Virginia is for lovers!

We enjoyed Asheville and would definitely make the Asheville area our home if it wasn’t for Brandon and Lindsey and the lure of little grandbabies waiting for us in Denver. But leave we must as we still have a long way to go and for the first time on this trip I was never so happy to pull up camp as I did Wilson’s RV Park. We were both exhausted from sleep deprivation and it was beginning to show. I swear the traffic on the 240 never slowed and went on until all hours of the night.

It’s bad enough I’ve gained over 10 pounds while on this trip but then Chad comes along. Our nephew was waiting for us when we arrived Brian’s sister's house in Charlotte. Joanne was still at work and it was up to Chad to entertain us until she returned home. It was good to be able to catch up as it had been way too long since we’d last seen him. In fact, I can’t even remember how many years it’s been as he’s been living in St. Thomas for the last 12 years and since St. Thomas isn’t a place we visit regularly, in fact not at all, it’s been quite a long time since we’ve seen him. Chad is the root of all evil or should I say, Chad is the cause of another few pounds. You see, Chad is a chef and with 4 years of training at Cordon Bleu in Pittsburgh, he’s one heck of a chef. In fact, I haven’t had food as good as what Chad whips up at 5 star restaurants. The first night we arrived, Chad cooked Beef Bourguignon which would make Julia Childs cry with envy. Throughout our entire visit Chad was sautéing, reducing, pounding, whipping, squeezing and sprinkling along with all the other fancy terms he threw at us. I am proud to say, my nephew Chad, is the best cook/chef I’ve ever run across. And he’s also one heck of a teacher. He was patient enough to allow me to follow him around the kitchen as he was explaining what and why and teaching me chef tidbits here and there. I only wish I’d had more time to follow him around.

We stayed in Charlotte with Joanne and Chad a few days, watching movies, shopping and trying to help Chad locate a car. It was such a relaxing part of our trip I hated to move on but this party can’t last forever so move on we must. Off to Virginia to visit another cousin of mine in Christiansburg. My cousin Terry, is a hoot. He loves anything to do with the Civil War, genealogy and The Packers (Green Bay). As his sister says, “He’s a cornucopia of useless knowledge.” But he makes a great tour guide as his knowledge of Virginia and it’s history is endless.

Our first adventure was the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, VA. This was quite an interesting memorial and is one of the best war memorials I’ve ever seen and since Brian’s father served in the invasion of southern France in WWII, it made it all that more special. We paid a little extra and took the guided tour which we would highly suggest since it’s only $3 a person extra and you learn a bit of information you normally wouldn’t have if you were to venture out on your own. A lot of people ask why this memorial is situated in Bedford, VA, a community of only 6,312. During World War II, there were 30 soldiers from Bedford who were attached to Company A of the 116th Infantry Regiment which was part of the first wave of soldiers to hit Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944. By the end of the day, 19 of the company’s Bedford soldiers were dead. In 1944, Bedford’s population was about 3,200 so proportionally, this community suffered the greatest per capita loss of life, therefore, Congress warranted the establishment of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford which opened in 2001.


The planning that went in to this memorial is really staggering. Each element of the memorial signifies events preceding and post June 6th. Along the outside wall you will find the name of every soldier lost on D-Day along with the names of the allies also lost on that day. It really is a shame not to visit this memorial at least once in your lifetime.

Well, tomorrow we’re off to Mabry Mill. See you there!

Enough is Enough!!

She had had enough and wasn’t going to take one more step. But she was a trouper and had already ascended most of the steps to the top. At 13, I was surprised she made it as far as she did. There’s over 1000 stairs to the different areas, and we took them all.

Top of Chimney Rock

Our day was spent at Chimney Rock State Park about 25 miles outside of Asheville. Chimney Rock is one of North Carolina’s newest state parks having been acquired in 2007. Chimney Rock is also known as the location where the last 17 minutes of the movie, The Last of the Mohicans, was filmed back in 1992.

Since Emma wasn’t allowed on the elevator, and I wouldn’t allow Brian to even think about setting one foot on the elevator, we started at the bottom and worked our way up. Of course, we had to stop for breaks and take in the views along the way, but the climb to the top was worth every painful step. And since Emma is an older dog, 91 in doggie years, we carried her as much as she would allow. You see, she’s a stubborn little thing. I used to take her hiking on North Mountain with me a couple times a week. Her tongue would be dragging and I’d pick her up only to have her pushing away from me 10 steps later. She would walk up and down the entire trail which is a fairly moderate hike. I enjoy hiking with Emma. She complains far less than Brian.

If you ever decide to hike in Chimney Rock State Park I suggest you take a lot of water as it tends to get hot and humid. And definitely reward yourself with ice cream which you can get at the gift shop. Our choice of weapon was Moose Tracks full of chocolate and caramel and who knows what else. Who cares? It was oh-so yummy!

