River cruises in the USA may not have castles and ruins, but they have their own history, charm and, in some cases, spectacular scenery.

What river cruise adventures does the United States have to offer in comparison to those in Europe? Well, to be brutally frank, not much.

This surprises me, since one would surmise that the US certainly has enough rivers and canals to make river cruising a viable enterprise.

However, second thoughts on the matter bring a few glaring problems to light. Our mighty Ohio/Mississippi River system lost its major cruise boat with the permanent docking of the Delta Queen. Now, if you want to go down the Mississippi, you'll have to build your own raft.

However, all is not lost, as someone picked up the slack and the Niagara Prince, a 78 passenger European-style river boat now cruises from Chicago to New Orleans. More info can be found at American Heartland River Cruise. As of now, two 14- day cruises in May and June are scheduled for 2010.

A river cruise on the mighty Missouri was possible, but no more. This notice is up on their web site: "RiverBarge Excursion Lines, Inc. has been forced to curtail all operations for 2009 due to economic conditions. Rising costs and very soft bookings have forced this decision." So, economics seems to be a large part of the problem.

However, once the nostalgia and fun of riding on an ancient river boat passes, one realizes that these rivers flow through essentially flat mid-western terrain. Plus the river towns lack the picturesque and exotic quality of those in foreign places.

The rivers that do flow through the scenic, hilly areas of the US, may be okay for rafting, canoes, or other small boats, but they tend to be too small or shallow for serious river cruise boats.

There are, however, several major exceptions. The most spectacular scenery is courtesy of the Columbia/Snake river system, which can be "river cruised" courtesy of CruiseWest. TravelWizard, may be dated, but it does list cruises on the Columbia and the Ohio River.

The ante bellum south of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida can be seen on the East Coast waterway on ships, such as The American Star, operated by the American Cruise Lines. They also provide cruises throughout the Eastern Seaboard, such as Chesapeake Bay and Maine. In New York they ply the Hudson River, with its stunning scenery and the attraction of New York City to add flavoring.

In New York, the Erie Canal still acts as a canal, but primarily for recreation. There are countless "day" or hour trips. Mid Lakes Navigation offers 2 or 3 days canal boat tours with evenings spent in land hotel accommodations. It's even possible to rent a self-drive boat for a week or more at Erie Canal self-hire boats 3 or 7 days.

For more info on New York's canal system look at NYCanal.

USA River Cruises is an agency that covers river cruising throughout most of the country.

However, for better or worse, the giant lion's share of river or canal cruising is short term, maybe only an hour or two. Up and back. And it seems there are many, many of these available in virtually every navigable river or lake in the country. All it takes is a little Googling.

However, these short trips may be worthwhile as they could provide some indication of what river cruising in the USA is all about.

The USA is home to a large number of tourist attractions, the most popular of which include the Disneyland, the museums of Washington D.C., New York City, Hawaiian beaches, Boston's historical tours, the panoramic hills of San Francisco, the adventurous land of Alaska, and many more. But, if you love extreme adventure, these places are surely not the best ones for you. How about an adventurous trip to some of the wackiest places in the US? Here is a brief description of the three weirdest points of interest in the country. These three destinations are really wacky and certainly not to be missed by anyone, not even by the US residents.

The Extra Terrestrial Highway:

The Extra Terrestrial highway is just an hour drive from Las Vegas. This lonely road meanders past the popular 'Area 51' and surprisingly seems to stretch out to just nowhere! Area 51 is very popular as the site of several alien-visits to Earth. While driving on the highway, you will feel like you are about to smash into a hill, but will never do so. It is an illusion, very similar to the mirage one experiences on hot summer days in deserts. An interesting thing along the Highway is a big metal mailbox in which you can leave your personal message for the aliens! Follow up your adventurous drive with a delicious meal at the elegant 'Little A-Le-Inn' and then stay past dark if you are love star gazing. This area offers a breathtaking view of the stars that is well worth whatever amount you spend on fuel.

Rock City:

Rock City, situated in Lookout Mountain in Georgia, is a fine-looking and highly-structured garden established by Frieda Carter, wife of miniature golf inventor Garnet Carter. The wacky trail in the garden are all lined with eerie statues, uncanny gnomes, and many other bizarre characters from fairy tales. While driving along the trail that leads to huge rock outcroppings, you will have weird illusions that will add to the adventure and are definitely worth exploring.

The Top Secret Upside-Down White House:

This giant, magnificent White House, located in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, is the biggest upside-down white house in the USA and is quite amusing to tour. With its floor aiming at the sky, this weird structure sits on its own roof! As you walk through the dirt ceilings of the house, you would come across several strange 'artifacts' that have been supposedly well-preserved in this great archaeological dig. There are a lot of other interesting things in this building and the place is definitely worth visiting with kids.