The mighty Mississippi River doesn’t host many pleasure boats, as it’s generally home to giant cargo towboats. But cruising on the American Cruise Lines ship America delivers a different experience altogether, enriched by several excursions and the daily tales of the riverbank by ‘riverlorian’ Jim Williams.

The Cruise

Built in 2016 in the style of a classic paddle wheeler, America is a sprawling six-deck ship with several sun decks and plenty of public areas. It has a capacity of 185 voyagers, offering them a variety of spacious staterooms, and five stylish 445sq ft. owner’s suites, which stand overlooking the bow.

The Journey

The ship sails from Memphis to New Orleans on the legendary Mississippi River, the second-largest waterway in the US. The journey of 640 miles can also be done in reverse. Along the journey, the ship is moored at several significant sites, allowing the passengers to embark on historic excursions and explore unusual attractions. The onboard amusement includes an alluring music concert with a decadent feast on the final night.

The Stops

While sailing from Mississippi to New Orleans, the first port of call is the historic Vicksburg, offering an excursion to the Vicksburg National Military Park. Delivering more southern charms, the next stop is the quintessentially charming city of Natchez, where the excursion to Longwood holds the largest but unfinished octagonal house in America. Up next is another charming and compact town St. Francisville, and then Rosedown, a magnificent 19th-century plantation house, adorned with original furnishings. The penultimate stop takes the voyager to the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The city offers a range of attractions like the Old State Capitol, a floating casino, etc. The last stop of the journey is either at the historic plantation estate Houmas House or sweeping Oak Alley Plantation with its poignant slavery exhibits. After the stirring final night concert by the Victory Belles, the ship arrives in New Orleans, after a week on the mighty Mississippi river.

When people want to go on vacation, many of them tend to pick the usual spots — London, Paris, Berlin — not realizing that there’s a whole other world that awaits them. That world is Korea, and it literally feels like a universe of its own sometimes. With such a deep and rich culture that’s vastly different from America’s, Korea can be a bit intimidating. Read up first on all the interesting facts about one of the most beautiful countries on Earth.

For Korean women, having blankets on their laps isn’t always related to how cold it is outside. Rather, Korea has a far more conservative culture than many of us in the West are used to. This means things like modesty, especially for women, is something that’s socially enforced.

Even though mini skirts are very popular there, women will put a towel down so there’s no chance that they might expose any spot that shouldn’t be seen.

An interesting thing about Korea in the past was that laughing was not considered to be a very feminine thing. In fact, anything that brought attention to yourself was considered to not be very feminine in old school Korea.

This has changed obviously, as anyone who has seen a K-pop video will be aware of, yet the tradition of mouth covering while laughing still lives on today. Often, women will even conceal their smiles as well.

In the West, we tend to appreciate a woman who has managed to obtain that hourglass figure, but in Korea, they use totally different shapes when sizing up their bodies. Women tend to prefer a v-line, which is actually just a pointy chin.

The s-line is related to the shape of the body and is much more slender than the hourglass figure that we’re more familiar with. So if you’re in Korea and someone says you have a great v-line, take it as a compliment.

Believe it or not but in South Korea, the trees get an IV drip. Then again, we can’t say that we’re at all surprised considering how much love South Koreans have for nature. In any case, these IV drips are used to help keep the trees hydrated and in tip-top shape, especially during the dryer parts of the year, which usually occurs throughout the winter season.

In all honesty, we think that’s pretty awesome. There’s nothing better than seeing people take care of our planet in the most innovative ways.

Do you live in a city where people freak out once they see the teensiest bit of water drop from the sky? Does that annoy you? Well, then you are going to love Korea because they could not be more of the opposite.

During the monsoon system especially, people will walk through the streets even when the water is up to their knees. But you’ll see everyone with an umbrella because having their hair neat is still important to them.

Going to the hospital at any time can be a scary experience. Compound that with being in a foreign country where you don’t even speak the language? That sounds pretty darn terrifying to us. But, there’s one thing in Korean hospitals that you don’t have to be afraid of, and that’s the food.

Korean food in hospitals is actually delicious. There they serve dishes like marinated rice, vegetable pancakes, and kimchi — all foods, by the way, that are considered to be very healthy.

Academia is taken very seriously in Korea. Before they even get admitted into their first classes, freshmen college students have to actually spend two and a half days getting to know the faculty.