We hiked the Skyline Trail to reach the top of Exclamation Point, the highest point in Chimney Rock. At an elevation of 2,480 feet, you have 75 mile views of Lake Lure, the Blue Ridge Mountains and the beautiful North Carolina countryside. We hiked the Outcroppings Trail and then hiked the Hickory Nut Falls Trail with the grand finale being Hickory Nut Falls a 404 feet waterfall where you can cool off in the pond below the falls. In all, we hiked about 3 miles and a little over 1000 stairs (double that for going down!) and then hiked out to the parking lot where our truck was located. And all 3 of us slept like babies that night.

Linn Cove Viaduct

Needless to say, we were dragging the next morning, but pulled our bodies out of bed and headed out the door to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway. The Parkway runs for 469 miles and was built to connect the Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina to the Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. We entered the parkway in Asheville and drove north to the Linn Cove Viaduct which is one of the most photographed areas of the parkway. The Linn Cove Viaduct is part of a seven mile unfinished section of the parkway which was delayed for 20 years while authorities developed a way to protect the fragile slopes of Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina and was not completed until 1987. The Linn Cove Viaduct is most likely the portion of the parkway you will see in calendars but the best time to drive the parkway is not in summer, as we did, but in the fall when the leaves are at their brightest. Another trip maybe???

One tired puppy!!

There’s really not much to do along the parkway except appreciate the beauty of North Carolina and Virginia. We did stop in the small town of Little Switzerland for lunch. Not really sure why they call it Little Switzerland but it’s on the map and don’t blink, or you’ll miss it. There’s a large hotel and a café which doesn’t service hamburgers (I was so in the mood) but has great sandwiches and their chocolate cake is to die for. Not too rich but plenty of chocolate to let you know you’re in for a treat. Finding a parking spot was next to impossible which tells you it’s going to be good and they definitely delivered. If you’re ever in Little Switzerland make sure you stop for lunch. It’s not hard to find, it’s the only café in town.

So tomorrow we’re off to Charlotte tomorrow. We’ll meet you there!

I love just sitting and passing the time watching people as they walk by. Like the time we sat for a bit at the Farmers Market in Asheville. First there was the cute little girl walking by with ice cream running down her face and shirt. There wasn’t enough napkins in her mother’s purse to help that mess. The little old lady and her husband buying fresh tomatoes and practically shucking every ear of corn to find that perfect cob while the vender stood close by with arms crossed and frowning. Clearly not happy about the events in front of him. And then there were the crocs. A fashion faux pas if I’ve ever seen one. Florescent orange. Sky blue. Bright red. There was even a teenage boy wearing cammie crocs. Now that’s where I would draw the line! The joke around our house is that I’ll be buried in a pair if I‘m not a good girl. Shylers, I thought you loved me more than that.

And we did our fair share of stimulating Asheville’s economy at the Farmers Market. Tomatoes, green beans, egg plant, potatoes. All locally grown, all fresh and just for the two of us. You’d think I was buying for an army. Yes sir, an army of two. The tomatoes were great on our hamburgers. The green beans were stringy, even though the vendor told me exactly how to cook them before warning me they tended to be tough and stringy. I should have listened and chosen the “greasy green bean“ variety, whatever that is.

We had a great time in Asheville and to tell you the truth, if we didn’t love Brandon so much and the lure of little Drake grandbabies, we’d end our trip right now and right here in Asheville. We’ve always loved North Carolina and it will be hard to leave the state when the time comes.

We pulled into Wilson’s RV Camp just off the 240 Interstate. I suppose saying “off“ the 240 is putting it mildly. It‘s more like right next to the 240. In fact, you‘d think you had pitched your tent on the shoulder of the 240. The only good thing about Wilson’s RV Camp is it’s located on the French Broad river so you have spectacular views of the river. Don’t turn around though because there’s that 240 again. We paid for the next 4 nights and was told by the gentleman behind the counter to “go pick any spot.” So we did. We found a lovely spot next to the river. In fact, it was the only remaining spot next to the river so we considered ourselves lucky. We crawled out of the truck and set up camp. Leveled the trailer the best we could. I still think those bubbles are off! Brian unhooked the truck from the trailer, pulled out the awning and set out the lawn chairs. I was just getting ready to start dinner when Brian came in, “We have to move.” “What? What do you mean we have to move? We just got here.” John, a 76 year old retired salesman, who used to make $200,000 a year but now lives on $1000 a month Social Security, living out of his boat because somebody screwed him out of $800 and a trailer and blah, blah, blah (my mind drifted after that) had apparently paid for that spot and wanted it back. And he was starting to get nasty about it. Brian had me call the manager, whom we just left at the front office. Since I couldn’t understand a word he was saying, I handed the phone to Brian. Not that he wasn’t speaking English, he sported a heavy southern accent and talked something like Boomhauer from King of the Hill. I couldn’t understand a word that came out of that man’s mouth! We were both shocked when “Boomhauer” told Brian, “You tell him to go find another spot.” We could see where that argument was heading. “911. What’s your emergency?” “ We’ve got a mad man fighting us for our camp spot. Send somebody fast! We’re right off the 240, uhhhh, more like, on the 240.” Being the understanding individuals we are, we packed it up and moved. We spent the next 4 sleepless nights listening to semi’s exiting the 240 right behind our trailer. And what is it with those Jake Brakes anyway? I swear those truck drivers do that on purpose!

