I took my 86-year-old mom on a river cruise. The smaller ship and bingo nights were perfect for her.

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• I took a river cruise because it was on my mom's bucket list.
• We spent a lot of time together, so we did some serious bonding.
• The small ship was good for my 86-year-old mom's mobility.

I took my first river cruise somewhat reluctantly. It was on my mom's bucket list, and I love my mom. So I agreed to a Columbia and Snake River cruise on American Cruise Lines that would take us from Idaho through Washington to Oregon...