It was a chilly season finale, so Peggy Ziff couldn’t wait any longer in the cold to greet the 82 passengers on the RiverBarge Excursions’ River Explorer, which docked at City Front Thursday.

But, she had a message she wanted to share.

&#8220I love Vicksburg,” she said. &#8220I want to tell everyone I know – there’s so much to do. I love the river. It gives me strength. Just walk around – it’s all history.”

Ziff, originally from Orlando, Fla., moved here about three months ago from Sumrall.

The boat docked at 9 a.m., three hours earlier than expected, but guests stayed aboard the hotel barge, the only one of its kind, for longer.

At about 1 p.m., as they strolled out of the 730-foot barge into a day growing colder by the hour, the guests were welcomed by staff of the Vicksburg Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Vicksburg-Warren County Chamber of Commerce and a local bed and breakfast owner, who passed out newspapers and brochures.

The third cold front in about 10 days was arriving, eventually pushing temperatures down to about 22 degrees this morning. The guests were in the early days of the Explorer’s last trip until spring.

&#8220We couldn’t have a lot of outdoor activities,” said Pat Strange, group tour coordinator with the VCVB. &#8220We try to schedule activities according to the activities of the tours. We plan entertainment we know the passengers are able to enjoy.”

The guests, who were mostly senior citizens from Northern states, were taken by bus from City Front to tour the Vicksburg National Military Park.

Barbara Donaho and Mary Lou Phipps, sisters from Stow, Ohio, had their sights set on historic tours and shopping downtown.

Marge Pearson, owner of Serendipity Mini-Mall and a Vicksburg newcomer, said she and her husband, Harlin Adams, made sure to get to City Front early to hand out fliers welcoming the passengers to their Washington Street business.

They were unable, however, to talk to any passengers, who were still aboard the vessel.

The couple had greeted passengers of the Delta and American Queens when the steamboats were docked Nov. 21. Pearson and Adams were not impressed with the reception those guests received and said so in a letter to the editor.

Pearson pointed out the poor appearance of City Front, a lack of transportation for older, more feeble guests and too-few greeters.

&#8220We were surprised. There are supposedly three groups here promoting tourism,” she said. &#8220We didn’t see the results.”

Pearson and her husband put on a pot of coffee and lured the guests into their business, a move she said worked to create a good name for Vicksburg. It’s something she’d like to see everyone around town do when visitors arrive in fleets.

&#8220When you get them here, if you don’t treat them well, you’ve wasted that (tourism) money,” she said. &#8220That’s what happens when you don’t get out and welcome them.”

Strange said the steamboat passengers were greeted warmly and Pearson and Adams were mistaken about that.

Joe Gerache, owner of Corner Drug Store, rolled out the red carpet for the guests with his &#8220medicine show,” a presentation on medical treatments used during the Civil War. He gave the presentation aboard the Explorer due to the high winds and cold temperatures.

Bob and Virginia Anderson were two of about 40 passengers in Gerache’s audience. The Minnesota natives who recently moved to Bella Vista, Ark., said they often drive through Vicksburg. Next time, though, they’ll stop.

&#8220There’s so much to see,” Bob Anderson said. &#8220It’s been a good trip. It’s too bad we couldn’t stay longer.”

A group of passengers also headed up the hill to tour the Old Court House Museum, which stayed open late for the guests. The barge left at 4 this morning headed to Natchez. Strange said the next scheduled dock for the RiverBarge River Express is March 10. The American Queen is scheduled to dock at City Front March 13. Thirty-one stops by either the Delta Queen or American Queen are scheduled for 2007, she said.