The Grand Staircase

Our first day was spent at the Biltmore Estates. Someone told us they’d heard tickets to the Biltmore are $60 a person. Wow! They weren’t that much the last time I visited but that was a long time ago. In fact, almost 10 years ago. A little internet investigation and sure enough, $60 a pop. A little more research and we were fortunate enough to find a location where we could purchase tickets for $50 a person. Honestly, I would have rather done something else as I didn’t think the entry prices were worth it but Brian had never been to the Biltmore. Even though the entry fees were steep, I’m glad we went. The grounds are absolutely breath taking and the house itself… well, one can only dream.

George Washington Vanderbilt completed the 250 room mansion in 1895 (including 43 bathrooms) when he was still a bachelor. He was an avid reader, owning over 23,000 books. He kept a log of the books he read and from the time he started keeping track to the time he passed away, he had read 3,045 books. He was once dubbed ,“The best read man in America.” The house is absolutely gorgeous and George Vanderbilt thought of everything. He included a secret door and passageway on the second floor behind the library’s chimney, which Vanderbilt designed for use by his guest. This allowed his guests to slip downstairs, perhaps in their night clothes, and select a bedtime book to read without having to descend the grand spiral staircase in the center of the home. Along with the massive library, his guests would find an indoor heated swimming pool, complete with an underwater lighting system that is still operational today. And if his guests weren’t up for a swim, they had the option of either working out in the state of the art weight room or they could bowl at the indoor bowling alley.

Biltmore Conservatory

And the grounds of the Biltmore are absolutely beautiful. Plants that where not purchased were prorogated in the various greenhouses and displayed around the original 125,000 acres in formal gardens or in the Conservatory. If you ever get the chance, we highly recommend a visit to the Biltmore Estates. We would definitely recommend shelling out the extra $10 for the audio tour as it gives a better insight into the Vanderbilt family and how they lived on the estate.

Our next journey will be to the top of Chimney Rock. See you there!

Oh fuuuuuddddge!

What was THAT??? As it turned out, “THAT“, was a blown tire and yes, you guessed it…on the fifth wheel. We had just left Mississippi heading to Georgia through Alabama when we heard a muffled “bam” and what felt like something had a hold of the truck and trailer for a minute second then let go again. “Pull over, I’m not feeling very comfortable with this. We need to check it out.” So Brian pulls to the side of the road. We get out and each walk down our side of the truck and trailer. “I don’t see anything wrong over here,” Brian yells to me. “I see the problem.” He wanders around my side of the trailer and there you have it, a blown tire. Not flat, but shredded to smitherings. As I’m standing there watching him change the tire his favorite movie, Christmas Story, popped into mind. “Time me!” “Oh fuuuuudddddge!”

Savannah and Charleston are both towns surrounded by a boat load of history. Between the two cities, there’s over 600 years of history which equates to a lot of zzzzz’s in history class.

Johnson Square

Savannah, “Georgia’s First City,” is known for it’s park like squares originally intended to provide colonists space for military exercises. To this date, 22 of the original 24 squares still exist, all of which are part of Savannah’s historic district. Charleston is known as “The Holy City” due to it’s many churches for the fact it was one of the few cities in the original thirteen colonies to provide religious tolerance. Charleston is also known for The Battery and Ft. Sumter.


The movies, Forrest Gump, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Something to Talk About, and Forces of Nature (just to name a few) were filmed in Savannah. The Patriot, Cold Mountain, The Notebook, Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls and Dear John (again, just to name a few), were filmed in Charleston.

Lady & Sons

Both cities are situated on the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean. They both have beautiful historical districts and they’re both fun cities to visit. But Savannah has what Charleston doesn’t and that’s Paula Deen and of course, all I have to say is “food” and Brian’s up for a good meal any time of the day!! We arrived at Lady & Sons at 11am. Now Paula has become so famous, her restaurant no longer takes reservations for parties under 10. You submit your name to the hostess and she’ll tell you when you can return to eat. It‘s a first come first served basis. At 11 in the morning, the only times left for a party of two were on the second floor in the bar at 2:15 or 3:30. Or we could come back at 9 o’clock that night for a table on the ground floor.

