The Captains Blog

Missouri River Flooding

2011-06-15T15:36:00.002-05:00

I know that you share my concern for the people in western Iowa who are facing an unimaginable crisis in the wake of the Missouri River flooding. Images of flood preparations in Iowa communities are making headlines in the local and national media, as our Iowa neighbors battle to hold the waters back. Unfortunately, the national attention to the flooding may lead some people to believe that the entire state is under water and therefore not accessible to visitors.

Please click on the link below to read a special message from Gov. Branstad

http://email.integermidwest.com/ided/idedim11005/

Autumn Colors

2010-09-30T08:28:00.002-05:00

What better place to view the spectactular fall colors than from the deck of the TWILIGHT? The trees are starting to turn and we have limited availability for the rest of the season.

No worries about the higher-than-average fall river levels. We are cruising as normal.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Distinguished guest

2010-09-05T08:04:00.002-05:00

I was fortunate enough to have Lord Faulkner of Worcester ride the Twilight last week. He spent alot of time in the Pilot house with me. Appointed to the House of Lords in 1999, Lord Faulkner of Worcester was appointed a Lord in Waiting in the Whips' Office in June 2009. His responsibilities cover transport issues, Wales and climate change. He was very interesting and charming to have met. I look forward to continuing our conversations via e-mail.

http://www.lordfaulkner.net/

B & B Riverboats

2010-07-17T13:10:00.002-05:00

Just heard our good friend Alan Bernstein interviewed on the popular NPR broadcast of "What do you Know". Congratulations Alan! You sounded great. Check out the podcast here: http://www.notmuch.com/

Visit Alan's boats here: http://www.bbriverboats.com/

Clinton Showboat

2010-07-17T12:01:00.005-05:00

The City of Clinton, Iowa, purchased the showboat “Rhododendron” from the state of West Virginia on September 15, 1966 at a public bid price of $21,165. A week later, she began her 1,600 mile journey from Morgantown, WV. She was towed down the Monongahela River to Pittsburgh, on the Ohio to Cairo, IL, then up the Mississippi River to her new home. She was moored at Riverfront Park, entertaining the public with plays in the summertime and providing an appropriate focal point for the handsome park.

In 1975, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers began a major flood control project along the city’s waterfront, and the showboat took a five-year vacation. When the attractive, protective dike was completed in 1980, she made her second Clinton debut and was rechristened “City of Clinton”

The “City of Clinton” is now permanently located atop the dike. Here she is protected from the ravages of the winter river and was easily accessible to the public for tours and plays. She received a sparkling white new exterior in 1980 and enjoyed interior refurbishing as well. Visible from the river, the park, Riverfront Drive, and the Gateway Bridge, she welcomes visitors and is a proud landmark for Clintonians.

For more information visit www.summer-stock.org

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Railroad Bridge

2010-07-17T10:41:00.004-05:00

This railroad bridge at Clinton IA was built for the Chicago Northwestern Railroad for their mainline between Chicago and Omaha. The original bridge at this location was the second bridge to cross the Mississippi River. It was involved in several litigation's from steamboat operators. The third such lawsuit was conclusively settled in favor of the railroads, ending the war between the bridge operators and steamboat operators. That did not, however, erase the fact that the narrow swing span of the original bridge probably was a navigation hazard.

The bridge that we see today was built in 1909. It is a brute of a bridge and it contains a lot of steel. It has to, since it serves as one of the most heavily used Union Pacific Railroad mainlines. It takes a pounding from over 50 trains per day. Interestingly enough, no two spans of this bridge look alike.

Location - Mississippi River Mile 518.0
Railroad - Union Pacific
Daily traffic count - est 50 trains per day
Bridge type - Steel through truss with wing span
Length - 890 feet overall, 460 wing span
Width - Double track
Navigation channel width - 178 feet
Height above water - 19 feet
Date built - 1909

* Thank you to http://www.johnweeks.com/ for the above information.

New camera

2010-07-16T10:54:00.003-05:00

I bought myself a new camera late last year and am learning how to use it. What do you think of these pictures? I used the "sport" setting on the Pelican in flight to freeze the motion.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

Bird Island

2010-06-27T12:20:00.005-05:00

1990 was the first year we saw pelicans on the Upper Mississippi River. We saw 6 that year. Now there are over 2000 in the general vicinity of Lock and Dam 13. This island is home to cormorants, white egrets and pelicans. The egrets nest in the trees and their droppings kill the vegetation. The cormorants strip any remaining leaves to make their nests. This practice actually opened up the sand for the pelicans to nest. (They only nest in sand) There are well over 500 nesting pairs of pelicans and countless cormorants and white egrets sharing these two islands. The pelicans live here in the summer and raise their young then fly to Central and South America for the winter.

Carrie

(for Captain Kevin)

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

Happy Birthday Jacob!

2010-06-27T12:04:00.003-05:00

My, how he has grown! The top picture was taken when Jacob was 12. Jacob celebrated his 14th birthday yesterday. What happened to my baby boy?

