Meet the family that has been guiding visitors down the St. Croix River for 120 years

For five generations, one family has run the Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours along the St. Croix River in Minnesota.

"It's a long time, but what a blessing. We get to live here. We get to work here," Amy Frischmon said.

Frischmon's family has navigated the St. Croix River countless times since 1906. It can be a tricky task when you have an 80-foot-long boat and a 100-foot-wide channel.

"You have the current, you have the wind, you have the depth of the water and a huge boat," said Frischmon.

You also have no shortage of scenery. On any given trip, you'll see kayakers and climbers, bald eagles stand tall, ready to pounce on their next fish, and if you look closely at the rocks and use your imagination, images come into focus. There's one called the "Old Man of the Dalles" that's been featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not.

"We'll see the Holy Cross. St. Croix means the Holy Cross. That's how the river got its name," said Frischmon.

The history of the St. Croix and Frischmon's family has flowed together over the decades. Twenty years before her great-grandfather opened the boat tours, the waterway was a highway for loggers, but the logjam of 1886 was a doozy.

"It's a 90-degree angle right here and I think they just kept sending more and more logs until they weren't able to go around the corner," said Frischmon.

The river was backed up for seven miles, with misplaced stacks of timber reaching 50 feet high.

Historians say there was enough wood in that logjam to build 20,000 three-bedroom homes.

Today, it's smooth sailing on the St. Croix. Both the Princess and the Queen are authentic paddle-wheel boats.

"This is the first time I've seen a split and they go backwards and forwards, and it is fascinating," said one passenger.

"Our boat can actually go through two feet of water," said Jack Schmid.

Schmid is captain of the Princess, a job he doesn't take lightly.

"You have to make your decisions and directions early because you'll still deviate from course a little bit," said Schmid. "I love it up here. I can't leave it."

Many visitors feel the same way.

"All of it. All of it. The water, the rocks, the trees, the sand, everything," said passenger Susan Elthoff.

"I hope people are able to come and relax and see the scenery and the beauty of the St. Croix Valley," said Frischmon. "I hope we can do this in another 120 years."

The Taylors Falls Scenic Boat Tours are open from the first Saturday in May through most of October. They have tours seven days a week.