Cruising Down The River...

Last night on the St. Louis TV station (Channel 5), they commented that the Admiral riverboat
had caught fire. I guess you really can't call it a "riverboat", since it has been setting empty
since the casino on it closed.
I don't think the fire was serious, and I feel like they are probably dismantling the old boat.
The Admiral was built in 1938 and it was the first steamboat on the Mississippi River that
was fully air-conditioned.
Our family enjoyed taking cruises on the Admiral and it was really neat. Jim and I figured we
did that two or three times. It wasn't an easy adventure--to get three kids ready, drive to St.
Louis and then set sail, but what fun when we took off.
I was trying to figure what year (years) we took those cruises, and since all three kids were born
in the 60's, I figured it might have been the late 60's, but in googling the "Bob Kuban Band",
it states Kuban "stepped on board the Admiral" in 1973. He stated it had the largest inland dance
floor in the world. Bob Kuban still performs some in the St. Louis area.
The thing that stands out in my mind about the Admiral was its calliope. I still get chills up
my spine when I think about the calliope playing "Cruising Down the River On a Sunday Afternoon."
I think liking calliope music is probably an acquired taste but I have always loved that tinny
sound. I think the Admiral has been sold a dozen or so times and believe the owners of the casino tried hard to keep it open but it just wasn't to be.
We also liked to go to St. Louis and eat on the Robert E. Lee. It was docked right on the waterfront and had a seafood restaurant on the top floor; and featured regular food on the bottom.
If the Robert E. Lee was ever a cruise boat, I have forgotten that fact.
Did you ever take a cruise on the Admiral--or eat on the Robert E. Lee?