They are then required to learn the history of the college and they have older student mentors to help them do it. Still, this just may be more of an excuse for the older students to party with the younger students and welcome them into the university the fun way.

K-pop is a big deal in Korea. People go absolutely wild at concerts and wait in line for hours to buy the new albums (well, they did before everything became accessible on the internet).

One of the biggest symbols of Korea’s obsession with their favorite K-pop artists is that they love to buy doll replicas of them! We actually wish we had more answers to this like, who buys them more — adults, teenagers, or kids?

If you’re a thrifty tourist and you love saunas then you are going to fall in love with what Korea has to offer. In Korea, saunas are called jjimjibang and they are literally open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

A visit to one of these places costs only $7 and many come to restore themselves after a long day at work or after an even longer night out. At the entrance, they have a yangmeori — or sheep’s head — which is a towel you wear on your head.

Do you believe that men and women can just be friends without any deeper romantic attraction? Well, Koreans don’t. So, if you end up falling for one, then be prepared to cut off any relationships with your co-ed friends.

Koreans tend to follow the conservative belief that anyone in a romantic relationship must end any relationships, even friendships, with friends who are of the opposite gender. Just something to keep in mind for anyone looking for that special someone.

Ah, Valentine’s Day. Who doesn’t love giving out candies to their crushes and roses to their loved ones? In Korea, they do something similar only they call it Pepero Day, which is on November 11th. Pepero is the sweet breadsticks they give out instead of the chocolates that we’re used to.

They also have a very important function — two people (generally in a relationship) will bite opposite ends of the breadstick and then rip it apart. Whoever ends up with the bigger piece is the winner!

Lots of things matter when picking a partner to date, of course. In Korea, however, they tend to focus a lot on appearance. For instance, while women in the West generally prefer men that are taller than them, Korean women usually like dating a guy who’s shorter than she is.

The reverse runs true when it comes to men and dating girls who are at least as skinny as them. Blood type and age are also important.

For some reason, Koreans are really big about keeping their hands warm. We’re not sure why this is, although we would agree that having cold hands is the worst, especially when you’re trying to talk to other people and you have to keep blowing on them.

This is why, in Korea, most businesses will actually offer their customers complimentary hand warmers when they walk in. That means that beauty salons, hairdressers, and other places have hand warmers to keep you cozy and toasty.

Ever get embarrassed that your parents were spending too much time hovering close to you when you were on your way to school? Well, be thankful you aren’t Korean — where literally every day, two parents will come to school as part of the “parent patrol.”

There, they observe the educational process and make sure that children are being cared for by the school. This includes teachers who are kind and fair, as well as food that is plentiful and nutritious.

We’ve said it a few times before but we’ll remind you again — Korea is a conservative culture, meaning that men are expected to work while women are generally thought to be more responsible for taking care of the children.

One blogger who moved from the states to Korea wrote about how surprised she was that she was expected to keep her child close at all times. According to her, “Before, my daughter used to go to the mountains alone and now I have to go with her everywhere.”

For people who are used to sleeping in pitch black, you might want to bring an eye mask with you to Korea. This is because, unlike in many other places, Korean children are taught to sleep in bright rooms where there may even be loud noises.

This is believed to help strengthen the nervous system of children and help them when they get older. For instance, having the ability to fall asleep on the bus for a couple of minutes to recharge their batteries.

If you’re on a date with a Korean person, be prepared for them to ask you what your blood type is. It might seem strange to us, but it’s an important aspect of dating culture in Korea, and there is a certain sense to it when you think about it.

Who better to ask for a blood transfusion than from your own spouse? Although not all Koreans follow completely, it’s still a fairly common practice to marry someone who has a similar — if not the same — blood type.

In Korea, rather than being born at age zero and turning a year old on your first birthday, Koreans are born at one year old. That means that whatever your age is, add one, and that would be your actual age if you were born in Korea.

The reason for this is that Koreans think that since it takes about nine months to grow to maturity in the womb, it makes sense to have a baby born at one year old.

In Korea, there is an urban legend that has persisted to this day. Koreans believe that if you leave an electric fan on while sleeping with the windows and doors closed you could pass away. They believe that the fan will lower someone’s body temperature, causing hypothermia.

While it hasn’t been totally proven, all Korean fans have an automatic shutoff timer for what they believe to be a life-saving measure. Better safe than sorry, right?

