Floating on the Mississippi to see fall colors

Young Chang

Phyllis and Frank Herman wanted simply to see orange and red

leaves at a time when Newport-Mesa ranks among the least colorful of

cities.

The Newport Beach couple had heard of the fall scene along the

Mississippi River. They had even traveled the lower portion of the

mammoth waterway one fall in the past. Earlier this month, they

decided to tackle the upper half of the Mississippi with old friends.

“This is the last trip of the year up to Saint Paul [Minn.] with

the Mississippi Queen,” said Frank Herman ,a retired doctor. “We

wanted to see the fall colors, so we arranged to go this month.”

The couple spent a week aboard the Mississippi Queen with eight

friends and fellow members of a bible study group from St. Andrews

Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach. Close friends for 30 years, the

group decided that a trip would be as good a reason to get together

as their regular Bible study meetings.

They started in St. Louis, Mo., and ended their cruise in Saint

Paul, Minn. They heard lectures on the boat everyday about the great

river on which they were traveling, took short excursions off the

boat, ate gourmet meals three times a day and enjoyed entertainment

on the water every night.

“They had four vocalists who sang for us,” said Phyllis Herman, of

the regular boat performers. “We’re used to the big productions and

everything ... but they did a whole stage show. That was

interesting.”

The couple agreed that a favorite off-boat experience was being in

Mark Twain country in Missouri.

‘It was kind of fun to see,” Phyllis Herman said. “You learn as

kids in school everything he’s written and you see what he based it

on. You can just visualize.”

When asked what he considered the “coolest” land excursion, Frank

Herman chose the moment at the end of his trip.

“It was 30 degrees in St. Paul,” he said. “That was pretty cool.”

* Have you, or someone you know, gone on an interesting vacation

recently? Tell us your adventures. Drop us a line to TRAVEL TALES,

330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; e-mail jennifer.mahal@

latimes.com; or fax to (949) 646-4170.