Carrie
(for Captain Kevin who is sometimes too busy navigating the river to keep up on his blog)
www.riverboattwilight.com

American Pickers

2010-06-21T15:32:00.005-05:00

I am not sure how many of you know this, but Mike, Frank and Danielle of American Picker fame are neighbors of ours. They are based out of our home port, LeClaire IA. The whole town is so proud of them, they recently held an "American Pickers" weekend. There was music, food, kids games, and Q & A with the Pickers themselves. Everyone had a great time.

We were able to host "Lunch with the Pickers" on Satuday. Three lucky people and their guests won lunch and a meet & greet with Mike, Frank and Danielle. After lunch they were gracious enough to answer questions and sign autographs. The boys really are just as you see them on the show....funny and very down to earth. Danielle is just a sweet and nice as can be. The Twilight and crew were very happy to be a part of the weekend.

Danielle, Frank, Me (Carrie), Mike, Capt. Kevin

Carrie Stier
http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

Jake makes it big!

2010-06-21T14:37:00.001-05:00

Dear Friends and family,

The Twilight made the Columbus Dispatch on Sunday June 20th. We are even more proud to see our son highlighed in the article! Below should be the link to the article (if I did this correctly).

Share me
Captain Kevin
See you on the river!
www.riverboattwilight.com

Can spring be far away?

2010-03-10T10:36:00.003-06:00

Hello all!

I want to take a moment and share with everyone what has been going on here. Congratulations to our lead deckhand/pilot in training, Patrick. This winter he sat for his pilot's exam and passed with flying colors!!! Carrie and I are so proud of him. I can't wait to give him more time in the Pilot House this summer. Now the hard part will be to find someone to replace him as lead deckhand.

We have been in touch with several crew members over the winter and hope to have many of them back this year. Our daughter has made friends with a foreign exchange student from Holland this school year and wishes to go visit him this summer, so we may loose a good employee there. (And yes, I said...him!) Our son Jacob has committed to 2 trips per week this summer and we hope to give him more experience deckhanding.

I have been working in Morgan City LA all winter and will be glad to get back home and to work on the Twilight.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Passenger feedback

2009-09-27T08:42:00.000-05:00

Hi,
Even though I filled out the questionnaire after enjoying the delicious prime rib dinner on Friday evening a week ago I wanted to compliment you one more time for such a great trip. Every detail was attended to, every person from wait staff, Tom the jack of all trades, to the Pilot was so qualified and friendly it seemed like we'd known them for years, the chef prepared wonderful meals, the accommodations in Dubuque were superb as were the shuttle and suggested/available points of interest on land. The Pilot did a wonderful job w/ the announcements along the way filling in historical river facts and pointing out the many eagles and other wildlife. He was "easy to listen to" and had just the right amount of information where we didn't feel constantly interrupted but yet never felt like we missed anything either. It would be difficult for me to name my favorite thing about the trip, truly I couldn't choose from perhaps one of the many tiny details to one of the more obvious larger things.

I grew up in Clinton, IA, skating/boating/fishing on the river in areas from Beaver Island to Sabula so it was fun to "know" those locations and then learn so many many more facts about the area I called home for 20 years.

Again, thank you for such a perfect mixture of relaxation and fun.

Mary Halverson
passenger Sept. 17-18, 2009

Some of our crew.

2009-09-04T10:53:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures of our crew.

Dan setting the tables for the farewell dinner.

Patrick, our lead deck hand and pilot in training, taking a break a the bar. Looks like he is catching up on the news.

Bob, the bartender, doing what he does best......chatting up the ladies.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

You know it's gonna be a bad day......

2009-09-04T10:43:00.004-05:00

Where there is smoke...there is fire. Thankfully the passengers of this boat got away safely.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Passenger comments

2009-09-04T10:31:00.001-05:00

Thank you to the following passengers for their nice comments! We are blessed with a really fine crew this year. They work hard and do a great job.

To the captain and crew of the Twilight:
Though the weather was windy, rainy and chilly, we so enjoyed our time on the Mississippi with you! We cruised on Thursday and Friday, August 20th and 21st and everyone was very courteous and gracious. We enjoyed our meals and appreciated the kind things the crew did for us like wiping dry the wet deck chairs and opening up the gift shop just so we could purchase a warm fleece blanket since it was chilly on deck. We loved the captain's commentary...just enough but not too much. How wonderful to see so many eagles!! It was so interesting to learn about historical sites and barge traffic... The singer the first day was especially good. What a treat to hear the calliope music! Everything was so organized and well-planned. The Holiday Inn Express in Le Claire was a very nice hotel too - great to stay in the night before the cruise. Thank you again for a lovely, peaceful time on the river. Gratefully, Don and Mary Jo Pikul, Oak Park, Illinois

Ahoy Captain,

We just got back from our river boat cruise and had to let you know what a great trip it was. From the minute we entered the parking lot and met Harry and Tom it was the most relaxing and fun trip we have been on. Everything was as described on your web site and even better. The food was excellent and plentiful, no going hungry on this trip, the service on board by Andi, Korey and Bob was terrific and the layover accommodations in Dubuque were 1st rate. The music was a great feature as was the picking up and dropping off of the musicians on shore a neat touch.

