Music Cities Cruise – American Splendor

The comfort of your ship awaits at the nearby Beale Street Landing, docked along an impressive, recently renovated city park. Be entertained on board by local musicians as you enjoy the afternoon rolling on the mighty Mississippi.

Design a day just the way you want it. Sleep in. Or greet the morning from your stateroom’s private veranda to read, enjoy the scenery, or watch the ship transit through the Ohio River’s newest lock and dam, completed in 2018 after 23 years of construction.

Just upriver of your ship’s dock, the beautiful Tennessee River empties into the Ohio River. Also nearby are confluences with the Cumberland River and the Mississippi. The convergence of these four major rivers crossroads makes Paducah an important port centralized at the axis. Wander along the landing to admire more than 50 murals which highlight the region’s rich history. Learn the importance of the town as headquarters for Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant as he embarked to secure Union control of the rivers. Only a block away, the excellent River Discovery Center illuminates for you the importance of the rivers to this historic port. View a treasure trove of incredible works of art created with fabric, needle, and thread at the National Quilt Museum.

Cruising the Cumberland River’s Lake Barkley is a special day that you will cherish. The 1966 completion of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 57-foot Barkley Lock and Dam pooled the Cumberland River back for 134 miles and created a curving, stunning collection of coves totaling more than 1,000 miles of shoreline.

At Dover, your ship nestles in at the town’s lovely waterfront park. Locals often welcome the vessel and set up booths of crafts and tasty treats. The adjacent bluff is the site of the historic Fort Donelson National Park, a site that played a pivotal role in the Civil War. It was there that Union forces led by Ulysses S. Grant won their first surrender during this pivotal early victory in the struggle to gain control of the rivers. Learn about the importance of river transportation during the war and the story of this February 1862 battle which led quickly to the Union’s capture of their first Confederate state capital at Nashville.

On this narrow and gorgeous stretch of the Cumberland River, your ship docks at the beautiful riverfront park at Clarksville. The town is named for General George Rogers Clark, a frontier fighter, Revolutionary War hero, and brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

End your Music Cities journey in the Capital of Country Music. Stay an extra day to see what this dynamic city has to offer!!

Nashville is well worth a pre- or post-cruise stay to further explore attractions such as the incredible Country Music Hall of Fame, the Patsy Cline Museum, and the Johnny Cash Museum. Walk in the footsteps of country music history with a VIP guided backstage tour of the legendary 1880 Ryman Auditorium. Visit President Andrew Jackson’s fascinating Hermitage home, the Tennessee State Capitol, a full-size replica of the Parthenon, or the opulent Gaylord Opryland Hotel’s nine acres of indoor gardens, rivers, and waterfalls. Throughout your stay, savor the town’s warm welcome, the extensive options for delicious southern cuisine, and a plethora of musical entertainment venues.