Raftin' Down the Mississippi

I'm not sure if I'm actually going to do the tied-together log raft, but I definitely want to take advantage of one America's most famous waterways. Surprisingly, I haven't found that many passenger boats going up and down the Mississippi. The company that operates one of the most famous ships- the Mississippi Queen- is for sale and it's unclear when it will take its next cruise. There's another company, RiverBarge Excursions, that offers four to ten day trips on their "floating hotel barge." Many tour operators offer afternoon/day trips, (and there are one or two that offer an overnight trip), but it seems like we've passed the heyday of the paddle wheeler.

Of course, there's always the option of resorting to a boat that's generally not open to the public. I've started talking to some people in Kentucky who may be able to get me a ride on a barge on the Ohio River. I'm sure there are tons of ships on various industrial missions going up and down the Mississippi. Now I just have to figure out a way to reach them...