At 2:15 we were escorted to the bar where we were placed, not at a table in the bar, but at the bar itself. Now, eating at the bar wouldn’t have been so bad in itself, but Brian sat through the entire meal talking to the gentleman next to him while the wives, who where to the outside of their husbands, sat and ate in silence. Brian wasn’t at all impressed with the food and thought it over priced. For the most part, I enjoyed the food and also thought the prices a little high but given the fact it was Paula Deen’s restaurant, it was all relative. I can now mark that one off my Bucket List.

Tybee Island, GA
Lighthouse

While in Savannah we stayed on Tybee Island which we both thoroughly enjoyed. Every evening was spent bicycling on the beach and watching Georgia’s sunsets. We toured Tybee Island’s lighthouse which is the oldest lighthouse in Georgia. The bottom 60 feet of the lighthouse date back to 1773. The upper 94 feet were built in 1867. What I was amazed to learn is the walls of the tower are over 12 feet thick at the base of the lighthouse! The light from the lens is the original Fresnel lens and can be seen 18 miles out to sea. From the top, are beautiful views of Tybee Island and the Atlanta ocean. During the day we strolled through the streets of Savannah, ending up on River Street which is one of the oldest areas of Savannah and where you’ll find original cobble stone streets.

The Marsh land at
James Island

In Charleston we stayed at the James Island County Park & Campground on James Island which happens to be one of the most family and dog friendly park we’ve yet to see. They had just about everything you could possibly wish including a lake, climbing wall, water park, crabing & fishing, bike paths and dog park. Again, our evenings were spent on our bikes with our days touring Charleston. To get a feel of the city, we took a carriage ride which neither Brian nor myself thought was as good as our carriage ride in New Orleans. We chose the Palmetto Carriage (you’ll recognize them by their big red barn) for the hour long tour which seemed to wander aimlessly through the streets of Charleston. We felt they really didn’t show us much, missing a lot of the sights we noticed the other carriage companies toured. Our guide was great and the company itself was great but we would definitely recommend another company should you ever decide to tour Charleston by carriage.

Lunch was at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company which has the best hush puppies, and I’m going to go out on a limb here and say they have the best hush puppies in the world! I tried to con our waiter into giving me the recipe but he wasn’t about to fork it over. I’ve tried looking for the recipe on the internet but I’m not that lucky. Oh, I found their recipe but it’s an old recipe. They’ve changed their ingredients and they’re not giving out the new “secret?” recipe. Drats! Because they’re THAT good!

While in Charleston, we toured Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens and Ft. Sumter. Boone Hall is touted as being “America’s Most Photographed Plantation” and I can certainly understand why. There’s a half mile allée of live oak trees leading to the plantation which were planted in 1743. The moss-draped branches meet overhead creating a natural corridor and a scene which one will remember for quite some time. Nine of the twenty seven slave quarters still exist on the grounds. The gardens of Boone Hall Plantation which are home to antique roses that date back more than 100 years are a little unkept but are still worth viewing. The plantation itself is still a working plantation continuously growing and producing crops for over 320 years. Today, the plantation produces peaches, strawberries, tomatoes and pumpkins as well as many other fruits and vegetables. We were only allowed to tour the ground floor of the house since it is a privately owned home and the owners still occupy the second floor. If you’ve ever seen the movie, The Notebook, you might recognize Boone Hall. The front of the Calhoun house is actually the Boone Plantation and a couple of scenes were filmed at the lake and grounds of the Boone Plantation.

Ft. Sumter is where the first shots of the Civil War began on April 12, 1861. When constructed, it stood 3 stories tall and was practically reduced to rubble due to the war. What’s most interesting about Ft. Sumter is not only was it used during the Civil War, it was also used during the Spanish-American War along with WWI and WWII. Today, you can still see some of the original cannons and there are also shells from the Civil War which are lodged in the walls.

Dueling Butchers???

The Old Trace

After roaming through Vicksburg National Military Park for a while, we drove the Natchez Trace to mom and Jims. For those of you who don’t have a clue as to what the Natchez Trace is, and again, either they didn’t teach this in history class or I must have been asleep, the trace being well over 400 miles long, stretches from Natchez, through Alabama and ending up in Nashville, TN. It started out as a path used by buffalo, then American Indians and as the 1800’s came around, it was used as the main return route for traders who, rather than fight the Mississippi River currents, sold their flatboats for the timber in Natchez and walked home via the trace. It eventually became the most heavily traveled road in the Old Southwest. Today you can still see segments of the original trace which show many years of heavy foot, animal and wagon travel that have literally worn a deep path through the land. And even though I wasn’t able to stop and get a picture of locations of the trace where trees and vegetation will not grow even today, I was able to get this picture where you can still see the road cut through the landscape.

