American Empress

was another ship in her former life. Go to Wiki if you want to read the background…

What she is at this point is a diesel driven paddlewheel ship owned by the American Queen Steamship Company plying her trade on the Columbia and Snake Rivers ported out of Vancouver Washington. Her full complement of passengers would be 223, but according to the lovely young people at the information desk, she is sailing not completely booked on this last cruise of the season.

We can see her from our hotel window.

At Pier #1 Vancouver Washington

and yes, a real paddlewheel

I just looked at the website – and it doesn’t look like they are offering this particular cruise again which is roundtrip Vancouver Washington. Next year there are short cruises of five days roundtrip or 9 day one way Vancouver <-> Clarkston. This makes sense as you complete avoid any of the backtracking that otherwise occurs.

We sail this evening at 1800 (and yes, there is the mandatory emergency drill….)

Our stops include Astoria, Portland, The Dalles and Stevenson before disembarkation in Vancouver on the 27th.

From here on in, posts will be done from my phone which will present a bit of a challenge as that will be my source of wifi…

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About Holly

fiber person - knitter, spinner, weaver who spent 33 years being a military officer to fund the above. And home. And family. Sewing and quilting projects are also in the stash. After living again in Heidelberg after retiring (finally) from the U.S. Army May 2011, we moved to the US ~ Dec 2015. Something about being over 65 and access to health care. It also might have had to do with finding a buyer for our house. Allegedly this will provide me a home base in the same country as our four adult children, all of whom I adore, so that I can drive them totally insane. Considerations of time to knit down the stash…(right, and if you believe that…) and spin and .... There is now actually enough time to do a bit of consulting, editing. Even more amazing - we have only one household again. As long as everyone understands that I still, 40 years into our marriage, don't do kitchens or bathrooms. For that matter, not being a golden retriever, I don't do slippers or newspapers either. I don’t miss either the military or full-time clinical practice. Limiting my public health/travel med/consulting and lecturing to “when I feel like it” has let me happily spend my pension cruising, stash enhancing (oops), arguing with the DH about where we are going to travel next and book buying. Life is good!
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2 Responses to American Empress

  1. Ann says:

    Are you cruising or just visiting the pacific north west?

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