Ed and Ginger Dlutowski of Meridian board the River Explorer in Pittsburgh for its eight-day barge journey down the Ohio River. The barge docked in cities along the way, ending in Louisville, Ky.

For many couples, celebrating a 50th anniversary is becoming more than sharing a family dinner or open house. Meridian residents Ed and Ginger Dlutowski celebrated their milestone by floating down the Ohio River on a 200- foot barge bound for Kentucky.

"We wanted to do something interesting,"Ginger said.

The trip lasted eight days and covered 603 miles of the Ohio River from Pittsburgh to Louisville.

The August trip was the first excursion out of Pittsburgh offered by the New Orleans-based RiverBarge Excursion Lines, which specializes in barge trips in the eastern United States.

The barge was open for tours earlier this year in Pittsburgh, and the couple went to see it.

The barge is actually two barges that are hooked together: The rear contains 198 staterooms, and the front barge contains the dining area, theater and common areas.

Ginger said the staterooms were more like hotel rooms and were very comfortable. "It's like a horizontal hotel,"she said.Before leaving Pittsburgh, passengers, or barge mates, received an education about the history of the "City of Bridges." Pittsburgh historian Woody Cunningham gave a talk about Lewis and Clark, the Mellons and the Fricks, along with many anecdotes, Ginger said.The barge docked in Wheeling, W.Va.; Marietta, Ohio; Augusta, Ky., and finally Louisville. Each stop included sightseeing tours.The company's Web site states that the barge ride is smooth and that "Sometimes you even have to look out of the window to know that you are actually moving."Each night on the barge, the crew cooked dinners that focused on the local cuisine. One night the passengers could choose frog legs as their dinner."I took a pass on that,"Ginger said. Bargemates could order off a menu each night and could order a variety plate so they could have small portions of the specialty dinner. Ginger said one night they enjoyed leg of lamb, and the last night they had prime rib."If you're a glutton, the food is tremendous,"Ed said.In addition to the specialty local dinner choices, passengers also enjoyed local entertainment from the cities where they docked. Bargemates heard from the Juggernauts Jug Band, pianist Ronnie Cole, the Wiley Dew Appalachia Band and other local talent.Dress was casual for all activities, including evening entertainment and dinner.The common area had a library, a never-ending cookie jar, bar and coffee bar, Ginger said. All amenities were included in the $2,600 fare.

One tour especially memorable to the Dlutowskis was the Moundsville Prison in Wheeling."It's hard to believe men lived in it,"Ginger said."They still have an electric chair there,"Ed said.When stopped in Augusta, bargemates were given a tour of the home where actress Rosemary Clooney once lived.In Louisville, they visited the Louisville Slugger factory.Bargemates also toured the Heinz Museum in Pittsburgh.The Dlutowskis were surprised to find their bargemates were not all from Western Pennsylvania. Many flew in from Canada, a busload came from Ohio and some flew in from Seminole, Fla. They also befriended two women who were cattle ranchers from Montana.Ed said many passengers enjoyed watching the lock operations along the river.A lock is a large chamber in the river with a gate at both ends. The upper gate opens for each barge and allows the barge to float in. The gate closes, and water in the chamber is pumped to the upper end of the river to bring the level in the chamber down to the river level below the lower gate. The barge sinks lower as the water is pumped out. Then the lower gate is opened for the barge to continue its journey.Ed said that the purpose of these locks is to "keep pools at a certain level so you can navigate the river."The size of the two barges together always seemed to amaze passers-by."People on motor boats would float by (the barge) and just gawk,"Ginger said.During the day, Ed enjoyed sitting on the deck and bird watching. Each stateroom had a pair of binoculars for bargemates to use."It (the weather) was perfect. There was a breeze and it wasn't overly hot. We picked a great time to go,"Ed said."Isaw more blue heron than I've ever seen in my life,"he said. "It's amazing how much wildlife there is along the river. The only way you can appreciate it is to float down the river and see it."In 2009, two similar trips are planned from Pittsburgh, Ginger said.

The River Explorer docks in Pittsburgh before an eight-day voyage down the Ohio River that ended in Louisville, Ky.

The barge made several stops along the way, such as the Moundsville Prison in Wheeling, W.Va. All those on the trip got to tour the prison and even saw the electric chair.