William Brothers

Our time at mom and Jim’s was pretty uneventful which is a good thing because that also means no “fiver” problems. We did drive to Meridian for parts, which as of today’s date Brian still needs to put on the trailer, and stopped at Williamsville on our way home. Now Williamsville is not a town but actually a store and I’m not sure why they call it Williamsville but the store’s legal name is Williams Brothers. Maybe they call it Williamsville because you can buy just about anything you want in the store in a relatively small area. They sell clothes, cowboy boots, saddles, tack, hats, gloves, food, just about anything you can think of, they have it. If you’ve never been to Williamsville, you just haven’t lived cause this store is an experience all to itself! Thought you’d get a kick out of this picture of this butcher. There’s actually two butchers facing each other, both hard at work slicing meat for patrons. Yeah, it’s kind of like dueling butchers!

One place mom and Jim took us was French Camp. Now, I’ve seen French Camp while working on my Lowery genealogy but never knew there was actually anything there. I’d always thought it was a community or something. Kind of like a subdivision in a city… Moon Valley, but come to find out French Camp is a real town founded about 1810. It‘s not a large one and it’s actually on the map but I think what French Camp is most famous for now days is it’s Christian Academy with a campus hosting children in grades 1-12.

We started in the historic district of French Camp where there are old structures with some dating back to the early 1800’s. Lunch was in the Council House Café where Brian had one of their signature BLT’s. This thing was so large there was no way I would have been able to finish an entire sandwich myself so I opted for their broccoli salad. Both were quite yummy and we would recommend either to a weary traveler. We walked around a bit and ended up in their Alumni Museum where I found photographs of every senior of the French Camp Academy dating back to the mid- 1940’s. Not letting the opportunity pass me by, I scanned the classes and found a few photos of my Lowery’s which I was able to take photos of for my family history.

Since I’m scouting a new location to hold our next Lowery family reunion, we ended up at the Academy to check out their facilities which I might add, are great for reunions or any other type of functions. The staff at the Academy were very gracious and our personal tour was given by the pastor’s wife who introduced us to just about everyone there, and believe me, there are a lot of people who help run the Academy! One man we met was Edwin Faughan who’s the artist that created the night scene for the Titanic exhibit. If you remember the room with the large “iceberg” depicting how chilly the air and water was the night the ship went down, Edwin was the man who created and painted the exact sky pattern on that fateful night. And in case we didn’t want to potluck it at our reunion, she also introduced us to a gentleman who is a caterer, H. Glen Barlow. Along with being a caterer, Glen also happens to be the Mayor of French Camp, a radio host of French Camp’s radio station and a pastor at a church over in the Delta. Now that’s a Jack-of-all-Trades!!! And since he also heads his family reunion every year, he was eager to pass on some helpful tips for our next reunion. The only problem we found with French Camp Academy is they don’t allow family reunions to be held at the Academy during the months of June & July so that pretty much puts us out since we usually have our reunion in June. Bummer, cause the Academy seemed to be next to perfect.

Hog Maw?!?

What the....???

Ok, before I move on to Vicksburg I want to back track and return to St. Francisville. Before leaving town, we stopped at the local grocery store to stock up for dinner that night. While Brian waited outside with Emma, I ran in and eventually ended up in the meat department. I know people probably thought I’d lost my mind as I snapped away but I couldn’t believe some of the meat they had all wrapped in clear packages offered up for sale. I was amazed to see pigs feet, pigs tails, chicken necks and something called hog maw. My first thought was this stuff must be used for voodoo, a witches brew or something of the sorts. Even the clerk had no idea what hog maw was when I asked. “I don’t know what it is but I see people buying it all the time. Hey Shirley! What’s hog maw?” As it turns out, not even Shirley knew what hog maw was. “I can call the butcher if you’d like.” “No thanks.” I figured I’d bypass the butcher and just Google hog maw. As it turns out, hog maw is the lining of a pig’s stomach used in soul food, and other ethnic dishes. YUCK! Don’t think we’ll be having any hog maw any time soon and as far as the other “meat” items I saw in the store, I’m sticking with the “brew.”

Vicksburg was… well, it was Vicksburg. I’d been to Vicksburg National Military Park back in the summer of ’73 (no Brandon and Shyla, that’s 1973, not 1873!) and then again in October of 1999 but Brian had never been to Vicksburg so we (I) decided he needed to see that part of Mississippi. The drive through the park is 16 miles long with numerous monuments located throughout the park. And even though this was my third trip, I was pleased to learn the national park service had added short movies about the siege of Vicksburg along with information on the various monuments. Volunteers were staged in an area outside the visitors center depicting how the Union Army maintained their firing positions during the siege. Two to three times a day, they would shoot their large cannon much to the dismay of the business owners nearby. I spoke with one young volunteer who had just graduated from high school and had been volunteering 40 hours a week of his summers for the last eight years. He must thoroughly love what he’s doing because he is required to wear full Union Army uniforms in the sweltering heat and humidity. The young volunteers along with the park rangers were well informed about the siege of Vicksburg and were eager to share their knowledge and answer any questions one might have.