It is not often when you can take a trip where everything is included and come away without a complaint but this is one. Our complements to you and your crew on a job well done!
Pat and Joanie Frank

Just wanted to drop you a line and tell you how much we enjoyed our trip on the Twighlight.... it was very relaxing.... The crew was very enjoyable too.... they were professional but at the same time extremely friendly and fun.... our room at the hotel was wonderful. And the food was very, very good.... We plan on doing this again in the future.... We really enjoyed the cleanliness of the boat and service.... we have already told several people about the trip and sent pictures... so I hope some of our friends try it.... Thanks again for your help and speedy response to my emails and getting our reservations taken care of at the last min....
Sincerely, Mary & Ron White , Gibbs, MO

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Citizenship Ceremony

2009-08-28T09:34:00.009-05:00

Hey all.....

I know it has been a long time since I posted something. Check out the below "Share" for some current news. Below are some pictures I have taken over the last few months.

Tom, our luggage concierge, found this moth on our dock boat. Not sure what kind it is, but it was so cool looking, I just had to take a picture.

Also posted here are some pictures of some of our guests over the past few months.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

2009-08-28T09:31:00.001-05:00

share

Posted using ShareThis

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

I know I am a few days early, but I wanted to wish everyone a safe and happy Fourth of July weekend. The Twilight "rests" on Saturday, so this year I will have the day to spend with family.

Thank you to passenger Burt Gearhart for this really cool picture taken from the stern of the Twilight.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

June 18-19 Cruise

2009-06-20T21:08:00.002-05:00

Although we did not have the greatest weather on the return trip, these folks from the June 18-19 cruise look like they are enjoying themselves.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

wwww.riverboattwilight.com

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin on the River

2009-06-19T14:41:00.004-05:00

I apologize for the delay in blogging. The season is well underway and we have gotten to visit many intertesting people so far.

Returning to our crew this year is Bob the Bartender, Patrick-Lead deckhand, Brooke -head waitress, and Leah, Emily, and Jesse as servers. New to the kitchen this year is Lea (no H) and Alan (brother to Irving from last season). Other new staff includes Amanda and PR. Our son Jacob is helping out more this year as a deckhand in training. Our tried and true ground crew of Tom, Bonnie and Harry are here to help out as well.

Above are a couple of pictures taken from the wheelhouse of the towboat Cindy Erickson today.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

18 days

2009-05-06T13:02:00.003-05:00

Hello All,

Only 18 days left before the first cruise. As much as we all enjoyed our winter respite, it is nice to be back to work. Some of the crew are back to paint (yes, John - paint) clean and get the Twilight ready for the season. We can't wait to met new guests and welcome old friends.

Until I can get back out there to cruise, we will once again let our good friend Captain Vaughn share some river observations.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

From Captain Vaughn:

Hello Everyone,

I have great news. Spring has made a foothold here in the upper Midwest! The first sign was the Twilight crew out of a long winter hibernation and hard at work prepping her for the new season. Since I have been diagnosed with a severe allergy to all things involved with painting, I had to say goodbye to the passenger boat trade. It was going to prove harmful to my health, you see the first mate (and brother in law) threatened to toss me in and return my wife's sister if I didn't stop disappearing every time a can of paint was opened.
The other obvious sign was this fantastic scene of two eagles in their nest with one feeding one of the eaglets. The 2 largest nest I've seen on the Upper Mississippi River this year just happen to be on the Twilight's route. These pics were taken just above Savanna IL @ Island 257.

Well, we're 278 miles from St Paul, then back to St Louis.
Talk to you soon,
John

