May 2, 2013 - Morning Rain

We are still in Vicksburg because it was suppose to be windy and rain all day yesterday....and it didn't. It's raining now and will probably rain all day so we'd better put our web feet on and hit the road. Our only venture out was to the mall. The mall is a very old one and even though the anchor stores are still open the other stores are being replaced by Karate schools, day care centers, dance studios, and insurance offices. Dick found a denim shirt with an anchor on the sleeve. I got a top appropriate for a wedding taking place in the...

Apr 30, 2013 - A " dust up"

We have Texans next door and there was quite an argument going on with a man in a Prevost pulling a trailer taller than the RV with a three seater golf cart on the back. Later they asked me if I heard the argument. I said yes and he replied it was a big Dust Up. Meaning: like a truck crossing the range and stirring up a cloud of dust that lingers in the air. The disagreement was still in the air. Seems the Prevost guy was so long,DUH,he wanted his neighbor to move and give him more space while he parked. Note: A Prevost is a custom RV that...

Apr 28, 2013 - A liquid day!

He is .......ALIVE .....and no longer walking like a prehistoric man.....and agreed to let me help disengage the utilities. It was raining but we were on the road by 8:30. On the hitch first hit. There's just one rest area between Shreveport and Vicksburg. When we stop there is always a walk around and a systems check. The golf cart had to have two straps replaced and the systems check revealed we had less than half a tank of exhaust fluid. The straps were easily replaced. There was an extra box of exhaust fluid in the tool box. This...

Mar 27, 2013 - Doe's Eat Place, Kermit, & War

Good that MS has finally passed the law outlawing slavery. Guess some of the details escaped the legislature here. The Mississippians I've met are just as appalled by this omission as I am. Greenville MS is famous for those of us who enjoy (i.e. obsess over) the Food Network, Roadfood, and Best Places to Eat. The destination here is Doe's Eat Place. Founded by an Italian immigrant, it began as a honkytonk in the African-American area of Greenville. Doe (Dominic) served a limited menu. Soon, wealthy white doctors, lawyers and businessmen...

Mar 14, 2013 - Vicksburg, MS

We decided to take a new route home rather than go back on I-10 so our adventures took us back through Alabama and up into Mississippi where we stayed in Vicksburg, MS at the Ameristar Casino RV Park for $27/night. NIce park, but several very uneven sites. It took us awhile to find a somewhat level site. Vicksburg sits on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River and was important to the federal government and Union troops in the Civil War. The 1863 surrender of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, along with the defeat of Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army...

Dec 13, 2012 - Vicksburg, MS

There is a casino in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and we are staying at the casino RV campground. Casino camping is inexpensive and there are services available that you can take advantage of like restaurants and a casino gas station! They'll do anything to get you to come in and gamble. We are not interested in gambling but we'll take advantage of the everything else. We came to Vicksburg for the Civil War battlefield park and because we didn't want to retrace ground we already covered before. Vicksburg has a large Civil War site, run by the...

Dec 4, 2012 - The South

I just realized that it has been almost a month since I have updated this blog so I thought that I had better get busy. When I ended the last post we were leaving the Knoxville and we were headed to Chattanooga. While there we did some walking along the river front and a bit of the city area. We then headed south to Georgia. Our objective in Georgia was to spend time with Karen's brother, Larry, who we haven't seen for over seven years because he moved to Belize. He has been sick and returned to the United States. He is now living in...

Nov 20, 2012 - Day 9 - Vicksburg, Mississippi

On our way to Vicksburg, we noticed white stuff along the road that almost looked like light wet snow piled up. We realized that it was cotton once we saw some fields not yet harvested. We saw a couple of places with huge bales of cotton along the road. Also on the way to Vicksburg, a big truck went around us and a rock flew up & hit our windshield. A little bit later, we heard a "pop" and a crack began to develop! The temperature got up to 67 and we have been noticing that the leaves are still on many of the trees but there isn't much...

Oct 31, 2012 - Vicksburg

Most people know of Gettysburg the great battle of the Civil War. Fewer know of the siege of Vicksburg. Lincoln was convinced that to win the war the North had to control the Mississippi River, so he sent Gen. Ulysses S. Grant to take Vicksburg Mississippi. The Confederates, realizing the importance of the Mississippi, heavily fortified Vicksburg. Grant attacked Vicksburg on December 29, 1862 and on March 31, 1863 and from May 18 to 22, 1863. All three attacks failed. So on May 23, 1863 Grant began the siege of Vicksburg. After 46 days of...

Oct 28, 2012 - Vicksburg

We plan to hang around Vicksburg for a few days until it's time to get to Choudrant to Dick's for the maintenance/repair work on the coach. We've spent some time here before so we're not going to do any touristy things, just errands and chores. I have discovered my driver's license is on the cusp of expiration; actually, it is expired; but, Oklahoma grants a 30-day grace period within which I can still renew on-line. So, that must get done immediately. I'm not sure but I guess they don't notify one anymore of expiration and it's up to...

Oct 27, 2012 - Tour of Civil War Sites in Vicksburg

Today was a history lesson. Vicksburg was the "key to the war, and we can't win without that key" - Abraham Lincoln. Vicksburg is situated right on the Mississippi River, and has 300' bluffs overlooking the river, making it a natural fortress. Since the Mississippi was the main route for transporting troops and supplies, it was crucial for the Union to win this city. It was thought to be impregnable, and in fact it was. General Ulysses S. Grant was about to lose his position as commander, since he could not win Vicksburg...so he came up...

Oct 26, 2012 - Off to Vicksburg, Mississippi

Twas a cold and rainy day.....it was actually. It absolutely poured most of the night, but let up somewhat as we prepared to leave. We headed off to Vicksburg, which was a very important site in the Civil War. The road was good, and seemed to get flatter and flatter as we headed towards the Mississippi - both the river and the state. We've been quite disappointed to find out that you don't get to see much of the river. Levees line the entire route, at least up to St. Louis, so you really only see the river when you cross the bridges. The...