Illinois Monument

Back inside the visitors center, we learned the monument erected by the state of Illinois was built at a cost of $194,423.92 in 1906. This cost was 24% of their entire state budget for that year! Above the entry of the Illinois monument there are three figures, the middle being a female figure of Clio, the muse of history who is recording the deeds of the two figures beside her representing the North and South reunited in peace. Nowhere on this monument you will find anything related to war. There are no fire arms, cannons, cannon balls, swords, bullets… nothing to remind anyone of the ugly war between the states. The Illinois monument is probably one of the most beautiful in the entire park but each monument has it’s own story to tell.

USS Cairo with damage from Confederate mine

We also had to make a stop at the U.S.S. Cairo, an ironclad gunboat constructed for the Union Navy. On Dec. 12, 1862, a Confederate torpedo tore open Cairo’s bow. The Cairo sank in 12 minutes and became the first armored warship sunk by an electrically detonated mine. The damage from the mine can be seen on the port bow. It wasn’t until 1960 when they discovered it’s exact whereabouts and finally brought her to surface in 1964. What’s amazing about this ship is like the Titanic, they were able to retrieve a lot of items from the ship which are housed in a small museum located next to the Cairo. The Cairo was powered by steam from boilers which were kept going 24/7, even when in port. Can you image working in the boiler room of the Cairo in the middle of summer in a uniform made of wool and cotton? And we think we’ve got it tough these days!

It’s really hard to imagine the destruction and the many lives lost at Vicksburg during the siege. Actually, it’s hard to imagine anyone living through the Civil War at all. There were over 600,000 casualties. More than the 6 wars combined which followed the War Between the States. Makes one wonder if we ever learned anything from this particular war.

Natchez with Problems

Arriving Natchez on the 19th of July (yeah, I’m that far behind) we set up camp in a state park campground. We’ve pretty much decided that we’re beginning to really enjoy the state parks over any other RV campground. They are extremely quiet, you get that “I’m camping!” feel since you’re not smack in the middle of town and even though you might not have “full” hookups, meaning water, electric and sewer, they’re definitely worth the price, most being around $20 a night. The state park in Natchez has been the cleanest state park we’ve ever yet to see and even had a washer and dryer in the bath house which we’ve never seen before.

 

Mom and her husband, Jim, drove over from Philadelphia (MS not PA) to join us. The plan was to stay in Natchez for a night or two, then head up to Vicksburg, tour the battlefield and over to mom’s for a stay. As luck would have it, or better yet, I’m beginning to think Brian actually put a hex on the 5th wheel so he can trade it in for another, we ran in to problems causing us to extend our stay in Natchez for 4 days.

It all started when Jim’s brother unexpectedly passed away and he needed to return home for a couple of days back in Philadelphia. Since we were scheduled for the spot we held for only 2 nights, we were required to pull up camp and move our trailer from one location to another within the park. As we were packing things up we ran in to problems with the awning which no amount of JB Weld, bailing wire or Duct Tape could ever fix.

This position seems to be a reoccuring event

As we were retracting the awning, it stuck in the half way position. Not budging, we unrolled the thing and tried again. It stuck again. And again the third time it stuck. On the fourth try, it finally retracted all the way to the trailer but this time there was a loud crack and bang. Low and behold, disaster number… oh heck, I’ve lost count by now. As it turned out, the lag bolts on a post connecting the awning to the trailer ripped away shredding the wood under the siding and ripping a large tear in the thin fiberglass siding. As I’m standing there in disbelief, I’m not sure whether to cry or start cursing like a sailor. Even I know this is serious and this is not going to be an easy fix.

The next morning, Brian drove to town and found that “Southern Hospitality” again when he explained our situation to the hardware store and they didn’t charge for the scraps of wood we need for repairs. He returned with electric drill, plywood, 2 x 4’s, furring strips, nails and screws and starts to work. Yes, it was hot and humid out and it took us the better part of 2 days to repair the damage but she’s as good as new, or so I’d like to think. Brian still wants to trade her in.

When we tore everything apart, we learned the problem with the awning actually stemmed from production. One of the lag bolts was no where near being placed in wood and the other was barely screwed in to the wood at all. We were really surprised there were no problems with the awning before now. Must be that hex Brian placed on the trailer.

With the awning repaired, we were once again free to play so we cleaned up and headed to Natchez where we decided to tour an antebellum home. Natchez is famous for their antebellum homes and holds a Pilgrimage every spring and fall where twenty-four antebellum mansions, all of them private residences, open their doors to visitors during a two to five week period. Hostesses dress in period costume and will recount the history of each home’s occupants and furnishings. Even though I’ve never attended one of Natchez’ Pilgrimages, I understand there’s a mint julep or two involved.

