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Jean Kaul enjoys a birthday with friends
Janell Bollard, Kathryn Kaul-Goodman,
Angela Worley and Olivia Crandall aboard
the Jon Anderson White Riverboat during
one of its Friday night cocktail cruises.
They enjoyed some beers on the bow of
the boat, among the scenery of the Des
Moines River. |
By Amber Williams
The Jon Anderson White Riverboat is the only
bar where the seats come equipped with life
vests under the cushions. No worries, though.
It’s merely a safety precaution.
“We haven’t lost a passenger yet,” quipped Captain
Rex LeCocq. Of course, at five miles per hour
down a lazy Des Moines River, the life vests
are more of a charming decoration than they
are a crucial necessity. The only real possible
hazards are the boats zipping by, owned by local
riverfront residents, who are old hat at sharing
the waterway with floating fishermen and Des
Moines’ own riverboat cocktail and dining vessel.
LeCocq welcomes guest aboard the J.A. White
for cocktail hour or dinner every weekend. LeCocq’s
confident voice over the dash panel PA, his
handsome Captain’s garb and an impressive knowledge
of the Des Moines River watershed history and
culture enhance the experience enough that you
almost forgot you paid $7 for a glass of wine
($8 for a cocktail and $5 for a beer).
Did you know there used to be an ice box along
Pennsylvania Avenue, where cargo boats would
dock for shipments? Or that the J.A. White boat
once got lodged on the Center Street dam in
1995? Captain LeCocq will tell you all about
it. Like most ship captains, he’s got stories.
“I grew up on this river,” he said. “I was born
and raised here. I used to swim and boat in
this river.” But LeCocq isn’t the only one with
stories. Like any good place to belly up, the
guests come with eclectic experiences of their
own.
“There’s something about the river. People like
to tell tales,” said Gary Nell, cruise director.
“On the riverboat, we get to interact with our
guests, and we enjoy meeting our guests and
hearing their stories.”
During the cocktail cruises — which take place
on Fridays at 5:30 and 7:30 p.m. — guests have
about an hour-and-a-half (four miles total)
to mingle, graze homemade hors d’oeuvres and
sip beer, wine or cocktails while listening
to “Paul the Picker” (of Mr. Baber’s Neighbors)
on the banjo. LaCocq offers a history lesson
as the boat travels to the Second Avenue Bridge
and back — plenty of time for a diverse group
to get to know each other and take in Des Moines
in a truly unique way.
“This is a view of Des Moines I am not accustomed
to — a view I’ve never seen before,” said Linda
Dunham, of Des Moines. She drew a deep breath
from a passing breeze at the bow of the boat,
and added, “It’s absolutely lovely.”
Through little, square windows at their tables,
or from the bow outside, guests can see fellow
boaters quietly casting, patient bald eagles
perched in trees, geese on the levy and otters
and beavers rippling through the still waters,
all in search of the same thing — the perfect
catch.
But, aside from your fellow river dwellers,
a special treat meets your eyes as the boat
heads home, because you haven’t seen the sunset
over the Des Moines skyline unless you’ve seen
it from the Jon Anderson White Riverboat. CV
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Jon Anderson White Riverboat
909 Robert D. Ray Drive
(515) 883-BOAT (2628)
www.port-of-desmoines.com
Check out the website for a schedule, upcoming
events, menus, prices and more.
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