It’s not exactly a wildlife reservation, but the four-kilometer (about two and a half miles) wide stretch of land that separates North and South Korea is virtually untouched by people. As a result, it has become the perfect place for rare plants and animals to grow and flourish.

Occasionally, photographers are allowed by both sides into the DMZ to take pictures of the wildlife, and there has been talk of leaving the DMZ should the North and South ever reunite.

Just when you thought that Valentine’s Day was supposed to be all about the ladies, in comes South Korea turning preconceived notions up on their heads. In March, Koreans hold a festival that they call “White Day,” when men are given gifts by their special ladies.

Similar to the West, Korean men will get delicious chocolates and other candies from their adoring women. So, mark your calendars gents and get ready to get spoiled for one day!

For many of us, Christmas is a time to be with our extended families, and it can sometimes be a bit of a headache. In Korea, though, they believe that Christmas should just be for couples.

Generally, couples will open presents together before heading out to a pub or club to socialize with their friends. New Year’s Eve, meanwhile, is a whole different story — people get together with the entire family to bring in the new year.

Not only is Korea a more conservative society, but they’re also a very respectful one as well. As a result, people will often refer to each other based on titles rather than using each other’s names.

This applies doubly when speaking to someone older than yourself since age is very much respected in this country. It can get a little tricky at work, especially if you’re a manager and your employee is older than you, but they make it work.

Koreans have a superstition when it comes to the number four, as they believe it to be unlucky. In fact, it’s such a major part of society that they even have a name for this fear — tetraphobia.

It might seem odd, but when you think about it, it’s not that much different from how we in America like to avoid the number 13. It seems like every culture has a number that they’re just not too fond of.

During and after the Korean War, the people of Korea had little in the way of protein-rich foods or refrigeration. As a result, many of them would barter and trade with the American soldiers in hopes for some of their canned rations.

It became so widespread that Koreans ended up making a dish out of just canned goods called bujae jiggae (army stew). Today, these cans are sold in packets and are often given to family and friends as gifts.

In the United States, we’re pretty used to the custom of giving plants to someone who has just moved into a new house or apartment. As great as that is, Koreans tend to lean towards something a bit more practical.

In this case, they generally like to give each other toilet paper and laundry detergent as household gifts. Even though it’s not quite as beautiful as a plant, at least we can guarantee that it’s going to good use.

South Korea is known for having an outstanding medical system, and as a result, many people come from abroad to receive treatment. One of the operations that many people travel there for is anything related to plastic surgery.

Apparently, plastic surgery in South Korea is not terribly expensive and it’s done by very professional and highly reliable doctors. South Korea has embraced this “medical tourism” label, and now advertises abroad various operations that people can come get.

South Korea is a very technologically friendly country, and as a result, most daily transactions are done with credit cards rather than with cash.

Sometimes, in many parts of America, we’ll find ourselves in a place that only accepts cash so we’re forced to walk several blocks to get to an ATM before we can pay for our meal. In South Korea, you’ll be challenged to find a place that doesn’t accept credit cards.

South Korea has almost everything that any tourist would want out of a great country. Not only does it have many cities with Seoul — the capital — as one of the largest, but it also has beautifully diverse nature as well.

From large mountains and forests that are perfect for hiking to beaches that look like they were plucked from a tropical island, South Korea is really one of the most culturally-rich and remarkable places for anyone to go visit.

There’s nothing more infuriating than wanting to do a simple task on the computer or smartphone and having the internet move at a snail’s pace. In South Korea, though, there’s no need to have any sort of frustrations like that ever again.

That’s because the country boasts one of the fastest internet speeds in the world compared to any other country. Be careful if you want to stop by an internet cafe because after you do, we guarantee you’ll get frustrated with your home country’s internet.

Although it seems to somewhat contradict their more conservative side, South Koreans are literally quite obsessed with feces. Expect to see all manner of items in the shape of turds from keychains to cookies.

Flushing sounds can be heard playing in toilets country-wide and there is even a ‘poop cafe’ in Seoul, in which all of the goods for sale are turd themed and they sell lattes in little toilet shaped cups. It’s pooptastic.

It’s estimated that around 20% of men in South Korea wear makeup on a regular basis. It’s quite common to see men fixing their makeup, from powder and eyeliner to eyebrow pencil and lipstick.

In fact, it’s thought that men from South Korea account for a quarter of all men’s makeup sales across the globe, which is the equivalent of around $900 million per year!

