The Road to Nashville

Louisiana: At Chicot State Pk there was lots to do and see.
These are the two main trees that grow in the swamps and give the landscape a very distinct appearance.  The twisted one is the tupelo, and the one on the right is the cypress.

There's enough poison ivy in this forest to keep you from enjoying frolicking off the trail.

                                                                            

We had hoped to see a rattler or a cottonmouth, but this little non venomous dude will have to do.  There are lots of these lizards here.  I walk right by them, but James spotted five of them this morning.

The bike trails at Chicot were better for running than for biking, as this ride turned out to be more of a bike hike.  22 mi. around the lake, but we bailed out early.

There were plenty of these harry little guys around.

Chef Janna making Saturday's breakfast......

..pancake ala caterpillar.

When you meet the right kids you may get an electric scooter ride.  I told Jake it was pink so he couldn't ride it.............. That didn't slow him down.

Frank gave gator rides to the kids.

On to Vicksburg, Mississippi, the site of the most costly battle of the Civil War.  This fort was on a high point above the Mississippi River, which was a major supply route helping the Confederate war effort.  The blue signs on the 16 mile driving tour show the Union positions.  The red signs show the Confed's.

If James were a Union soldier he would have succomed to friendly fire early on.

There are monuments everywhere in this park, but none are neater than this one for the Illinois regiments who fought.  Echoes bounce around inside for more than five seconds, so we felt like we were in a monastery, so we sang the doxology because it's the slowest song we know, and when there's that much echo you've got to do something.

It was here that the first black soldiers were recognized as more than capable.  A law was finally passed to allow them to formally enlist, and within a short time 20 000 men were added to the Union's forces. Major Gen. Ulysees S. Grant led the Union charges and was turned back time and again from December 1862 through June 1863.

On July 4th General Pemberton surrendered because his men were dying of starvation and sicknesses.  20 000 Americans died here and 13 000 had to be buried as unknown.  This national cemetery holds soldiers who died in battles right up to the Korean Conflict.

On a lighter note, Vicksburg is also the place where Coca Cola was first bottled in 1890 something.

It's a cool museum where we only stayed long enough for a few pictures.

Tupelo, Mississippi.

Elvis at 13.  If I was holding my guitar this picture would be way cool so pretend with me.

This was the actual home Elvis was born in in 1935.

His first church was pentecostal........  I think He'd have been better off in an eternal security church.

Trace State Park near Tupelo has amazing sites and sights.........

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......and 18 holes of frisbee golf.

All of us hit the water except Jake today.

We always check out the play grounds for a game of grounders.

We drove north to Nashville on Sunday after church.  On that 4 hour drive we left late spring  and arrived in late winter.  It's not quite freezing, but whoa does it feel cold.  Whenever I feel this cold I phone Edmonton to keep things in perspective.

Tomorrow night should be good.  We get to see our league leading Canucks take on the Nashville Predators.  Six can go in Nashville for the cost of one in Vancouver.  We'll probably check out the Grand Ole Oprey while we're here too.