Day 26, October 16, Vicksburg, Mississippi

We had a heavy downpour from 5:00 - 5:45 to start the day.
At 8:00 we boarded a bus to go to the Vicksburg Military Park, which was established in 1899. We have WiFi on the bus!
At 8:15, we arrived at Vicksburg Military Park, which was established in 1899 and preserves the site of the American Civil War Battle of Vicksburg, waged from March 29 to July 4, 1863. Reconstructed forts and trenches evoke memories of the 47-day siege that ended in the surrender of the city. Victory here and at Port Hudson, farther south in Louisiana, gave the Union control of the Mississippi River.
The park includes 1,325 historic monuments and markers, 20 miles of historic trenches and earthworks, a 16-mile tour road, 144 emplaced cannons and the restored gunboat USS Cairo (which was sunk on the Yazoo River.

After watching a movie, "The Campaign and Siege of Vicksburg", we took a guided bus tour of the park entering through the Memorial Arch. Our extremely knowledgeable guide explained the siege and defense lines.  

There are many State monuments erected throughout the 16 mile road.

After exiting the park, we passed by several pre-Civil war homes on the way to the USS Cairo Museum. USS Cairo was one of the first American ironclad warships built at the beginning of the Civil War. It was the lead ship of the City-class gunboats and was named for Cairo, Illinois. 





In June of 1977, the remains of the vessel were transported to the park and partially reconstructed on a concrete foundation near the Vicksburg National Cemetery. The recovery of artifacts revealed a treasure trove of weapons, munitions, naval stores and personal gear of the sailors who served on board. 






The Vicksburg National Cemetery (union) is within the park and embraces 116 acres. It has 18,244 interments (12,954 unidentified). Rounded, upright headstones mark the graves of the known soldiers, while small, square blocks, etched with a grave number only, designate the burials of the unknowns. 








Next on our agenda was LUNCH! We were off to Anchuca, an historic mansion and antebellum (existing before the Civil War) home and Bed & Breakfast. Anchuca is a Choctaw Indian word meaning "Happy Home". Built in three stages, from 1830 to 1855, this Greek Revival style mansion represents the first columned mansion built in Vicksburg.







We enjoyed a wonderful lunch followed by a tour of this stately home. 

It had started raining, so we drove by the Riverfront Murals, which are located on the floodwall. The 32 life-like pictorial murals depict periods of history in Vicksburg. Te first mural in the series was unveiled in 2002.












The last stop for the day was the Jesse Brent Lower Mississippi River Museum, which offers a glimpse of what life is like along the river through both interactive and static displays.












Cotton bales we transported down the river on steamers. 










Outside the museum was a fully restored dry docked Riverboat, the MV Mississippi IV, which was open to explore. It is the largest diesel powered vessel on the river powered by two 8-cylinder engines..
 










On the way back to the campground, we passed by the "Halloween House", which was ridiculously decorated!  This was only half of the display! 

Day 25, Monday, October 15, Moving on to Vicksburg, Mississippi

It rained off & on throughout the night, with a heavy downpour at 5:45. It was 18.4C By 6:20 it changed to a steady rain.
Today began with goodbyes to Gus, Joan, Glen & Carolyn, who decided to leave the trip & go home.

By 9:19, the rain let up & we got packed up and on the road at 9:25.




We took US 61 south, and passed by fields and fields of cotton.Some has already been harvested and is in bales waiting to be picked up.



When we arrived in Redwood, just outside of Vicksburg, it was 82F! Yay!
At 1:45, we checked in the th Ameristar Casino RV Park where it is 86F.

Day 24, Sunday, Oct 14, Graceland RV Park, Memphis, Tennessee

We had rain on & off throughout the night. It was 14.2C this morning and cloudy.
At 9:00 we walked across the parking lot to the entrance of Graceland, where Bill handed out our tickets and VIP passes.












We then boarded the shuttle that took us across the road to the "mansion", which is situated on a  13.5 acre estate. We were all issued headphones and i Pads to use for our self-guided, interactive tour hosted by John Stamos and featuring commentary and stories by Elvis and his daughter, Lisa Marie.

