Has this boat been transformed since I was 10 years old......or was I just that blown away by the size of it as a kid but left wondering why I was so enthralled with it back then?
I recently went on the Hiawatha with a large group of adults. There were close to 50 of us and not a single person stayed in the air conditioned bottom section, we wanted the great views at the top. After awhile on a 90 degree day, although the breeze was nice....I started to realize there was nothing wrong with hanging out downstairs along with the cheap food.
The prices on everything easily earn five stars. A package of peanuts for 60 cents is a throwback. Slushies for just $2 and also soft pretzels for the same cost made this a super affordable visit. It was an early Sunday morning when we were there so I didn't booze it up but was blown away to see Sam Adams and Blue Moon on tap, I don't know the costs, however, of a pour.
Frankly, I was bored most of the trip. There wasn't anyone on a loud speaker explaining history about the boat or anything we were seeing along the way. The sights aren't all that great, along the river there are rundown campgrounds with a bunch of trailers from the 60's and 70's. Although I'm ripping on the places, I may want to take my tent to one of these locations at some point to experience a night. I just wish it were more interactive, in general. The staff was friendly but didn't seem to offer up a question/answer session about the history.
And the biggest disappointment of all is the fact that the boat is actually run by motors and not the paddlewheels themselves, they look like they are strictly for show.....or do very little in terms of propulsion. I loved the experience as a kid and I'm sure the few who were on the boat did this time as well but I'm not rushing back anytime soon in my adult life unless its for a booze cruise, which they do offer. It's clean and cheap....plus you can picnic after your visit but don't expect to be blown away like you're headed down the mighty Miss with Huck Finn in the 1800's. read more