Travel deal: Mississippi cruise and rail

Spend 11 days traveling from Chicago to New Orleans by train and paddle wheeler. We like this interesting Vacations By Rail itinerary: Take Amtrak from Chicago to Memphis, Tenn., then board the American Queen ship for a seven-day cruise down to New Orleans.

Cost is $3,256 per person, based on double occupancy for the Memphis-New Orleans Rail-River Journey (www.vacationsbyrail.com/united-states/southern-us/memphis-new-orleans-rail-river-journey, 877-929-7245).