by Tomi Rae Thorn on Tuesday, September 13, 2011 at 1:42pm
Laura and I recently had a chance to enjoy a lazy afternoon aboard The Belle of Louisville. Starting with the ring of her calliope and ending with a tour of her pilot house, the Belle charmed her way into our Sunday and put a relaxed smile on our faces. Sipping mimosas as we pulled off the wharf and headed down the river, we chatted in the quaint ballroom, which has been restored to invoke its 1914 beginnings (albeit a nod to the newly installed air conditioning units), awaiting the service of a traditional southern buffet lunch. Consisting of southern staples such as potato salad and macaroni and cheese, the highlights of the meal were crispy fried chicken and wonderfully spiced green beans. And the band played on -.
After lunch, we retired with wine to the deck chairs to catch the cooling breeze playing across the Ohio River and the lush green river bank before Kelly Gream, Director of Sales and Marketing, escorted us up a narrow staircase to the pilot house where Captain Drew Cederholm and Pilot Pete O'Connell pointed out the Belle's well taken care of accoutrements. Dominated by its wheel, a 19th century skill-set is still used to pilot the boat, although modern equipment assists as well. It was a lovely afternoon spent reliving a little piece of history. We look forward to checking out the groove of the dance cruise and the romance of the twilight cruise soon. Thank you Belle of Louisville staff, Captain Drew, Pilot Pete and Kelly!
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