Iowa Lottery Promo

2009-05-01T08:36:00.002-05:00

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Businesses across the state have joined with the Iowa Tourism Office and the Iowa Lottery in an initiative designed to encourage people to travel Iowa this summer, frequent Iowa attractions and businesses, and give the entire state a boost in these tough economic times.
The Tourism Office and Lottery are spearheading the initiative, which will mean special offers to popular events and attractions and discounts on a host of products for those who have a Powerball ticket. The project was announced Friday during the annual Iowa Tourism Unity Day, an event in West Des Moines attended by tourism enthusiasts from across the state.
"It's about the state, Iowa communities and Iowa businesses banding together to help ourselves," said Nancy Landess, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office. "Iowans have always helped their neighbors and their communities during tough times - this is just a new take on that."
The slogan of the campaign, which will kick off in early May, is "Keep Your Powerball Ticket Handy." The Iowa Lottery and several of Iowa's most popular destinations will give special offers to customers who purchase a Powerball ticket.
Those featured attractions announced at the event include the Iowa Speedway in Newton; Honey Creek Resort in Moravia; Adventureland amusement park in Altoona; Riverboat Twilight, which offers riverboat trips from Le Claire to Dubuque; Kings Pointe Waterpark Resort in Storm Lake; Iowa Marriott Hotels at special participating locations; FunCity amusement park in Burlington; and the Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque.
Iowa Lottery CEO Terry Rich said he thinks the campaign is unique in the United States in that state entities and private businesses are teaming up to collectively help the state weather the current economic storm.
"There are lots of reports about people looking for 'staycation' ideas this summer that allow them to economically spend their time off close to home," Rich said. "This initiative fits the bill perfectly by giving folks discounts they can use as they visit sites across Iowa!"
Rich said that the campaign will start May 3 with the lottery's "Big Beepin' Deal" promotion. Through late May, for every 20th $10 Powerball® with Power Play® purchase made statewide, the lottery terminal will make a beeping sound like a car horn and the customer who purchased the ticket will win $20 cash on the spot.
The Iowa attractions that are part of the campaign will make their own special offers to Powerball players in Iowa during the summer. The offers begin May 3 and will change with each Powerball drawing. Players can learn about the latest special deals by visiting www.ialottery.com or www.traveliowa.com.
A lottery "Prize Patrol" team will extend the campaign even further by visiting Iowa festivals, fairs and other local events during May and June to give out free merchandise and other special offers.
Rich said the entire campaign is designed to drive more customers to Iowa attractions and businesses, helping them at a crucial time during this down economy.
"We want our Iowa attractions and businesses to succeed because with the business taxes they produce and the jobs and revenue they provide, they're the backbone of our communities," Rich said. "We hope to drive millions of dollars in new or additional business into Iowa this summer."
Landess and Rich invite Iowa attractions and businesses of all types to join in the campaign by making special offers to Powerball players. They said that for example, grocery stores could offer discounts on staples such as milk and bread; convenience stores could make special offers for drinks or snacks; restaurants could make special meal deals; and movie theatres could offer discounts on ticket prices.
"By working together, we can lift ourselves up," Landess said. "It's a great opportunity for people to get out and explore Iowa - and save money while they're doing it."
Attractions and businesses that are interested in being a part of the campaign can contact the Lottery or the Tourism Office for more information. The contact information is:
Iowa Lottery
Iowa Tourism Office
Pam Brocker
Colleen Murphy
515-725-7929
515-242-4770
pbrocker@ialottery.com
Colleen.Murphy@iowalifechanging.com

Spring?

2009-03-09T08:25:00.005-05:00

Well, it felt a little like spring this weekend...that is until it snowed. Getting a little anxious to get back on the river. Looks like our friend Captain Vaughn is way ahead of us there.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

Hello again from the Illinois & Mississippi Rivers.

They have a funny way of saying things out here. Leaving the boat to go home for or 30 days off is referred to as " going to the house". This phrase is also used as a threat for quitting, "I'm not putting up with that...I'll go to the house!". This is similar to the threat to fire someone which is "put you on the bank" or "send you up the hill". While I'm on the subject of colloquialisms, lunch is dinner, dinner is supper, but breakfast is breakfast.

Here is a colorful picture looking down at Alton IL. The orange gambling boat is just above where old lock 26 was. You can see a southbound boat ahead of us making its approach to #26's replacement, Mel Price Lock. #2 pic is southbound above the mouth of the Illinois River looking down at the Mississippi River. Lastly #3 pic is of a summer cottage on the lower Illinois River 10 miles above Grafton IL (junction IL & Miss. Rivers). You can still see the waterline on the side of the cabin from last summers severe floods.

Talk to you soon,
john

Even more from Capt Vaughn

2009-02-09T08:26:00.004-06:00

Well, at least someone is moving on the river. Here is another message from Capt Vaughn.
One of these day I will have to see if I can ride along with one of my tow-boat friends to see how the other half lives.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

When I first came out to the Mississippi River in 1988, spotting a Bald Eagle was not a frequent event during the summer. We might spot 1 or two a week that we could point out to the passengers. By the 2004 season on the Twilight, their numbers had improved to the point that I could almost guarantee the people when and where we would spot the first of many birds. I remember 1 trip where there were at least 100 along our 80 mile trip and I must have pointed out all of them on the PA. I clicked the mic on to make another announcement and before I spoke a word, the crew intercom rang. I answered it and the angry female voice on the other end said, "If you point out 1 more bird, I'm gonna come up in that pilot house and hurt you!!@#%$^&**&^%!!". You see, when you point something out, all the passengers go to that side of the boat causing it to lean or list to that side. This makes it tough for the folks working in the galley to keep pots on the stove.

So I hope I haven't reached that point yet,, at least before these next couple of pics. I just can't stop watching these great birds. We were southbound above Alton IL waiting our turn at the lock with nothing better to do than try to take a few bird pics. These guys are on the ice eating breakfast of frozen fish they've just pulled from the river. Two different birds. There were 100's of eagles this morning. For you folks that aren't morning people, this is what a sunrise looks like.

John

More news from Capt Vaughn

2009-02-05T09:17:00.004-06:00

Here is another post from our friend Capt Vaughn.
See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Hello everyone in the midwest deep freeze!

A quick request please.

