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

• 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.

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, with stops in sleepy towns ripe with Lewis and Clark history.

I'm not a history buff, but I wanted to learn about my mom. Living together in cruise quarters, sitting down to three meals a day, spending hours touring local sites, and listening to duos perform the oldies at 8 p.m. so everyone could be in bed by 9:30 p.m. makes for some serious bonding.

I'm 58, and my mom is 86. This cruise was an opportunity for her to see a part of the nation she had never experienced; for me, it was a chance to spend quality time with my mom doing something I knew would make her happy.

I wanted these memories with my mom, and a small cruise like this one was manageable and easy.

The small ship made it easier for her to navigate

American Cruise Lines booked everything for us, including flights and our pre-cruise hotel. The drivers who picked us up at the airport were the same drivers who took us on excursions, providing a level of familiarity and comfort for passengers, who mostly ranged in age from 60 to 90.

Navigating through thousands of people, standing in lines for meals, and disembarking for excursions can be tough for older people, especially if they have mobility issues. But a small ship like ours, the American Harmony, has only six decks, a short walking distance from forward to aft, a mere 180 passengers, one central set of elevators, and provisions in place to help passengers on and off the ship.

After having taken about 15 previous cruises on large ships, it was a big change for me, but a good one. Seeing my mom handle it all with no stress or struggle put me at ease.

The entertainment catered to an older age group

Then there was the entertainment. I suspected that it would cater to an older crowd, and it did. There was a music trivia game featuring songs well before my time, a jazz trio that introduced every song, and a slow-moving bingo game with a smattering of corny jokes. While I good-naturedly rolled my eyes, my mom loved it all.

She was the first to jump up and dance (earning her the "dancing girl" title that followed her throughout the week), she be-bopped to the music of her time, and she cursed under her breath when her bingo card repeatedly came up empty.

The adventures were perfect for her

Each day brought a new adventure. Mom loved the air-conditioned motorcoaches that took her to historical sites. She attended every onboard seminar featuring a history expert who spoke about the area. One day, I dragged her to a wine tasting, and she discovered that expanding her horizons beyond Moscato wasn't so bad. Meanwhile, I took long walks in cities like Astoria, Oregon, kayaked on the Wind River, and captured photos amid the wildflowers at the base of Mount St. Helens.

We always came together again for cookies in the afternoon, happy hour in the lounge, and dinner in the dining room, where we were often joined by other passengers who became fast friends. Mom loved the all-American menu, and we both devoured every dessert served.

We'd bid adieu to the day from the top deck at sunset, wind whipping our hair. Every night, my mom would look at me with a wide smile and utter sincerity and tell me what a good day it had been.

While I might not have quite been the target demographic for our river cruise, my mom was, and I got to witness and share in her absolute delight. I wouldn't trade one moment of seeing her in her element.