Mar 22, 2012 - Greenville-Can't find the Blues

We had intended on staying a couple of days along the Mississippi at Winfield. Point county park. As we got close, we began looking for the signs to turn. About 1/2 mile before the turn off we saw the sign but with a "Park Closed" sign in bright red lettering. Bummer. The only other public park in the area was also closed. We happened to drive by the local Tourist Information spot in Greenville--in the shape of a large paddle wheel steamboat. I went in and asked about RV camping in the area and the kind woman said we could set up in her...

Apr 25, 2011 - Learning What History The Local Area Holds

From Washington County Convention Center RV Park – Greenville, MS We set out to experience the sights, sounds, history and stories that Greenville and neighboring Leland had to offer. By the end of our day we would have experienced wood, brick and mortar testimony of local government, faith, historic struggles and victories, past lives and oh yes, the birth of a frog. Our search found us taking a historic walking tour in one city as well as driving the main streets in each community. However meandering neighborhood streets and alleys were...

Apr 22, 2011 - A Long & Wet Moving Day

From Washington County Convention Center RV Park – Greenville, MS For those observant readers who have noticed the “FROM” line in this new location does not match that on the itinerary which stated we would be at Delta Village RV Park in Leland, MS……the story to follow! We left Port Gibson yesterday morning after a quick follow up vet visit for Cody…..still left the park on our way to the next location along the Great River Road journey shortly before 9 AM. Only having about 120 miles to go we knew we would still arrive plenty early in the...

Jun 4, 2010 - You Can Only Have One Baby In China

In 1979 the Chinese Government enacted the one baby rule. Abortion is readily available. Couples that dared having more than one child risked being fined by the Government. The new rule revoked a prior policy that named any woman that bore children a “hero” of the Revolution. We met one young tour guide who contritely explained that she was a 1980 baby with a younger brother. As a child, she asked her mother whether a penalty was levied on her father only to learn that her father was required to pay the Government 1/10 of his annual salary...

Jun 4, 2010 - Things We Loved About China

THINGS WE LOVED ABOUT CHINA Real blankets and slippers for passengers on airplanes. Hair dressers that wash your hair while you lie on your back in a bed. Highways in Shanghai that light up blue at night. Folks that run up to you on the street yelling USA! USA!, throw a child in your arms and ask can they take a picture—in Mandarin. Buddhist Monks at Starbucks or anywhere else for that matter. Snake Wine. It's hard to look at, . . . but it's not bad. Strong, smooth and warms you from the bottom up. Bumpy sidewalks that tell...

May 28, 2010 - We are back in Greenville

Not only are we back stateside but we are back in Greenville for a few days before returning home to Key West. I never dreamed that this trip would be as physically demanding as it was. for 24 days we walked 3-7 miles a day across the flat stretch of Tiananmen Square, through the long and maze like paths and steps of the Forbidden City, up and down steps, onto Cable Cars, through thousand year old cobblestone streets, across the Great Wall, along the City Wall of Xian, up the 250 steps to the Ghost Temple of Fengdu just to name a few. It...

May 24, 2010 - The Good Samaritan

THE GOOD SAMARITAN The traffic in Beijing and other metropolitan areas of China is hard to imagine. First you are intimidated by the size of the place and the immensity of the population. In the metropolis of Chongquing where 32 million people reside, or in Hong Kong or Shanghai, both cities with larger populations than New York City, there are 5 and 6 lane roads for vehicular traffic headed in one direction adjacent to turn off lanes so that a vehicle can leave the middle lanes and get to the sidewalk to drop you off or pick you up....

May 15, 2010 - The Peninsular Shanghai

The Peninsular Shanghai is one of the best hotels that I have ever seen, matching only the hotels that we visited in Johannesburg, South Africa. We have been asked questions about the accommodations in this part of the world. They are spectacular. This is the newest hotel of the Peninsular chain and like the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong--the Hotel's signature Chauffeur driven Rolls Royce vehicles are parked out front. Here at your bedside there is a device next to the phone that controls the TV, Curtains, Lights, Radio, Stereo...

May 14, 2010 - Exploring Shanghai

Whenever we travel to a place to take pictures, we first try to get a lay of the land to actually see the places we will choose to photograph. There is always a bus--a double decker bus-- in the region that will show us around. This trip was no exception. The place was located at People's Square. After taking a cab to the Square we began our day of exploration. We walked the streets, looking at the museums in the Square. Shanghai looks a bit like a combination of New York and Las Vegas only 4 or 5 times as large as the two American...

Apr 1, 2010 - Kermit!

What a neat little treat we discovered in Leland, MS, today... a museum honoring the birthplace of Kermit the Frog! Yes, Kermit originated in Jim Henson's childhood home on the Delta of MS. The tour guide was delightful and full of wonderful information about Jim Henson and his marvelous creations. What fun it was to tour this museum. We then drove on to Greenville, MS, for the night. The weather is already warming up to the low 80s and we are feeling that ever familiar humidity as we sit here on the edge of the Mississippi River. On to...

Oct 9, 2009 - Another Side Trip

We left the Trace for another side trip on our third day. We drove to Greenville, MS and visited with Teria Johnson and her family. They moved to Greenville from the Chicago suburbs. Ed, her husband, is the executive director for the Economic Development Council of Greenville.The river towns are struggling economically. One of the projects that Ed is involved in is seeing if bamboo can be grown as a cash crop. We were in an area called "the Delta", known for producing Blues singers like B.B. King. It is rich farm country and we saw cotton...

Apr 21, 2009 - Greenville, MS - Indian Mounds & Cotton Museum

(Ron Writing) This morning we continued east on I-20 a short distance to LA-17 and then headed north on LA-17 to the small town of Epps, LA. Near Epps is the Poverty Point Earthworks. Poverty Point (name of the plantation that was formerly on this property) is one of the oldest and most elaborate “Indian Mounds” in North America. There are many Indian mounds in Louisiana. The state acquired this property and now operates a museum and gives tours of the park. We spent some time in the museum watching a film, looking at artifacts that have...