Bew sure to check your smoke detector batteries ASAP!!! Be sure to check the smoke detector batteries at your friends, loved ones, and families houses!!! Be a pain about it. We had a fire onboard and the $2.99 walmart smoke detector is what saved the crew and the boat. Don't worry, all is well! Minor damage and no injuries. Yes, the Lord watches over us and has been thanked.

Here is the MV Stephen Colby @ the Hennepin Boat Store taking on water. That sounds like we're sinking...let me rephrase...
Here is the MV Stephen Colby @ the Hennepin Boat Store filling our tanks with drinking water.

The other picture is kind of hard to make out but I'll try to help. We got stuck in the ice in Peoria Lake and had to turn our tow loose, (stuck in the ice, not moving). We took the boat and drove down thru the ice to break it up about a mile ahead down the channel. We then had to wash the ice dam that had accumulated in front of our tow. This picture looks astern of the boat at the front of our barges as we are blasting away at the big pile of ice.

We are safe and well, but all miss our families.
john

News from the Illinois

2009-02-02T08:03:00.006-06:00

Thanks to our friend Capt Vaughn for the following ice update from the Illinois. Congratulations to his son, Connor for being chosen as a Rotary exchange student for the 09-10 school year. I hear he is heading off to Brazil! We wish him the best and safe travel.
See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

Hello Everyone,

Happy New Year. I had to go back to work after a very pleasant 6 weeks at home, and am paying for it now. Today we came up thru Peoria Lake. Both upper and lower lakes were formed by glacial depressions if I remember my Julia Belle Swain tour talk correctly, and as you can see it looks like the glacier has returned. The crossing actually went better than expected since 2 boats came down right before we started up across the upper lake. Very few buoys, had to follow the satellite chart and the path made by the those who had gone before us.

A pair of coyotes were crossing the ice in the channel so to the head of the tow that I couldn't see them in front of the barges. They were out in the middle of the lake chasing wounded geese not retrieved by hunters on the last day of goose season. Sorry no pics though, I was too busy playing tourist watching them.

John

More cold news from Dan

2009-01-26T08:34:00.005-06:00

Hello all! It has been another fun filled day battling the ice above Mel Price lock. The Coop Mariner got stuck above the bridge and it took four boats, him included, to get him moving again. He made it down to the lock alright but had so much ice packed under his tow that he got hung-up on the gate sill. We were the only one helping him at this point and between the two of us couldn't move forward or backward. It took the help of the Magnolia to get us backed out. It was a total of close to 12,000 hp to get things moving. Good times!!!

Thanks for the update Dan.

See you on the river.

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

City of Baton Rouge in the winter

2009-01-21T09:41:00.004-06:00

Hello all,

Here is a picture of our dock boat "City of Baton Rouge". Looks cold uh? The Twilight got caught up at Dubuque for the winter. She is sitting in the Ice Harbor there.

I have been busy with winter "honey-do" projects and fininshing work on our new business office. I added a steamboat whistle to the roof but I have a little more tweaking to do before it can be used as the noon whistle.

We are looking forward to spring and seeing you all on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

News from friends.

2009-01-21T09:24:00.003-06:00

Thanks to our deckhand Dan Shrake for the following post. Dan's "real" job is working as a pilot on a towboat.

To Mr. & Mrs. America and all the ships at sea: There has been an ice gorge build-up above Mel Price lock and boats have been backed-up for several days trying to get through. We have been here for going on 48 hrs and today was our turn to help break a trail and hold boats on the wall. Fun times!

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

2008 Season complete

2008-10-27T09:26:00.004-05:00

Our 2008 season has ended and we have many wonderful memories and photographs, some of which are posted here. Our sincerest thanks to all those that joined us. We are so excited to see how many of you join our family year after year. Your loyalty is gratifying and humbling. Thank you so much!!

We would be remiss if we did not also thank our staff for all of their hard work this season. Patrick - our hardworking First Mate, Dan, Christian, Corey, Eion, Roberto to name a few of our deckhands. Brooke - our Dining Room Manager, Keri, Emily, Leah, Kristin, Chad, Jesse our friendly waitstaff. Bob - A #1 Bartender. And the least seen, but most important Kitchen staff lead by brother-in-law Fritz, assisted by Dexter and Irving. Our ground support staff - Tom, Bonnie and Harry. We hope to see many of them back next season!

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Fall color

2008-10-22T08:53:00.003-05:00

Some random fall color shots.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Twilight on the river.

2008-10-22T08:35:00.006-05:00

Who needs a corner office when you have this view? Definately one of the perks to this job.

We depart on our last cruise of the 2008 season tomorrow. It is also my daughters 16th birthday. Man! I am not that old am I?

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Chicago Tribune

2008-10-13T20:25:00.001-05:00

We were fortunate to get a really nice write up in the travel section of Sunday's Chicago Tribune. You can view the article here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/chi-riverboat-cruise-1012_rq_t_poct12,0,3213839.story

Many thanks to Jay Jones for a very well written article.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

After the storm

2008-10-06T22:40:00.004-05:00

After a day of nothing but rain and ugly skies, we were finally treated to the above rainbow. It was just about sunset and we were about to land at our dock in LeClaire.

