September 17, 2014

We are at Dubuque today. I was here back when, so am staying on board while the others go exploring. 

I had a leisurely morning then some great pulled pork (but not as great as Tom's) for breakfast/lunch along with some hot Dixieland from the boat's band. I also got caught up with e-mail, Facebook, etc., since when everyone else goes ashore, the wi-fi and server speed up to a tolerable pace.

The others got back about mid-afternoon. They had ridden the AQ bus around then walked back to all the sights pointed out from the bus. By the time I caught up with them on board, some of them were starting to feel their four hour trek. In late afternoon,Sallie and George and I found a good spot to watch us leave Dubuque. It was interesting to watch the crew swing the gangway around once the lines were off and we were headed upstream again. We also got nice views of all the new buildings and development along the river front as well as the antique Star Brewery building and the Shot Tower which I remember from my previous trip. 

More great music today and this evening, plus a fine dinner. A good day.

The American Queen is a very accessible vessel. It has handicapped accessible staterooms with extra floor space, big bathrooms, plenty of grab bars, a step-in shower with a seat, etc. There are 2 elevators on board. Of course there are times when everyone is trying to use the elevators at once, but that's true on any ship and in most hotels. All doors that I've seen have lever handles instead of knobs. Most doors to the outside decks have little ramps over the thresholds. There are some door sills and thresholds that would make a bump for anything with wheels, but most aren't bad. In some places, getting anything with wheels through a door can be tricky, but usually a crew member or passenger will be happy to hold the door for you. Lastly, I have found several restrooms on various floors that are accessible which is handy. Since the whole itinerary is in the U.S., the various ports are mostly ADA compliant, so the American Queen is a very do-able vacation for handicapped and/or mobility impaired travelers.