The Stanton Hall - Natchez, MS

For our house tour, we chose The Stanton Hall which was built in 1858 on an entire city block. The city block itself cost about $1,550 with the house costing over $83,000 before it was even furnished which was a lot of greenbacks back in the day! Ironically, the gentleman who had the house built, only lived one month after his home was finished. The home was beautifully furnished and was used during the filming of the movie, North and South. General Douglas McArthur and his family even stayed at the Stanton Hall during a visit to Natchez.

We decided we’d wait until Jim returned the next day before touring Vicksburg park so we drove back to our "fivers" (5th wheels) and called it a day with grub and a good game of Chicken Foot (Dominos).

St. Francisville, LA

We left Captain Ted and Cajun Encounters and headed north to spend the night with my cousin, Lee Ann. Now, before we move on to our visit with Lee Ann and her family, I want to interject and say we really did enjoy our swamp adventure with Captain Ted and Cajun Encounters. We chose this particular company over others from a video review Kelly Ripa gave from a tour she took with her family. This company was on top of their game and they really delivered the goods. Brian and I give Cajun Encounters “two thumbs up” even with chatty Captain Ted as our guide.

 

Ferry across the Muddy Mississippi

We said goodbye to Lee Ann and Bubba, boarded the ferry to cross the Mississippi River and headed north to St. Francisville, LA.

Yummo!!

Lunch was at The Magnolia Café which is a little hole in the wall with great food. Brian ordered the muffuletta and knowing I was soon leaving the state, once again ordered the red beans and rice. Both dishes were fantastic and if you’re ever in St. Francisville make sure your stop includes The Magnolia Café.

Rosedown

While in St. Francisville, we toured the Rosedown Plantation and Gardens. The Rosedown was built in 1835 at a cost of $13,109.20 and included 3500 acres with 450 slaves. The plantation was quite self sufficient in it’s day as the grounds included vegetable and herb gardens, a greenhouse, a kitchen (which in 1835 was a separate structure from the main house), and an orchard. The owner of Rosedown even built a doctor’s office on the plantation when his youngest son passed away from yellow fever in 1844. A local doctor was hired to take care of the family, slaves and visiting guests. In the gardens of Rosedown is a Loblolly Pine, one of the oldest trees at Rosedown and one of the oldest pines in the state. They estimate it to be over 300 years old and has a lightening rod at the top to protect it from lightning strikes.

Formal  Gardens at Rosedown

We were told by our guide that the movie, Big Valley, is due to film at the plantation in a couple of weeks. They will be filming the outdoor scenes at Rosedown with the indoor scenes filmed at another plantation in St. Francisville. In fact, as we were leaving, a crew was installing the wrought iron gates for the movie. I can only imagine what it would be like to live in such a beautiful house back in 1835.

I want to finish our “adventure” in St. Francisville saying how much we appreciate the staff at Rosedown. Since we had our little dog, Emma, with us and she wasn’t allowed inside the house, they were kind enough to watch her in their office while we toured the home. And since Brian and I were the only 2 people in our specific time slot for the home tour, we were able to learn so much more than had we been in a large group. Our guide, Sasha, answered every question we had and told us many stories about the family, property and every day life on the plantation. A big thank you to the wonderful staff at Rosedown.

We’re now heading to Mississippi to visit my mother and her husband. See you there!!!

Cajun Encounters

Ready for my gator tour!

We donned our mosquito spray and headed out the next morning to our scheduled Swamp Tour. We climbed into the boat and settled down for what was to be a fun adventure and took off. Our guide, “Captain Ted”, was the most long winded individual we’ve come across in a while. He had stories he told of his dead grandpa, his baby sister, his girlfriend, of his childhood growing up in the swamp, how chicken is the worst food you can ever eat, “Chicken eat their own poop.” Then he got off onto a tangent about how you need a threesome in order to mate alligators held in captivity. We looked around the boat at all the young children and their parents who were sitting with their mouths wide open, as these young kids were trying to decipher what Captain Ted had just said. He even went in to details about how he’s neighbors with Brad Pitt and with Captain Ted being the president of his homeowners association, went to welcome Brad and his family to the neighborhood only to get the door slammed in his face. He went on to say, they became good friends after Captain Ted told Brad he was a professional photographer and if the Paparazzi didn’t take a picture of Captain Ted, his girlfriend or any of his friends, Captain Ted wouldn’t take pictures of Brad and his family. Yeah right, Captain Ted. We never thought Captain Ted would stop talking and couldn’t wait to leave his clutches.

And according to the "Captain", Louisiana is the only location where cypress trees grow. When I inquired about the cypress trees growing in swamp areas along the Natchez Trace in Mississippi, he was quick to point out those are not cypress trees in Mississippi but some other type of tree. I didn't argue with him at the time but have since confirmed what I already knew. "Captain", those are bald cypress trees growing in Mississippi.