The first stop inside Graceland Mansion will be the foyer where you can view Elvis' living room, dining room, the stairways and his mother's bedroom. 
The tour also includes the kitchen, TV room, pool room the famous Jungle Room, his father's office, the Trophy Building the Racquetball Building and the Meditation Garden.
 Elements of decor you see in these rooms today span all of the Elvis eras at Graceland, but the look is primarily the late 1960s to early 1970s incarnation. 




In the Meditation Garden, we visited the graves of Elvis, his mother, father and his beloved grandmother, Minnie Mae. There is also a marker for his stillborn twin Jesse Garon, who remains buried in an unmarked grave in Tupelo, Mississippi.  




Following the tour of the house, we returned by shuttle to the newly-completed complex across the street.  




                 

The new complex includes a new automobile museum, Presley Motors, and Elvis: The Entertainer Career Museum, the world’s largest and most comprehensive Elvis museum in the world, as well as many more exhibits, restaurants and shops.The new state-of-the-art entertainment and exhibit complex is over 200,000-square-feet in size, “Elvis Presley’s Memphis” enables you to follow the life path that Elvis took, surround yourself with the things that he loved, and experience the sights and sounds of the city that inspired him. Experience Elvis’ life and career like never before – his roots, his influences and his artistry.

After touring, it was lunch time, so we stopped at Vernon's Smokehouse for authentic Memphis BBQ. The ribs were delicious! 

Following lunch, I finished viewing the exhibits, including the planes then rewarded myself ith a Peanut Butter Banana ice cream.







At 3:00, we were on he bus, heading for Mud Island (which didn't sound too inviting on the drizzly day!)  However, the rain had let up when we got there and what we were going to see was the Mississippi River Museum.
The 18 galleries showcase 10,000 years of history of the Lower Mississippi Valley covering subjects from early exploration and settlement, transportation & disasters along the river, and the evolution of music along Ole Man River through displays and narratives. You feel you've stepped back in time as you experience a life-size replica of a riverboat complete with sounds of gamblers and revelers. 

Our leaders & followers were not sure if they were coming or going in this dugout canoe!







What Mississippi River museum would be complete without a scale model of Old Muddy? Located outside the museum on the grounds of Mud Island River Park, the River Walk is one of the most unique representations of the Mississippi River in the world. It is a 5-block long replica of the lower Mississippi River, from Cairo, IL, to New Orleans, LA. Each 30" stride is equivalent to one mile on the actual river.
The river model is a giant jigsaw puzzle made up of 1,746 pre-cast concrete panels, each weighing 8 1/2 tons.
That concluded our day's activities.

 

Day 23, Saturday, Oct. 12, Graceland RV Park, Memphis, Tennessee

Today was a "free day", so I worked on the blog until Joan came by and asked if I wanted to go to a mall. Since Marcel didn't want to go to the Pyramid, I went with Gus & Joan.
Having seen so much cotton growing, we bought some articles at Kirkland's (a home decor store), then stopped at Aldi's on the way back - of course!

After lunch, we went to Walmart then fueled up at Cisco $2.899/gallon.

Walked around the parts of Graceland that we could (without a ticket). It is all new! Vastly different from the last time we were there.

Rain started at 4:30, and continued into our Happy Hour at 5:00. Larry brought out his "Harley Davidson" margarita machine, which cheered up the mood! The rain continued, heavy at times.





At 6:00, the Campground Cookout was ready, prepared by our leaders & followers. We enjoyed beef chili, white chicken chili, with shredded cheese, chopped green onions, sour cream and cornbread pancakes! Yummy!












After dinner, Stan & Betty brought out a cake and ice cream for Glen, to celebrate his 84th birthday!


Following the dessert, everyone made a dash back to their rigs in the rain.

Day 22, Friday, Oct 12. Memphis, Tennessee

It was a jacket day but sunny to start, 12C.
At 8:00, we all boarded the bus for a full day tour of Memphis.As we started out, Joyce McBride, who is from Tennessee, gave us a narration about all of the well-known businesses that originated in Tennessee, At the conclusion, she handed everyone a mini Moon Pie!

