Delta South
Between New Orleans and Memphis on the Lower Mississippi River
Like twin sisters separated at birth, New Orleans and Memphis are modern heirs to a legacy we call the Delta South. Linked by the river and the cotton it carried, these cities have wonderful stories to share.
Today, the river carries more than cotton. See it all. Ships from many nations, flying many flags, carrying cargo to every corner of the earth. This is your chance to learn about America from its best sources: the Mississippi River and the River Explorer.
Want to have fun AND gain a new way of looking at our land? You can. Come aboard the only vessel of its kind: the R/B River Explorer. Go to the Sky Deck. Plop down in a comfortable chair with your favorite magazine. Whatever you choose to do, the opportunities are numerous. And the fun never ends.
Our hotel barge glides on the river in an unhurried fashion, smoothly moving twenty-first century accommodations through a nineteenth century world. If you've read Mark Twain and long to experience life on the river without roughing it, this is your chance.
Hear the sounds of the river. The blare of the horn. The lapping of water on the bow. Be part of an incredible place that isn't revealed to everyone. Only to those who travel with us.
Mingle among the people of the Delta South, the descendants of those who made cotton king. Make friends with those who owe their cultural vibrancy to a common river heritage. Or share the food, music, fun and stories with your own family and friends.
Discover Vicksburg, Natchez, St. Francisville, Baton Rouge. Towns with stories to tell. Places to visit. Things to do.
Want to see the real Memphis? Travel with us to the city that became the hub of the region where cotton was grown, loaded onto vessels at various landings and barged to New Orleans-the city that became the link between the Delta South and the rest of the world.
Cotton isn't the only king in the Delta South. In a region ruled by good times, there's plenty to do. In Memphis, where Elvis and barbecue are also royalty, there's blues music and Beale Street. In New Orleans, where kings preside over Mardi Gras "krewes," there's Dixieland Jazz and Bourbon Street.
This is just the beginning of everything there is to discover as we travel together. If you want to get a full appreciation for the river's role in shaping America, come along as we go from rivers to shores, sharing the stories of one of America's most unique regions-The Delta South.
NEW ORLEANS — MEMPHIS
MEMPHIS — NEW ORLEANS
Depart from either Memphis or New Orleans on an 8-day excursion. Spend a night exploring each of those cities. Enjoy barging on the Lower Mississippi River. Visit Louisiana's capital city, Baton Rouge, and see the Old State Capitol and walk the plank to the USS Kidd and Veterans Memorial, a World War II-era battleship. Tour the antebellum homes in beautiful Natchez, Miss. Visit Vicksburg, Miss., and see the Vicksburg National Military Park that commemorates one of the most decisive battles of the American Civil War.
PLANTATION SOUTH
New Orleans round trips of 5 or 6-days offer experiences at plantation homes. Explore Louisiana cities of New Orleans, St. Francisville and Baton Rouge, the capital city, that is 230 miles upriver from the Mississippi's mouth and is the nation's fifth largest port and home to the USS Kidd and Veterans Memorial. On our Mouth of the Mississippi excursions, barge to Mile Zero and visit the tiny island of Pilottown, as we follow the Mississippi's final run to the sea.