We are looking forward to some good fall color within the next week to ten days.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Tales from another river.

2008-10-03T20:14:00.006-05:00

The following blog posting is borrowed from an e-mail sent to us from a member of our "river family". Not the Mississippi, but interesting none the less.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Hello!!!

Well this trip finds me back on the Ohio River on the M/V Jacob Michael Eckstein. The lock in Paducah, or more accurately, Metropolis IL (yes, hometown of Superman, or at least a 60' statue of him) is a wicket dam. This means when the water is up they drop the hinged plates(wickets) and boats traverse over the dam. When we run out of water, ie. late summer, they pull them up to hold the water back. Here is a pic of lock 52 from the 1200' chamber looking over the 600' chamber, the work barge that raises and lowers the wickets on the upper side of the wicket dam, and a close-up of wickets on the bank.

In 3 weeks we handled 75 loads of coal headed for powerplants along the mid Ohio River. That's about 113,000 tons or 226,000,000 pounds or 904,000,000 quarter pounders with cheese.

john

(Captain John Vaughn)

American Queen

2008-09-26T15:09:00.004-05:00

Many thanks to Ron Westad for sending this awesome picture of us next to our "big sister" the American Queen. The photo was taken from his front porch in LeClaire. Boy, don't we look tiny?

See you on the river!

Captain Stier

www.riverboattwilight.com

Go Green!

2008-09-12T10:35:00.002-05:00

I have written before about the brave souls that attempt to travel the Mississippi by raft. He is a picture of one of the more interesting crafts I have seen. (double click on the picture to make it bigger) This raft is powered by two bicycles attached to home made paddle-wheels. Looks like they have even brought some of their garden with them. Reminds me of the movie Waterworld with Kevin Costner.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Passenger Comments

2008-09-12T10:31:00.002-05:00

Hello Captain Stier,

I just returned from a great 2-day trip with you on the Riverboat Twilight. I was on the cruise where we were held up so long on the return trip to Lecaire, Iowa, by the barges in the locks,this past Monday night, September 8, 2008.

I had a great time on board. I am a retired teacher, and I learned so much about the Mississippi River and the related facts about the cities and towns, the wildlife, the barges, the people. I am so glad I took this trip. I certainly will go again.

And the food!! I will recommend this trip to everyone. I'm so glad we had great weather going, and no so great weather coming home - although by then the passengers were warming up to each other, and we were still able to go out on the decks, once the rain let up.

The staff was fantastic; and the young kids that worked tirelessly and constantly, were so friendly and helpful and talkative. Always a smile on there faces, even though they were working so hard all the time to make a great trip for everyone. They kept the ship spotless.

One of the things I truly enjoyed was the welcome and the goodbye by all waiting for us going and coming home. I made the mistake of calling Bob the bartender the Captain - we both got a smile out of that.

The food, all the food, was fantastic. Chef Fritz(I think) did an outstanding job with all the meals.

Please pass along my comments to those involved.
Thanks for a great time.

Sincerely,
Ruth A. Millis

Michael Phelps wanna-be

2008-09-03T15:15:00.002-05:00

I am not sure if you can see this, but it is an Eagle that went down to catch a fish and got pulled under the water. Dinner was being served, but I called everyone out to see this unusual site. The eagle swam it's way to shore so it could sit and dry out.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Mirror, Mirror

2008-09-03T15:08:00.004-05:00

I couldn't believe how calm the water was this day.

Pretty cool uh?

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

More Crew

2008-09-03T15:04:00.002-05:00

Two of our waitstaff having fun during crew bowling night. The blonde is Emily (aka our daughter) and her best friend Leah (aka Carrie's God-daughter).

Passenger comments

2008-09-03T10:39:00.000-05:00

I really want to thank Captain Stier and crew for a fabulous cruise. Our first cruise with my wife’s brother and wife was great. The accommodations were magnificent, the food exquisite and the ride was a life event experience! We enjoyed it so much that we returned the next year and brought my Mom and Dad. My Mom is an avid bird watcher and loves eagles. Even with the Mississippi at flood stage, which I thought made the trip exceptional, she was overjoyed to see both babies and adults in both golden and bald eagles! Then you add the museums and attractions near the hotel that made the trip as a whole, extraordinarily stimulating yet extremely refreshing for all of us. Three cheers for Captain Stier and crew for this inland cruising experience!
Mark Cornthwaite
Clinton, IL

2008-08-17T20:02:00.003-05:00

Barges are not just to carry grain or coal. We see all kinds of cargo going up and down the river. No, these are not giant beer kegs, they are pressure vessels built in the south heading to a power plant in Minnesota.

A pressure vessel of a power plant comprises a generally cylindrical shaped first partial section, a cavity for housing a high temperature reactor within the first partial section, a second partial section forming the lower part of the pressure vessel, a horizontal tunnel for housing a gas turbine assembly within the second partial section and a plurality of recesses for housing components of a heat exchanger apparatus, wherein the cavity for housing the high temperature reactor is eccentrically arranged in the first partial section of the pressure vessel with respect to the cylindrical shape.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Don't try this at home kids.

