The River: Some short tales about life aboard river steamboats; remembering the people behind them
By Captain Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
(The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders is sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This story was first told in 2019.)
The Captain’s Table
Yes, I do recall Captain Wagner telling visitors that the heavy Officers’ Table on the DELTA QUEEN came off the Steamer...
The River: A young boy finds adventure (and life lessons) — meets some characters along the way
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
(The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. For warm memories, the story — one of Capt. Don’s first — was first published in the fall of 2017..)
The MARJESS bobbed calmly on the outboard side of the dock at...
The River: Agreeable October prompts memories of ‘Licking River Ramble’ and Fredericks Landing
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
(The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders is sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This story was first published in October, 2021.)
October’s always been my favorite month since I came into the world on an October Saturday more than eight decades ago. So far, this...
The River: As a second grader, he was glued to the radio listening to the tragic news of the Island Queen
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
(The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders is sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This story was first told in 2021.)
I was born before television became a required fixture in every American home. Radio provided the primary contact with the world beyond our family home...
The River: The sounds of riverboat calliope bring fond memories – and of Homer Denny’s rise to top
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This column first appeared in February, 2021.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Which looked the whitest, the fading snow on the roof outside the window or my computer screen...
The river: No reason at all to be bored, given water striders, whirligigs, critters, and a boat of course
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in 2020.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
About a year ago, I read where a pleasure boater noted he left his marina in his fast plastic boat only...
The River: From a young boy terrified of the river to a grown-up who can’t stay away from it
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders shares stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in January, 2019.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Two rivers bless Covington along its borders – the Ohio and the Licking. Of all the streams I have been...
The River: A sad story of tragedy at Natchez — of two sweethearts, Kate Schwartz and Charles West
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. Capt. Don first told this story in 2020.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
On the morning of the 13th of May, 1911, the magnolias were yet to bloom in the yard on North Union...
The River: The Crack(ed) crew of the Delta Queen, 1970, and sketches from the self-taught Bob Sikes
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. It first appeared in May, 2019.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Robert “Bob or Bobby” Sikes, a dark Herculean specimen of a young warrior was fighting in the jungles...
The River: 1970 best known for the catchy slogan ‘Save the Delta Queen’ and, yes, a broken anchor
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This story is republished.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
The DELTA QUEEN departed New Orleans on Tuesday, February 24th, 1970, at twenty-past-noon, bound for Memphis on...
The River: A chance meeting with music star Conway Twitty and learning of his connection to steamboats
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. It first appeared in February 2020.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Conway Twitty, the celebrated American country and pop music star looked as nervous as a geek at a biker’s...
The River: Two glorious summers decking on the AVALON are vivid, compelling memories still today
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. The is the 14th of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in March, 2018.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
Captain Tom Craig came aboard the AVALON somewhere on the lower end of the Illinois River,...
The River: Turning to an old-fashioned journal in the footlocker to spur some rich memories
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This is a part of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in August 2021.
By Captain Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
With the recent loss of my young steamboat buddy, Madison Berry, I have no confidants “in...
The River: Youngsters do find their way to a good life on the river, as the ‘whispers of the water’ call out
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in December 2020.
By Capt. Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
The first boat I completely commanded was the P. A. DENNY Sternwheeler on the Great Kanawha River...
The River: Today, the refrain is ‘Don’t throw it in the river,’ but it wasn’t always that way unfortunately
The riverboat captain is a storyteller, and Captain Don Sanders will be sharing the stories of his long association with the river — from discovery to a way of love and life. This a part of a long and continuing story. This story first appeared in Febrary, 2021.
By Captain Don Sanders
Special to NKyTribune
“Throw it in the river…”
That was a command I eagerly obeyed many times early in the...