At 8:15, we stopped at the Welcome Centre and picked up a tour guide who took us along Adams Avenue which is in the Victorian Village District. We passed by several beautiful mansions. One was the Mallory-Neely House which was built around 1852 in the Italianate style as an early Victorian villa.










At 9:00 we arrived at Sun Studio for a personal tour. Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock-and-roll pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label business.
Our young tour guide was very energetic and knowledgeable. He explained how the first recording of Elvis was made by Marion Keisker, who was Sam's secretary. (Sam was away at the time!) And the rest is history!







            On December 4, 1956 an impromptu jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash took place at Sun Studio. During the session Phillips spotted an opportunity for some publicity and called a local newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar. Bob Johnson, the newspaper’s entertainment editor, came over to the studio accompanied by a UPI representative named Leo Soroca and a photographer.The following day, an article, written by Johnson about the session, was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title "Million Dollar Quartet". The article contained the now-famous photograph of Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Lewis, Perkins and Cash. 

Then we were back on the bus, and toured the waterfront, passing by the Hotel Chiska, where Dewey Phillips broadcast Elvis' first recording.  Calls and telegrams flooded the studio as Dewey blasted Elvis over the airwaves repeatedly that evening, introducing the soon-to-be megastar to Memphis and forever changing modern American music.

Our next stop was the Peabody Hotel, to see the Peabody Ducks Parade. Back in the 1930's Frank Schutt, General Manager of the Peabody, and a friend, Chip Barwick, returned from a weekend hunting trip to Arkansas. The men had a little too much Tennessee sippin' whiskey and thought it would be funny to place some of their live duck decoys (it was legal to use live decoys) in the beautiful Peabody fountain. Three small English call ducks were selected as "guinea pigs" , and the reaction was nothing short of enthusiastic. Thus became a Peabody tradition which was to become internationally famous.


We went up to the roof to see where the ducks live in their "castle" . Can you believe that???
When "off duty", the ducks live in their Royal Duck Palace on the hotel's rooftop. The $200,000 structure is made of marble and glass and features its very own fountain with a bronze duck spitting water. It also includes a small house- a replica of the hotel - where ducks can nest with a soft, grassy "front yard"


Then it was on to the St. Jude Pavilion.
 St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, founded in 1962, is a pediatric treatment and research facility focused on children's catastrophic diseases, particularly leukemia and other cancers. The hospital costs about $2.4 million a day to run, and there is no cost to the patient to be treated  It is located in Memphis, and is a nonprofit medical corporation. All medically eligible patients who are accepted for treatment at St. Jude are treated without regard to the family's ability to pay. St. Jude is one of a few pediatric research organizations in the United States where families never pay for treatments that are not covered by insurance, and families without insurance are never asked to pay. In addition to providing medical services to eligible patients, St. Jude also assists families with transportation, lodging, and meals. Three separate specially-designed patient housing facilities— Tri Delta Place for short-term (up to one week), Ronald McDonald House for medium-term (one week to 3 months), and Target House for long-term (3 months or more)—provide housing for patients and up to three family members, with no cost to the patient. These policies, along with research expenses and other costs, cause the hospital to incur more than $2.4 million in operating costs each day.

After that thought-provoking visit, we passed by the "Pyramid" which was originally built for

basketball, but is now a huge Bass Pro Shop.

The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range, with an outdoor observation deck adjacent to its apex. The Pyramid was built in 1991. Is 321 feet (98 m) , 32 stories tall and has base sides of 591 feet (180 m)

Patiently waiting?

We drove across the Mississippi River on the Hernando De Soto bridge (Interstate 40) into Arkansas, then back in time to go to B.B. King's Blues Club, located at the top of Beale Street for lunch. They served up a typical southern buffet of fried catfish, macaroni & cheese, pulled pork, roast chicken, coleslaw and cornbread muffins.

The spread

Our last stop of the day was at the Lorraine Hotel, where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. We toured the National Civil Rights Museum,  which is a complex of museums and historic buildings; its exhibits trace the history of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States from the 17th century to the present. The museum is built around the former Lorraine Motel, which was the site of the assassination of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. 


