What was a trip down the mississippi river on a steamboat like in the 1800s?

Question

What was a trip down the mississippi river on a steamboat like in the 1800s?

Answer 1

Read "Life on the Mississippi" by Mark Twain.

Or go and book a cruise on the Delta Queen, while you still can! This is her last year in operation.  There are other steamboats still running,but the ole' DQ (the boat, not the ice cream place) is the closet that you can still get to an authentic steamboat.

Answer 2

Sorry, but I just can't remember.

Answer 3

Have you ever been to Disneyland and taken the steam  boat around the Island ?  While it is guided by an underwater device

it is very much a replica of the (larger)  boats  in the 1800's.  The

main difference is the river's current which will move the boat if

it is not tethered well.  Disney also fakes the steam engine and

thus is much less smoky than the real ones.  There are some

paddle wheelers on lakes  and rivers in the USA today (www.lonestarriverboat.com) . Lake tahoe has a couple also.