2008-08-03T21:34:00.006-05:00

We are the owners of a variety of pets. One of them is a Himalayan/Siamese cross cat. On our last visit to the vet with him, they recommended a groomer that could shave his extremely long fur. The vet said this would help eliminate the hairball problems the cat was having. Ummm....I will let you guys decide if we did the right thing.

BEFORE

AFTER (Double click on picture to get full effect.)

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Another Testimonial

2008-07-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

Captain Stier,

I did not get this done right away when we got home from our June 26th and 27th cruise on board your lovely vessel!!

You and your wife run an absolutely amazing operation and everyone on your crew are the best! Of course I was right in my element visiting with you about calliope's, your boat, and things. It is hard for me to believe that you can offer such an amazing 2 day cruise with all the extra things such as the great meals, snacks, room reservations, and just good old Iowa-Illinois hospitality for such a reasonable rate. I have told many people that if they want a good two day get away from the busy hustle and bustle to make a reservation with you. I hope to do it again soon-hopefully not during a time of flooding and hopefully the river will be open to traffic so that the barges will be going as well.

I hope I can get several people to come take the most peaceful-relaxing couple day get away that can be had locally. I will not soon forget the peaceful time I had on board the Twilight.

Thanks for the chance to see the Mighty Mississippi from a perspective I rarely get being a guy from NW Iowa and along way from the river.

Terry Applegate
Gilmore City, IA

Passengers Testimonial

2008-07-21T08:16:00.002-05:00

We recieved the following testimonial from a recent passenger. She also submitted it to her local paper. Thanks Deb! We are thrilled you enjoyed your cruise.

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Why is it that we think we have to travel elsewhere, outside our own community, to be able to enjoy a vacation? With limited time for a get-away, and with the price of gas being as it is, we wanted to do something relatively close to home, something fun, reasonably priced, and still very special. My husband and I live in the Quad Cities and we decided to do something we have talked about for several years, but just never got around to doing…to enjoy a cruise on Riverboat Twilight.
On June 22 and 23, we had the pleasure of enjoying an incredible river cruise experience on the Mississippi River for our fifth anniversary aboard the Twilight. We stepped on board at 8:15am Sunday morning, and proceeded to have one of the most relaxing and fascinating adventures we have ever had the pleasure of enjoying.
The Twilight is a 142 passenger vessel, which has a home port in LeClaire, Iowa. They offer a 2-day cruise on one of the most beautiful stretches of the entire Mississippi River…one also filled with a colorful history. As we boarded, they greeted each individual as if we were royalty…with that true and genuine Midwest hospitality, and it continued throughout the entire 2 days.
Throughout our cruise, we enjoyed delicious fresh-made meals and tasty snacks (every 2 hours!) prepared in their own galley. The first day we were entertained by “Mark Twain” with his wit and interesting story-telling, and the following day we enjoyed folk songs performed by the very talented Mark Arnould, another Quad City native. Throughout the 2-day cruise, Captain Kevin shared stories and history about the Mississippi River, some of the people that were instrumental in the founding of the communities along our journey, the many local landmarks, and the river’s navigation system as we know it today compared to days gone by. He pointed out majestic bald eagles in flight and also several eagle’s nests with young eagles perched on the side. We “locked through” at Clinton, Fulton, and Bellevue. With the water still above flood stage, what a special and interesting experience that was!
We arrived in Dubuque Sunday evening where we overnighted at the Grand Harbor Resort (also included in the fare for the Twilight!). We trekked through historic and beautiful down-town Dubuque, and took the short walk to the Fenlon Elevator, where we rode to the top of the bluff to enjoy an incredible and panoramic view.
The next morning we ate a hearty breakfast at the hotel (yes, MORE food!), and then went to the National Mississippi River and Aquarium…also all included in our Twilight River Cruise fare. We boarded for our return cruise at 11:30am, and left Dubuque with new appreciation, and the desire to return to explore it in more detail again soon.
The journey downstream was as enjoyable as the upstream trip was the day before. We arrived back in LeClaire after a delicious prime rib dinner elegantly served on our white linen-covered table. For two days we were served with class and style, were treated like royalty, we were entertained by talented professionals, and had enjoyed a tremendous adventure, even more than we ever imagined…and it all occurred with one of our own Quad Cities entertainment treasures, and at a truly reasonable value. Thank you to the crew and staff of the Riverboat Twilight, for such a wonderful experience. We will do this again!
Debi and Larry Ervin – Eldridge, Iowa

Day off

2008-07-19T18:55:00.003-05:00

On my most recent day off, I took the family on a different kind of river trip. We all went canoeing on the Galena river. It went fairly well, with only one canoe overturn (my wife and daughter's canoe) and one near miss of some cattle (again, my wife and daughter's canoe). We saw pancake turtles, snapping turtles, and beavers. We stopped for lunch at the mouth of an old narrow gage railroad tunnel that ran amost a 1/4 mile back into the rocks.

