Imagine yourself floating along a gorgeous calm river with a cold beer or a hot cup of coffee, as a knowledgable narrator recounts the history and scenic points along your pleasant journey.

Now let's get underway. Coast Regulations dictate that we tell you that we have life preservers for you all under the seats. The head is to the aft, and you're welcome to ask questions. There are no seat belts to fasten so sit back, relax, imagine you're onboard and join us as we shove off to give you a sample of some of the highlights.

Essex, was officially incorporated as a town in 1819, completing its separation from neighboring Ipswich. Originally the native Agawam Indians called it Chebacco, or "great pond" for the inland source of the river on which we cruise. It was first settled by English transplants from Ipswich in 1633 who reportedly bought land from the Agawam chief Masconomo for 100 pounds. Since 1992 it's been the home of Essex River Cruises & Charters.

Casting off, we pass our neighbor the Essex Ship Building Museum, site of one of the original shipyards where since the mid 1600's over 4,000 vessels have been built and launched. It's a working museum, with engaging, hands on exhibits, original tools, artifacts, presentations and workshops. In recent years, replica schooner Thomas Lannon, now cruising out of Gloucester and Fame, cruising out of Salem were constructed employing traditional techniques, under the supervision of an 11th generation Essex boat builder, using loacl timber where applicable. They have used local timber where applicable.

We cruise through the Essex Marina past diners watching from local restaurants. Just across the road, trolley driver Chubby Woodman, steering his rig along the causeway, saw potential, bought some land and opened a food stand. On a whim, one 4th of July in the early 1900s, he fried up some of the numerous and flavorful Essex clams, and invented the now world famous fried clam. Almost a hundred years later, Woodman's still serves up fried clams and all sorts of tasty seafood, including sumptuous lobster bakes we serve aboard the Essex River Queen, on secluded beaches, or under our awning, dockside.

Continuing, we glide downriver through part of The Great Salt Marsh that spans from Cape Ann to New Hampshire. We'll tell how it was formed, and why it's significant. We'll help you identify the egrets, great blue herons or other beautiful birds that call the marsh home. We'll also point out seals, fox, hawks or other wildlife we might encounter as we cruise lazily along. We'll pass the Cogswell Grant, a salt marsh farm run continuously since the 1630's, and presently operated by the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities. Home to one of the most interesting collection of colonial Americana in the country, which recently returned from a nation wide tour of prominent museums, it's worth a visit after our cruise.

We'll pass Hog Island site of the Hollywood film, The Crucible, adapted from Arthur Miller's play based on the Salem Witch trials and starring Daniel Day Lewis and Winona Ryder, and the original 1967 version of the Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen. We'll pass other locations seen in the Witches of Eastwick with Cher, Jack Nicholson and others. We'll pass the estates and legacies, of industrialists whose products you might daily use in your home. Richard Crane, built his vast estate to please his finicky wife. A Chicago magnate, captivated by the area a century ago, he made his fortune mass producing some of the first modern plumbing fixtures still used by many. George Emerson, inventor of the iron lung, ventilator and pioneer manufacturer of radios and numerous electrical products of 20th century world, built a compound we pass on Cross Island that's still used as a company retreat. We also cruise by a reservation donated to the Essex County Greenbelt by artist Alan Cox, whose murals adorn our nation's Capitol.

During the whole route, we wind through the summer home of the Agawam Indians, a part of the Algonquin nation, passing various fishing and shell fishing sites as we go. You may still see steps they etched in the rocks, on Cross Island as we pass through the Narrows.

Depending on the tide, we'll see and tell you about clammers working the flats, fishermen bringing home the catch, or schooners and skiffs out for a sail.

We'll identify geological formations we encounter. We'll mention how the glaciers of the Ice Age pushed the whole coast line down and allowed the sea to flow in when the ice melted and receded. We'll describe the daily interplay of tides, vegetation and decomposition that creates the bogs and marsh over millennia. You'll learn the differences between various marsh grasses and their value to man, animals and the whole marine world. We'll point out how fragments left by the glaciers built upon by silt from the outgoing rivers and sand and sediment from the tides and ocean storms became barrier beaches like Crane Beach. We'll pay our respects to them as protectors of the fragile coastline these days. You may already know that the soil of the rounded hump called Hog Island confirms it as one of many coastal drumlins formed by glacial clay bonding to clumps of clay left by earlier ice. Lest you think we're presenting a science class, please rest assured that the trip is not all talk, and there are plenty of other quirky stories and lore sure to pique even the most previously uninterested.

Then of course, there is the setting itself. You may be perfectly content to sit back serenely and relax as we glide through this unspoiled natural wonderland.

Returning to the basin, you may catch a glimpse of the spire of the First Congregational Church formed under the guidance of the Essex townswomen wishing to establish an Essex congregation separate from Ipswich in the 17th century. The handsome building boasts a rare uncracked 800 pound bell cast in patriot Paul Revere's foundry in Boston, delivered to Essex by cart, and inscribed “Revere- Boston 1797.

On shore, pause for a bit to reflect on your cruise, sip a cool beverage or sit and watch the goings on of the marina. Browse our modest gift shop for a souvenir hat, or sweatshirt. Please be sure to take home a postcard, or gift certificate.

Get a closer look at the museums and neighboring attractions, or grab a bite at a local restaurant. We hope to have helped you agreeably clear your head, but we wouldn't want you headed out empty handed or on an empty stomach.

Our staff will gladly answer questions to get you started if you're interested in arranging a group cruise, company outing, or other event. We do everything from weddings, birthdays and reunions, to memorials at sea.

We'll close this section with a quote from The Boston Globe:

In the summer, when New Englanders take to the fresh and salt waters to rejuvenate,
One of the best options is floating on the unspoiled beauty that is the Essex River aboard the Essex River Queen II.

We hasten to add in the spring and fall as well. The marsh is bursting with subtle vitality in the spring, and the golden hue of the marsh and vivid surrounding shoreline foliage is a distinctly memorable New England sight that we allow you to enjoy from a unique perspective.

Thanks for visiting. We hope you enjoyed your little cyber cruise, and remind you that it''s only a taste. No matter what your interest, reason, or season, for the taking the cruise, we guarantee you'll find the real voyage immeasurably more fulfilling.

Expecting visitors? Want to show family friends or associates a uniquely local perspective? Please give us a call. We're waiting, and our new Essex River Queen II waits to serve you.