Thus ended a very busy day! 

Day 21, Thursday, Oct 11, Cape Giardeau, MS to Graceland RV Park, Memphis, Tennessee

BRRR. Chilly morning at 12.4C as we packed up and prepared to head off to Memphis.
At 9:07 we were on the road under sun/cloud and 55F. We are taking the scenic route by the book instead of the highway.
At 9:26 we crossed the Mississippi River and re-entered Illinois.
We drove alongside the river and saw two barges, one going upstream and one downstream.
As we went through Cairo, there was a low, unmarked bridge. We ducked and passed safely under the bridge.

The next challenge was crossing the Ohio River on a very narrow bridge with a lot of heavy truck traffic. Terr was leading today. Lucky him!
 Once across the bridge, we entered Kentucky.





Driving on, at 11:45 we entered Tennessee and saw fields of cotton. The temperature has warmed up to 63F with clear sky & sunshine.


We stopped at the roadside for lunch in Ridgley, then continued on, arriving at the Graceland RV Park at 3:00.

We had a "pre" Happy Hour with Gus, Joan, Terry & Sharon, then joined the rest of the group at the picnic area for Happy Hour. David and Mickie Ratcliffe (Tennesseans) surprised us all with an assortment of Tennessee Moonshine along with shooter cups for samples. What fun!

There were lots of samples for everyone!

Currently, Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine nationally retails fifteen flavors of moonshine made using authentic East Tennessee recipes, jarred and shipped directly from the company's Gatlinburg distillery. 


Original Moonshine (100 proof), White Lightnin'™ (100 proof), Lightnin' Line (80 proof): Strawberry Lightnin', Lemon Drop Lightnin' and Hunch Punch Lightnin'TM, and the 40 proof line including: Moonshine Cherries™, Peach Moonshine™, Apple Pie Moonshine™, Blackberry Moonshine™, Strawberry Moonshine™, Lemon Drop Moonshine™, Pineapple Moonshine, Watermelon Moonshine, Sweet Tea Moonshine and Charred Moonshine™ are available selectively in 49 states and Canada.^[8] Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine products are sold in a traditional Mason-style jar.

At 6:00, we all enjoyed dinner prepared by the Wagonmasters and Tailgunners. It included Pulled Pork on a bun, cole slaw, salad, baked beans and macaroni salad. Great dinner!
By the time we finished, it had cooled to 15.4C

Day 20, Wednesday, October 10. Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Wi is terrible which has delayed my posting.
We had a "free day", so it was a good day to get laundry done. The day started out cloudy and 23.6C
Had about an hour of light rain, then it cleared.

Went for a walk on a path which went into town & back. It is a very humid 27.7C.

We drove in to town to see the famous murals on the seawall. The Mississippi River Tales is a mural containing 24 panels covering nearly 18,000 square feet (1,700 m²) of the 15-foot (4.6 m)-high downtown flood wall in Cape Girardeau. It illustrates the history of the area beginning with the Native Americans who inhabited the area between 900 and 1200. Each panel tells a story: Missouri gaining statehood in 1821, the coming of the railroad in 1880, the Big Freeze of 1918-19 and the completion of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, among many others. 
After centuries of floods, construction on the Mississippi Flood wall began in 1956 to protect the city from the waters that periodically ravaged the town. The massive flood-control project was completed eight years later in 1964 at a cost of more than $4 million. The system of earthen levees and concrete walls parallels the River for 7,210 feet, approx 1.3 miles and rises as high as 16 feet. It includes two pumping stations, five gates and six drainage structures.

One of the flood gates

On our return to the park, Joan & I played 18 holes of golf (mini), which provided plenty of laughs!  

During our Happy Hour with Gus, Joan, Terry & Sharon, one of our fellow travellers, Chris joined us. His home is in Panama City, which was decimated by Hurricane Michael. His home sustained a lot of damage, but he is staying with the trip for now as he cannot return home for at least a week.

At 5:00 we had our Drivers meeting followed by a wonderful Pot Luck to end the day.