We all enjoyed our day together as a family.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Meet the crew

2008-07-09T11:47:00.004-05:00

Meet some of the crew. From the left Dan, Bob and Patrick.

Dan has been a valued crew member for many years. His "real job" is working as a pilot for Artco/ADM aboard the Co-op Ambassador. When not on the river (which isn't very often) Dan makes his home in Savanna IL.

Bob is retired from Caterpillar. This is his second season with us serving as deckhand, bartender and all around fix-it guy. He and his wife, Chickie, have lived for the past seven years in a restored train caboose in rural Scales Mound IL. If you ride with us, you must visit him at the bar and listen to a story or two or three.

This is Patrick's second season with us. He is from LeClaire IA and is our lead deck-hand. He is following in his big brother's footsteps, who worked the same job a few years ago. We are lucky to have such dedicated and hard workers.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

http://www.riverboattwilight.com/

The whole family

2008-07-09T11:42:00.002-05:00

Got the whole family in this shot. Mama, Papa and two teenagers.

The wonderful May-fly.

2008-07-09T11:31:00.004-05:00

We had the first hatching of the ever popular May-fly last week.

Call them Mayflies, Fishflies, or by their scientific name Hexagenia, they are a signal that it must be late June or early July. These annoying insects may fly into one's face, ears, hair, land on clothing, crawl behind eyeglasses and splatter car windshields. Mayflies do not bite or sting nor feed on homes, furnishings, food, etc. (Their presence is an indicator of clean water and a healthy environment.) The chief importance lies in their value as food for fish, dragonfly nymphs and birds. Mayflies are classified in the Insect Order Ephemeroptera, meaning in Greek "lasting but a day." As winged adults, they survive only a few hours or at most a few days, nothing is eaten, nor do they crawl or walk. They only fly and mate within dancing swarms, usually in late afternoon or evening. Swarms, consisting of hundreds or thousands, emerge from the water after synchronously appearing along and inland of the shoreline. Mating normally occurs the same day adulthood is achieved. Females release as many as 8,000 fertile, oval eggs over the water, often scattering them or, in some species, in mass in a suitable place. After eggs are laid, females fall to the water and float, often drifting onto beaches in nuisance piles or windrows. Others are strongly attracted to and congregate under night lights.

There are no effective widespread controls for nuisance mayflies. Insecticides cannot be used at the source to kill nymphs since other valuable fish food organisms would be killed and the water possibly made unsafe for fish and people. Fogging to kill the adults would require frequent heavy insecticide use and would not be practical. Many feel that the inconvenience caused by the nuisance mayfly swarms each summer are more than offset by benefits to the sport and commercial fisheries.

Mayflies are a seasonal phenomenon and come into their glory in late June to early July.

We have tried many ways to clean them off the boat including leaf blowers, fire hoses and brooms. If anyone has a better idea, we would love to hear it.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

2008-07-03T13:04:00.000-05:00

One of the many modern day pioneers we see each year. These adventurers try to navigate from Minneapolis to New Orleans. I wonder how many ever make it there?

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

www.riverboattwilight.com

Poet and don't know it.

2008-07-03T12:57:00.000-05:00

Thank you to passenger Nadine McBett for the following poem.

Kevin is the Captain
of a fancy riverboat,
and if he were not careful
it would not stay afloat.

He stands up in his aerie,
high above the crowd,
and blows the good ships whistle
which is so very loud.

The birds, the trees, the river,
he tells them of their lore;
answers questions left and right,
and still comes back for more.

He plies the river daily,
with red for port to guide,
in rain or fog or sun,
with green at starboard side.

Nadine McBett 6/4/2008

See you on the river!
Captain Kevin
www.riverboattwilight.com

Captain my Captain

2008-06-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

In memory of Captain Dennis Trone. He taught me alot about the river and treated me like a son.

See you on the river Sir!

Captain Stier

www.riverboattwilight.com

Waiting

2008-06-24T11:09:00.001-05:00

Three Ingram Barge Co tows waiting for the locks to reopen. This picture was taken several days ago. The river is open here to commercial traffic.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

Eagle and young

2008-06-24T11:00:00.000-05:00

One of the many nests we see on the cruise. This nest has been used for the past 15 years or so. There are two young eagles in the nest.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

Home away from home

2008-06-23T16:47:00.000-05:00

My home away from home during the worst of the flooding. Had to tie to a barge fleeting area in the middle of the river for four days. Showers were optional.

See you on the river!

Captain Kevin

Flood of 2008

2008-06-23T16:41:00.000-05:00

The Captain and Crew of the Riverboat TWILIGHT wish to thank all of our neighbors, friends, customers and vendors for their concern and support during our mutual struggle with "old man river".

The extra effort and support of area citizens and businesses has allowed us to maintain a regular, if not normal, schedule.

Our hearts go out to those who have suffered greater losses and we pray they will find the strength to rebuld their lives and business.

Captain Kevin & Carrie Stier

Crew of the Riverboat TWILIGHT

The Journey Begins

2008-06-20T19:12:00.000-05:00

The first blog posting to test out the template and setting.

Signing off..... cr