River Cruises in Minnesota
- The more than 2,500 mile long Mississippi River gets its start in Minnesota.upper mississippi river - sauk rapids image by Brenton W Cooper from Fotolia.com
The headwaters of the mighty Mississippi start with humble beginnings as a small creek in Minnesota's Itasca State Park. As the Mississippi grows in width and length, it carves its way through the Land of a Thousand Lakes, allowing for many opportunities to cruise the famous river. Minnesota has a variety of different river cruises available throughout the state. (See Resources 1) - Autumn is a popular time of year to enjoy a river cruise in Minnesota.fall leaves in minnesota 1 image by talli koppel from Fotolia.com
Padleford Riverboats specialize in Fall sightseeing tours in September and October. Padleford offers public dinner cruises and private charters as well. The company got its start in 1969, and claims to have serviced more than four million passengers.
Pioneer Press reporter Maja Beckstrom says of her autumn Padleford cruise, "Riding on the river lets you see everything from a new perspective...Among the wooded banks just beyond downtown we found plenty to look at. An eagle perched in the bare branches of a dead tree, and a flock of Canadian geese undulated overhead in "V" formation."
Padelford Packet Boat Co., Inc.
Harriet Island
St. Paul, MN 55107
651-227-1100
riverrides.com - It's possible to see a bald eagle, or an Elvis impersonator, on a Taylors Falls cruise.eagle,bald eagle,beak,natural,attitude,tampa,flori image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com
Destination 360 reports of cruises like Taylors Falls: "You can make the most of your Mississippi Riverboat cruises if you decide in advance what you'd like to do. Nature lovers will love these trips, visit from January to March and be sure to bring your binoculars if you'd like to eagle watch. If you enjoy dinner there are lots of different offerings from dinner and dance cruises to candle-lit romantic evenings on an overnight excursion." Taylor Falls does have dinner cruises, but for adventurous types looking for something a little out of the ordinary, Taylor Falls offers an Elvis cruise, where boaters are entertained by an Elvis impersonator while munching on hors d' oeuvres and sipping beverages from the fully-stocked cash bar.
Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours
Wild Mountain
Taylors Falls Recreation
P.O. Box 235
Taylors Falls, MN 55084
651-315-8642
wildmountain1.reachlocal.com - The La Crosse Queen is a replica of a 19th century paddleboat like this one.Riverboat paddle wheel image by itsallgood from Fotolia.com
According to Frommer's travel website "Though true 'sleep on the boat' overnight service has ceased on the Mississippi, many options still exist for day cruises, evening cruises, and even a few pseudo-overnight cruises." Frommer's recommends the La Crosse Queen as one of those options. The La Crosse Queen travels the upper Mississippi River between Minnesota and Wisconsin. There are daily sightseeing cruises, and dinner cruises on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings.
The La Crosse Queen
P.O. Box 1805
La Crosse, WI 54602
608-784-2893
lacrossequeen.com - Passengers on Paradise Cruises sail by the bustling metropolis of Minneapolis.modern minneapolis image by geophis from Fotolia.com
The Paradise Cruise Line has been around for more than 25 years. Paradise has a fleet of two boats: The Paradise Lady, a 96-foot charter yacht; and the Minneapolis Queen, a 125 passenger traditional paddle-wheel river boat. The Paradise Cruise line offers public cruises from May through October. Both the Paradise Lady and The Minneapolis Queen are also available for private charter rental.
Paradise Cruise
P.O. Box 563
Excelsior, MN 55331
952-474-8058
twincitiescruises.com
Padelford Packet Boat Co. Mississippi River cruise
Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours
The La Crosse Queen
Paradise Cruise
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