A Slice of Americana

Location: Nauvoo State Park, Nauvoo, IL

Well you'd be hard pressed to find a more American day than today. We were in downtown Springfield, IL bright and early this morning and caught the first tour of Abraham Lincoln's home with Mary Todd. This is where he lived when practicing law, running unsuccessfully for the Senate and engaging in the Lincoln-Douglas debates. This was the last home he lived in until leaving for the White House. The last time I visited here was on my 8th grade overnight field trip. For those of you counting that was a mere 42 years ago. Then it was just a State Park and much humbler than it is now. Ned and I thoroughly enjoyed touring his home, walking thru the historic district and taking in the movie about his life in Springfield. We then branched out and took a walking tour into the other parts of town seeing the State Capitol, the Old State Capitol and making a brief visit to the Presidential Museum and Library. When we reached the Old State Capitol there were Union Soldiers holding several vignettes of the Civil War, i.e. playing music, showing what they ate, shooting off cannons, make-shift hospital, giving talks, etc. Can I just say that after spending a week in the South and having the Civil War repeatedly referred to as the "War of Northern Aggression" or the "War of Southern Succession" that it sure felt like I was finally no longer the enemy. It felt so great to be able to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's greatness. Honest Abe is a persona non grata in certain parts of the South. We learned so much more about Abe as a father, husband and politician. My only regret was that we didn't schedule more time to check out all that Springfield had to offer. We both vowed to come back and spend more time at the Presidential Library, see his grave and visit Frank Lloyd Wright's Dana House.
We also had lunch with one of my oldest friends, Teri Kramer, from St. Mary's Elementary School. It was so fun to catch up and reminisce about the old days. The two of us were the schools biggest tomboys. Funny how not much has changed! So, good to see you Teri. Hope to catch up with you again on our next tour across the U.S.
Knowing we still had a lot to do, we skedaddled across the prairies of Illinois, crossed over the Mighty Mississippi once again and dropped down into Hannibal, Mo. the home of Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens. Compared to the professionalism and gravitas of Springfield, this town was much more hokey. Everything was named either Huck this or Beck Thatcher that. Yep, right down to "Get your Mark Twain Fried Chicken here." Of course, we took the Mark Twain boyhood home tour, which included entry into several buildings; Huckleberry Finn's home, Becky's house, Judge Clemen's office and a museum and gallery. The museum was actually pretty fun and definitely aimed toward the kids. There were separate vignettes accompanied by audio excerpts of Mark Twain's books. So, we entered caves, went on a raft expedition, rode in a stage coach, and drove a steamboat. My favorite part was seeing all the original Norman Rockwell paintings done for a special 1930's illustrated edition of Tom Sawyer.
We walked up on the levy to check out the Mississippi and saw the flooding across the railroad tracks and along the frontage road. Amazing. It was kinda sad to see the local park submerged in water with the pink plastic slide looking like it should be in a kiddie pool.
The Mark Twain River boat was coming into dock so that definitely topped off our Americana experience. As an added bonus, the Nina and Pinta were temporarily docked nearby. They are a replica of the ships that Columbus sailed in 1492. They were doing a expedition sailing up the Mississippi River, but were waylaid due to the flooding. Who knows, maybe we'll see them farther up the river later on.
After a really long day and a couple more detours on the GRR, we finally pulled into Nauvoo, IL. This is a town known for its religious and historic significance. First settled by Native Americans, then Joseph Smith established it as a settlement for Mormons, and then finally the Icarians established an Utopian Community here. Joseph Smith is buried here and there's a gigantic temple majestically overlooking the Mississippi. Ironically, the majority of the population here today is Catholic. We arrived in time for "Sunset on the Mississippi" which looked like Mormons dressed as pioneers doing square dancing and some other programs. (Neise sound familiar?)
Basically, I'm a noodle tonight. My brain is full of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln, Mark Twain, River boats and Mormons. It was definitely a crash course on Americana.

