Only paid passengers and crew are being allowed on the American Countess steamboat that moored in Ottawa yesterday. That’s because of COVID-19 protocols. Past steamboat visits have included brief tours for the general public.
The steamboat is moored at the west end of Allen Park by the railroad bridge, the farthest upstream it can go on the Illinois River. The boat’s on a nine-day cruise from Memphis, Tennessee. The American Queen Steamboat Company is planning another cruise from Memphis to Ottawa next year.