The True Queen

The night air had cooled off and the sun had set when we noticed the big boat slowly floating downstream backward. The Delta Queen left the dock promptly at 10:00 p.m. and before she started her large, red wheel, she took advantage of the current to back her out in the river. We have finished performing a bit after nine and were enjoying our dinner and drinks when we saw her leaving. She left the Port of Cincinnati in a stealth manner, no calliope and only one blast of her horn to advise other boaters to clear the way. She drifted slowly over to the Kentucky side of the river which I found very odd since the channel is on the Ohio side of the river coming through the bridges. She hesitated near the mouth of the Licking River for just a few minutes as we watched and admired. We think maybe she was sitting away from the Cincinnati skyline so the fortunate passengers could fill their cameras with photos of Cincinnati at night. It is quite beautiful and the air was clear and the water flat. My entire family has always been in awe of this Queen. As children living near the river, we could hear the calliope of the Queen as she headed down from Bellevue and Dayton toward Newport. My grandmother's house was just on the land side of the floodwall and if grandma was in a good mood she would have my Aunt Sheila walk us across the busy street and up the flood wall steps so we could wave as the magnificent boat floated by, smoke streams coming out of the calliope pipes and dark clouds from her stacks. We never rode the Queen which makes me sad as she is about to lose her ability to do overnight trips. One of the only dreams that my mother voiced was to ride the Delta Queen. Being married to a towboat captain, I guess he just couldn't understand her desire. Lou would say that we could go to Europe cheaper than riding the Delta Queen but we never did that either. He would brag that the view from his wheelhouse was always accessible and they probably wouldn't have let us take the wheel. He also doubted the food could be in the least bit as tasty as towboat food. I do admit that roast beef with beer gravy and mounds of buttery mashed potatoesare probably not served on the Queen. I wish my mom could have ridden her before she died. If I ever have enough money to make that trip, I will take what parts and pieces I have left of my mother's life along with me in a suitcase so she could in essence ride the Queen. My stepbrother, David, who is also a towboat pilot, was supposedly offered a pilot position on the Mississippi Queen when she was built but he preferred the freedom of a tow. Somehow the Mississippi and the American Queens just do not have the same magic. I felt privileged to watch this lovely lady heading down the river on such a splendid night. She is majestic.