Cindy

In between his stories, we did learn that alligators grow a foot a year for the first so many years and then something or another after that. Both Brian and I eventually tuned him out figuring he was full of nothing but hot air. Here’s a picture of Cindy. An 11 foot alligator who Captain Ted determined was about 60 years old. Did you know alligators like marshmallows and hot dogs?? Neither did we until our Swamp Tour with Captain Ted.

One could only imagine the beauty and serenity of the swamp if not for Captain Ted’s constant rambling.


We’ll miss you Captain Ted… NOT!

The Big Easy

Louisiana has got to have the worst roads in the world!!! The minute we hit the state line, we were in for a ride! They need to add to their vacation brochures, “Come to The Big Easy, and don’t forget to pack your kidney belt and sports bra!!!” The highways in Louisiana are constructed of concrete, which makes for a rough ride, and the surface streets don’t seem to be any better. Without offending anyone here, I’m not sure what the state spends their tax dollars on but it’s certainly not their roads!

We’re bouncing along on the 90 when I had just dozed off. “What was that?” Whatever the noise was, I could hear it through my pillow and it was loud enough to wake me up. Brian looked in the rear view mirror. We didn’t leave anything laying in the middle of the road so we kept going. At one point, while stopped for gas, I even joked the trailer wasn’t level. Now, I realize the trailer wouldn‘t be level at that particular spot but we’ve been having a time trying to level the trailer when we set up. We’re both convinced the bubbles on this thing aren’t level to begin with which Brian says is another reason to trade her in! We pulled in to Lake Ponchatrain Landing RV Park in New Orleans and backed the trailer into our spot. As I reached to put the blocks under the tires to help level the trailer, Brian made the comment, “The tires shouldn’t be touching each other like that. Something’s definitely wrong here.” He crawled under the trailer to see what the problem was and learned we had broken a leaf spring on one of the axles. Great! Another item to add to his list of reasons to trade this thing in. They just keep adding up!

After $370 later and sitting around until late the next afternoon waiting for the mobile RV repairman, we decided it was too late to go to the French Quarter so we opted for the RV park’s bar instead, where I might add, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, made one heck of a margarita. I couldn’t resist taking a picture of the sign hanging over his bar. Maybe he's got something here…

So we lost a day in the Big Easy but what the heck, it’s New Orleans! We boarded the shuttle the next morning and off we go to the French Quarter. On the way, Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy, put on his tour guide hat and started to relay where and what to do and the areas we needed to avoid. One of them being the cemeteries unless we go in a group due to the high volume of muggings. We looked at one another and realized two does not constitute a “group” so figured we’d stay away from that area all together. I asked Nate questions about a few houses I’d seen that were vacant and obviously ravaged by a hurricane or two. Yes, those were the remnants of hurricane Katrina and yes, the ninth ward was the hardest hit but only because of the levee break. “And what ward does the RV Park sit?” He gave a little laugh and almost like I was pulling fingernails, tells us, “The ninth ward.” Great. That explains the seedy area we drove through, just before the sun set, to get to the rv park. And that also explains the high fence and electric gates as you enter the park.

We stepped off the shuttle and we’re standing in the middle of the French Quarter. We decided the first thing we would do is take a carriage ride so we can get a feel for the area and learn a little about it’s history. We were shown a building which was built for Napoleon (he died but a few months before completion) and our driver even pointed out the house where Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie live when they’re in New Orleans. As I jump off the carriage, Brian looked at me and asked, “Are you hungry?” One thing I’ve learned on this trip is if Brian asks me if I’m hungry, it actually means, he’s the hungry one. So off to look for a restaurant we go. We happened on the best little restaurant in the French Quarter by the name of The Gumbo Shop. We both opted for the creole platter complete with shrimp creole, red beans and rice and French bread. And I’m happy to report, I’m back in the land of sweet tea!!! Brian hates the stuff but I can’t get enough of it! Yeah I know, I can make it at home but it’s just not the same.

We roamed around the French Quarter a bit, took the ferry from New Orleans to Crescent City and back, then headed to Bourbon Street. Nate the bartender, part owner, full time operator, cook, chauffer, tour guide and all-around good guy suggested we take the ferry to the other side of the river to see a different view of New Orleans. Next time we’ll know not to waste our time with the ferry and I suggest, if you‘re ever in New Orleans to stay clear of the ferry as well, Bourbon street is much more fun We wandered into The Absinthe Bar bellied up to the bar and ordered our drinks. The bottle of Zinfandel was rancid when the bartender opened it so she ran to the neighboring bar and returned with my daiquiri in hand. Back out on Bourbon Street we walked up one side then down the other, can’t imagine what that place must look like at Mardi Gras but we were told by Nate the bartender, part owner, full time owner… awhhh, you get the picture… that store owners will actually smear Vaseline on the top of their posts to keep people from climbing up the poles to the 2nd story balconies. Yes, whatever happens in New Orleans, stays in New Orleans, oh yeah, that’s Vegas.

Tomorrow??? The Swamp Tour! Can’t wait!!!