Unlike many countries around the world, it’s perfectly legal to consume drinks in public spaces. Whatever your favorite tipple may be, you’re allowed to drink it freely, whether you’re in a park or at a bus stop.

Drinking in public only becomes illegal when the person drinking harms other people. Using offensive language and causing a racket counts as harmful and anyone caught or reported to city officials are fined on the spot.

Crime re-creation is a common practice in South Korea. People who are suspected of committing a crime here are often led back to the scene of the crime, in handcuffs, and then forced to reenact it.

To further humiliate the suspect, the media is invited along to take as many pictures as possible and publish stories about it. Notice we said suspects, not convicted criminals. Just imagine if they were innocent!

Some of us are very shy about public displays of affection and will keep kissing to a respectful minimum when out in public. Not in South Korea, though! It’s very common to see couples holding handles, kissing each other openly.

South Koreans enjoy showing off their relationship status for all to see. If they’re not canoodling to make their love for each other obvious, then you may otherwise guess they’re dating from their matching outfits. How cute.

Some people really enjoy shopping, while other people see it as more of a chore, avoiding it at all costs. It’s safe to say that the vast majority of South Koreans are in the former camp, as they adore it.

Home to some of the largest shopping malls in the world, shopping is such a popular pastime here that malls will often stay open until four in the morning, while bars and restaurants close at 11 pm. Talk about shop ’till you drop!

New York is infamous for its yellow taxis and London for its black cabs. The uniform color of the cars makes them easy to spot but has no particular relevance in either of these countries.

In South Korea, however, taxis are color-coded to let you know what kind of service you can expect. White and gray cars will get you from A to B safely while black cars offer luxury service with more experienced drivers.

South Koreans can be a lot more touchy-feely than we’re used to. Same-gender touching is a very common practice in South Korea to help develop and strengthen strictly platonic bonds between friends.

South Korean boys will pretty much touch each other nonstop, often holding hands and sitting on each other’s laps. This skinship is even considered perfectly normal between students and teachers in South Korea, as long as they’re of the same gender.

If one of your neighbors gets too noisy in America, it’s likely that a complaint will be made to the police. The party will be broken up and someone may even be arrested for breach of peace.

South Korea, however, is a much noisier place in general and people are a lot more tolerant of music and loudspeakers. If you call the police, expect to be laughed at and told to sort it out for yourself.

There are two distinct types of marriage that are recognized in South Korea. Both are as socially acceptable and respected as each other. One type of marriage (for love) is called yonae and the other (arranged) is called chungmae.

It’s very rare for a Korean person to want to stay single and very few go unmarried. Those that do stay unmarried are called by the slang word for “big baby.” No matching outfits for those big babies.

Seoul isn’t just the largest city in Korea — it’s actually the third-largest in the world! The city boasts a population of 25 million people, which means that while there is a lot to do there, it can be a difficult city to navigate.

We can’t even imagine how hard it must be for food bloggers to map out new restaurants or other street food venues since, in a city this large, there must be literally close to a million.

If take-out is your thing, then boy have you come to the right place! South Koreans love their delivery and they take it very seriously. Most restaurants have a few employees that work as motorcycle drivers who make sure that your meal is delivered to you as hot and as fresh as possible.

These motorcyclists don’t mess around either — they’re not afraid to slither between cars or weave in and out of traffic on their way to deliver a meal.

We all jaywalk here and there. Even though it’s not totally legal, it’s usually a harmless crime and it’s arguably the most convenient way to get around if you’re a pedestrian. Well, in South Korea that kind of behavior definitely doesn’t fly, and they take jaywalking very seriously.

Not only are the laws banning it regularly enforced, but South Koreans are also very respectful of traffic and pedestrian laws. This means they’ll actually wait until they have the walk signal to cross the street.

It might seem strange that a country that loves technology and prides itself on its technological achievements still hasn’t managed to find a way to create a plumbing system that can handle flushing toilet paper.

But, it seems as though it can’t. From a young age, Koreans are taught to throw their toilet paper in a trash can that usually sits next to the toilet. It may be a little gross, but it does save water.

Kimchi is a dietary staple in South Korea, and they generally put it in everything. How can one dish be so versatile, you might be asking? Well, it turns out that they have over 250 different types of kimchi, which can be added to all sorts of dishes.

It’s actually not that hard to modify kimchi’s already tasty flavor — the dish consists of nothing more than a variety of vegetables, which are fermented with various spices and seasonings.