The riverboat now running sight-seeing tours from Ottawa is a dream Nathan Weiss worked to make come true. He’s 39 years old now and says the dream started about 30 years ago. He was intrigued by steam boats and wondered why there wasn’t one on the river locally. Sometimes he thought about that when he looked out the windows at the river at Ottawa High School.
Weiss and Gentry Nordstrom co-own the Ste. Genevieve. Nordstrom says the name came about because of an accident. While they were bringing the boat from Cincinnati to Ottawa, it hit some rocks in the Mississippi River. The company that helped them get back to shore safely took them to Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
They’re offering tours for $30 to $55 depending on the tour length and whether food is served. heir business opened yesterday.
Inside the Ste. Genevieve
Left to right: Nathan Weiss and Gentry Nordstrom on the Ste. Genevieve riverboat