River Explorer, Mississippi Queen tour boats hit shore

Marsha Parrish and her 5-year-old grandson, Hunter, were enjoying time together at Cape Girardeau's river walk Wednesday, sitting on the steps and watching the Mississippi Queen and River Explorer leave the city they had been docked at for the day.

This was Hunter's first time seeing boats like these on the river.

Asked whether he enjoyed the experience, Hunter replied with a shy "yes" before grinning ear to ear.

His grandmother was a little more vocal. "This was really a nice experience to see both of them at once," Parrish said. "Like most locals, you don't take the opportunity to come down here like you probably should."

Typically, only one tour boat docks at Cape Girardeau during a given day, but about two or three times a year there will be two boats, said Chuck Martin, director of the Cape Girardeau Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Two boats the size of the Mississippi Queen and the River Explorer carry a combined total of about 450 passengers.

"I guarantee you the downtown was full today," he said.

Things were busy Wednesday morning at Main Street's Pastimes Antiques.

"We were continually busy this morning, we didn't even stop for several hours," said the store's owner, Deb Maevers. The traffic, however, did not last long because a good number of people went on tours of the city that are part of the boats' tour packages and offered by the CVB.

"I think it's busier when they're here longer," Maevers said. "When they only have four hours it's hard to hit all the shops."

The Paddlewheelers, a local group affiliated with the CVB, serve as guides on these tours that make stops at Old St. Vincent's Church, the Cape River Heritage Museum, Glenn House and the Red House Interpretive Center.

One of the River Explorer passengers that took the tour was Mary Wolfe from Fremont, Calif.

"I'm extremely impressed with your city, it's wonderful," she said. "I had no idea it was as large as it is. It's been a very pleasant stop."

According to Martin, having these boats visit Cape Girardeau offers a good experience for visitors and residents alike.

"A lot of people from the community come down to view the boats," he said. The first appearance of the boats also "really lets us know that tourist season is in full swing."

Dwight Hendon lives a couple of blocks away from where the boats dock and came out Wednesday to view their departure. "I heard the music and I thought, 'Oh, I want to see them take off,'" he said.

The River Explorer and the Mississippi Queen will make several more stops in Cape Girardeau until November. For more information, contact the CVB at 335-1631.

kalfisi@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182