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Springtime on the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast

We invite you to join us to explore the gracious plantations, historic cities, and Civil War battlefields along the Mississippi; and the historic and cultural sites of the Gulf Coast. Our voyage takes us to New Orleans’ French Quarter, famous for its cuisine, its native jazz music, and its romantic French colonial architecture. We will visit architectural treasures that are among the finest along the Gulf Coast. Cruising along the Mississippi River, we stop in one of the loveliest and oldest towns in the South, Natchez, and also will have the opportunity to tour a select few of the grandest historical plantations in the region.

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Watch our Video - The Music of the Mississippi

Itinerary

View Detailed Itinerary

TRAVEL WITH A TEAM OF EXPERTS

Guest Lecturer Andrew F. Smith is a freelance writer who teaches food studies and professional food writing as a part-time faculty member at the New School University in New York City. He is the author or editor of twentyone books, has been regularly interviewed on radio and television, and has written more than three hundred articles in academic journals, popular magazines and newspapers. For this voyage on the Mississippi River and the Gulf Coast, Andrew will tell the story of some of the most crucial episodes of the Civil War, including the siege of Vicksburg and the Union blockade of New Orleans. (Onboard March 29 – April 8)

Sidney Horenstein is a geologist and environmental educator emeritus at the American Museum of Natural History. He designs and leads field trips to diverse areas of New York State, and is the natural history consultant to the Bronx County Historical Society. He also
lectures at AMNH on a variety of natural history subjects and serves on the editorial board of the journal, Evolution: Outreach and Education. Mr. Horenstein has accompanied groups on AMNH Expeditions to the Americas, Europe, the Mediterranean, Asia, the Arctic, and North Africa. (Onboard April 8 – 18)

Educated at Mississippi State University, Michael Ballard retired in 2012 after 30 years at the MSU Library as University Archivist, Coordinator of the Congressional and Political Research Center, and Associate Editor and Coordinator of Processing in the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library.  He has published 14 books, four of which are related to the Vicksburg campaign, including Vicksburg:  The Campaign that Opened the Mississippi.  His most recent book, Grant at Vicksburg:  The General and the Siege, is due out in April, 2013.  (Onboard April 8 – 18)

Enjoy Jazz Performances Aboard by Renowned Artists                                              Jazz was born in the African American community of New Orleans in about 1900. To celebrate this uniquely American expression, we are pleased to have with us talented musicians who will perform private concerts onboard Yorktown.

Onboard March 29 – April 8
Gary Chalmers, a seasoned percussionist, has in recent years evolved into an on-call session drummer for various musical projects.

Pianist Charlie Etzel has recorded in his own right and also with Slide Hampton, Jimmy Heath, and Whit Williams.

Ashton Fletcher has performed as a bassist on numerous television programs and toured with recording star Bobby Vinton, and also recently founded the Fletcher Music School.

Onboard March 29 – April 8
Kennith Kimery , Executive Director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, has produced over 300 concerts in Washington, D.C. as well as nationally and internationally.

James King, a well-known bassist, has a successful music career that spans more than 25 years and has appeared at major jazz festivals in North America and abroad.

Robert Redd is a pianist based in the Washington, D.C. area who has accompanied many major jazz artists and performs frequently with the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Organization.                                                                                                        

SINGLE RATES: A limited number of cabins are available for solo travelers in categories C-A at the an additional charge of $995. Categories AA & Superior are available at double the per person, double occupancy rates.

AIRFARE: Airfare is not included in the cost of the program. Please call the Air Travel Desk at toll-free 877-711-9896 or 212-592-1340 to make your reservations, or see your travel agent.

Yorktown Deck Plan

PROGRAM INCLUSIONS

• 10-night cruise aboard the 138-guest Yorktown

• Complete program of tours and excursions

• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship

• All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner

• Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying study leaders

• Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff

• Complete pre-departure materials

• Gratuities to guides and drivers

Day 1
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana | EMBARK
Fly to New Orleans to embark Yorktown. Overnight aboard ship.

Day 2
NEW ORLEANS
Discover New Orleans, described by some as the “most unique” city in America, with a walking tour of the French Quarter, or Vieux Carré, the 80-block area that is the geographical and spiritual heart of the city.

Day 3
MOBILE, Alabama
Sailing the spacious Mobile Bay, Yorktown will dock in the graceful city of Mobile. Tour Mobile’s historic landmarks and sites, which include Fort Condé, originally built in 1711, the
Condé-Charlotte Museum, the Bragg-Mitchell Mansion, one of the city’s finest Antebellum homes, and the Bellingrath Gardens and Home, beautifully set along the Fowl River.

Day 4
PENSACOLA, Florida
Pensacola is a beautiful Deep South city with a rich historic past. Visit the 19th century buildings of Historic Pensacola Village and the Naval Aviation Museum, one of the largest in the world with over 150 restored aircraft including an A1 Triad (1911), the U.S. Navy’s first aircraft. Alternatively, travel to Fort Barrancas, with fortifications dating to 1797 and trails overlooking Pensacola Bay.

Day 5
HORN ISLAND and SHIP ISLAND, Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi Considered the jewel of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Horn Island is a 13-mile-long isle with lagoons that attract over 280 bird species as well as pine and palmetto forests. Ship Island is the most historic of these barrier islands.

Day 6
LAURA PLANTATION | OAK ALLEY PLANTATION, Louisiana
The only plantation that retains its original slave cabins, the Laura Plantation was the location where Alcée Fortier recorded the tales of Br’er Rabbit in the 1870s. Explore the homes of the owners and the slaves, as well as the lovely grounds. Continue to Oak Alley Plantation, with its breathtaking onequarter-mile canopy of live oaks that lead from the Mississippi to the entrance of the elaborate Greek Revival mansion.

Day 7
BATON ROUGE | ST. FRANCISVILLE | BATON ROUGE
From the capital city of Baton Rouge, visit at tranquil St. Francisville, set on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River. Founded by Spanish Capuchin monks, the town retains more than one hundred of its 18th- and 19th-century houses and buildings, including grand and small plantations. We will visit some of these sites as we explore this quaint town then
return to Baton Rouge for a tour of the Old State Capitol Museum.

Day 8
NATCHEZ, Mississippi
Natchez, the oldest city on the Mississippi River, is set on a high bluff overlooking the river. Originally occupied by the Natchez Indians, it was settled by the French in the early 1700s, and later the British and Spanish. Initially, tobacco and indigo were the crops of choice, but the advent of the cotton gin in 1795, along with slavery and its busy slave market, made Natchez one of the wealthiest towns in the United States prior to the Civil War. Today, Natchez boasts numerous Antebellum structures, with more than 1,000 buildings on the National Register. We will visit some of its magnificent buildings and explore its fascinating history.

Day 9
VICKSBURG
As Yorktown continues along the Mississippi, we will explore historic Vicksburg. Its position on a bend in the Mississippi River made Vicksburg a bustling trade port and a prime target during the Civil War. Tour the Vicksburg National Military Park and see the USS Cairo, the first of the City class ironclad gunboats from the Civil War. 

Day 10
CRUISING
Spend a relaxing day on the Mississippi enjoying Yorktown’s amenities.

Day 11
NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana | DISEMBARK
Disembark in New Orleans and transfer to the airport for return flights home.