarkable city sightseeing tour en route. Our tour is given by Nini Harris, in our view, the finest historian in St. Louis and we will visit the famous Cathedral, Forest Park, the great Cathedral and Laclede’s Landing, to name just a few, before our arrival at the Steamboat. (B,D) Morning at leisure with an afternoon city sightseeing tour before we arrive at the pier and board the American Queen. (B,D) 03 Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's hometown with its famous Cave, greets us this morning, the perfect start to our Steamboating holiday. Historic Winona, MN with its rich Sioux history greets us this morning, the first of our small town ports of call. 04 All day Steamboatin' up the Mighty Mississippi passing through locks with time to catch up with a new book, fly a kite, enjoy lunch on deck or simply view Mother Nature's wonderful show. We arrive in Dubuque, Iowa with its antique stores and Victorian buildings today, another charming bit of Americana. Dubuque is our gateway to nearby Galena, Illinois where a truly wonderful day has been planned and included in the fare, you will want to have your camera ready for this historic 19th Century village. 05 We arrive in Dubuque, Iowa with its antique stores and Victorian buildings today, another charming bit of Americana. Dubuque is our gateway to nearby Galena, Illinois where a truly wonderful day has been planned and included in the fare, you will want to have your camera ready for this historic picture perfect 19th Century village. Davenport, Iowa greets us this morning this town was once the homeland of the Sauk and Mesquakie tribes and is now one of America's great farming cities. Davenport also features a highly regarded Indian Museum and the Putnam Museum of History and Natural Science, both well worth taking in. 06 Picturesque LaCrosse, WI is our port of call today and later onboard, the famous 'Southern picnic' with platters of fried chicken, baked ham, gumbo, mud pie and other Southern specialties. Burlington , Iowa, once one of the most important river towns and an open-air museum of interesting buildings, storefronts and historic "Snake Alley", a twisting curving street to the heart of downtown welcomes us today 07 All day Steamboating past some of the prettiest scenery in America as the steam calliope toots and entire towns turn out to witness our passing. Hannibal, Missouri, Mark Twain's hometown with its famous Cave is our appropriate port of call today, the perfect interlude for an author well known for his loves of life on the mighty Mississippi. 08 Historic Red Wing, MN with its beautiful waterfront and hundreds of historic buildings is our final port of call today. Tonight is our Farewell Dinner and party aboard the Steamboat. Alton, Illinois is our final port of call today, graced by limestone bluffs and the home to many historical sites and events, including being a critical stop on the Underground Railroad. There is also a very good Lewis & Clark historic site, commemorating their epic journey west. Tonight is our Farewell Dinner and party aboard the Steamboat. 09 We disembark in St. Paul and enjoy a sight-seeing tour of the Twin Cities before our arrival at the Embassy Suites St. Paul. Later tonight, happy hour and our special Farewell Dinner.(B,D) We dock in St. Louis and enjoy a city sightseeing tour en route to our hotel, the Drury Inn at St. Louis Union Station. Later tonight, our special Farewell Dinner. (B,D) 10 A morning departure for Chicago on the Empire Builder train, a scenic trip along the Mississippi River over the Canadian Pacific Railway for an afternoon arrival back into Chicago with easy connections for O'Hare airport en route. (B) An afternoon departure on the St. Louis Special for Chicago brings our holiday to a stylish finish as we roll east in comfort on this nostalgic streamliner. (B) All meals aboard the Steamboat are included. FARES & ACCOMMODATIONS AAA Luxury Suite $4,995 The best of Steamboatin’, each of these richly furnished suites features a sweeping view of the river, an antique double bed or a queen bed with sofa-bed conversational group, and a private bathroom including tub and shower. AA Superior Suite $4,695 These exceptional suites feature beautiful windowed french doors that open onto the deck. They have two single beds or a queen bed and a private bathroom including a tub and shower. A Outside Verandah $4,295 These outstanding staterooms feature French doors opening directly onto the deck. They feature two single beds and a private bathroom with bathtub and shower. C Large Outside $3,795 These extra-spacious staterooms feature French doors opening directly onto the deck. They feature two single beds and a private bathroom with bathtub and shower. D Large Outside $3,595 Extra-spacious staterooms feature a large bay window for constant river views and provide an inside entrance. They feature two single beds and a private bathroom with bathtub and shower. E Outside $3,295 These spacious staterooms feature French doors opening directly onto the deck. They feature two single beds and a private bathroom with shower. G Large Inside $2,795 These spacious staterooms offer comfortable accommodations with two single beds, a large mirror, ample storage space and a private bathroom with shower. I Inside $2,395 These cozy staterooms feature two single beds and a private bathroom with shower.   Inside Single fares from $2,895. Outside Single fares from $3895. ALL government and departure taxes and fees are included in the above fares.   Travel aboard vintage Pullman streamliner train

Terms & Conditions: Featured fares shown are per person, based on double occupancy. Fares are in U.S. dollars and include non-discountable amounts. Port Taxes are included. For new bookings only. Subject to availability. Offers are capacity controlled, and may be modified, withdrawn or sailing dates may be substituted without prior notice. Restrictions may apply. Please refer to the appropriate brochure for full terms and conditions. Contact our reservations number at (619) 890-8894 with any questions.