The Past and Future at the Confluence of the Mississippi & Missouri Rivers

Sangchris Lake, Rochester, IL

It rained on and off all last night, but it was actually much appreciated because it's a heck of a lot cooler than the Southern States and the humidity is tolerable. We had several destinations today and were determined to hit them all. On a previous trip we had seen St. Louis so that was not a priority today. However, we are huge Lewis and Clark fans and have visited many historical monuments, read several books and watched a couple of movies pertaining to them. (My favorite book was "From Sea to Shining Sea" by James Alexander Thom. It's a fictional account but so riveting.) We no sooner were driving on the GRR when the first of many detours began. The Big Muddy continues rising and we keep getting detoured farther and farther away. It took us a bit longer to get to the Lewis and Clark Point of Departure than we had intended, but gosh was it worth it! If anyone has kids I highly recommend taking them here. We were impressed that the museum and interpretive center were so well documented, thought out and engaging. This center focused on the preparations that Lewis & Clark made for their journey more than the actual journey itself. The movie was great, but my favorite feature was the simulation of the keel boat they used. It was life size, but cut in half. You were able to see not only what they brought with them, but how methodically everything was packed. There were lots of fun, hands-on activities too. For example, trying to balance out the cargo, seeing what was in each of the barrels, and reading about all the scientific supplies. We also learned quite a lot about how each man was picked for the Corp of Discovery and their background. What amazed me the most is that after 2 years, 4 months and 10 days in unchartered territory only one man didn't make it, probably from a burst appendix. There was also a replica of the fort that they built and camped out in preparation for the trip. I could go on and on about Lewis and Clark, but alas we must leave the past behind and continue to make our way up the River Road.
Our next stop, (after getting lost in East St. Louis in some really, really poor and sketchy neighborhoods), was to the Corp of Engineers National Great Rivers Museum. Mr. Ned was salivating to read all about the lock and dam system and try his hand at piloting the tow boat and barge simulator into a lock. The museum was well done, but seemed to be a bit "fluffy" on the engineering details of how everything really worked. To me it appeared more of a PR effort on the benefits of the Mississippi Watershed. However, Ned did find the simulator and spent a good while trying his hand at piloting. We both gave it a try and ran it aground on several attempts. I left to go inquire about taking a tour of the locks and when I came back Ned had a huge grin on his face as his barge was slipping safely into the lock. He even got a round of applause from several bystanders. (3 cheers for Captain Ned!). We decided not to do a tour of the locks since the river is so high that you can no longer stand on the observation deck. The difference between the upper and lower lock is usually 10 ft, today is was maybe 1.
We had intended to continue up the GRR, but again greeted by a road closed sign. Here's a TV News clip of what was going on. Click Here for News Clip
Once again we were relegated to Plan B. So, instead of following the Mississippi we decided to cut across the flatlands of Illinois to Springfield. We are camped at a wonderful lake, about 30 minutes east of Springfield. The temperature has definitely dropped to a cool 75 with very little humidity. I've been reading about the heat wave in Nevada City, so to my friends back home, it looks like we traded weather. The last picture tonight is me toasting everyone back home. Tomorrow we head for the Land of Lincoln and once again towards the Big Muddy in search of Mark Twain.

The Confluence of the Ohio & Mississippi Rivers

Little Giant City State Park, Carbondale, Il

Today was all about the journey not the destination. We crossed into Kentucky, all 60 miles of her. The GRR is actually quite beautiful on this section. We enjoyed stopping at the one block towns, getting various views of the Mississippi River and popping into GRR "visit centers" often staffed by one person who was always so delighted that somebody came by. There was lots of fertile farmland and barely a two lane road in many sections. Which brings up the highlight of the morning. As we were traveling on this country road a police car, from the opposite direction, flagged us down and said there was a large piece of oversize farm equipment coming. In fact, it was so large that we couldn't both be on the road at the same time. Problem was, we were driving on a levy so there really wasn't any place for us to turn off. The officer said we had a good 3 minutes before "it" came. Turns out a farmer pulling his corn planter with a tractor was trying to be nice and let a car pass. When pulling over the corn planter flipped and broke an axle. A tow truck had to pull the corn planter backwards with the tractor driving in reverse at a maximum speed of 3 mph. This rated a police escort (or technically sheriff escort) in front and back. The first dirt road we pulled into had another tractor coming our way. Ned and I struck up a conversation with the farmer from Kentucky, who turned out to be a really nice guy. He was telling us all about the accident, the rains that have caused havoc with their planting schedule and the flood of 2011 compared to the flood of 1936. You can sure learn a lot when you have the time and are just hanging out on a dirt road in Kentucky. I snapped a picture of farmer Ned (Iowa boy) having a conversation with farmer Hank (Kentucky boy). Cute.
We were in search of Fort Defiance, near Cairo, IL. This place is not only where the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers meet, but was also the place where General Grant planned his strategy in attacking Vicksburg. We were expecting a visitor's center, large fort, monument, heck even a road marker. Nada. We crossed into Missouri (2nd time over the Mighty Miss), scratched our heads and finally located a gravel road leading to the point of the peninsula. Fort Defiance consists of a concrete platform and a couple a flights of stairs for a lookout. We inquired about this later at the nearby former Toll Station now a pubescent visit center (had great intentions, but no info yet), and was told that with the way the Mississippi ebbs and flows there's no way a structure would hold at Fort Defiance. We did see an abandoned RV park there with the electrical boxes about 6 ft in the air! It was really amazing to see these two powerful and significant rivers joining forces. A barge was located just a few feet from us and it's impressive how big these are, how fast the rivers flow and the amount of debris floating down - such as entire logs and trees, roots and all. Watching the tug boats push barges upstream loaded down with Kentucky coal was also pretty cool.
We meandered into Cape Girardeau, a sleepy college town on the Missouri side of the river, did a little exploring, and were planning on staying at the Trail of Tears State Park to learn more about the Cherokee forced migration. We called the campground to see how they were doing with the high river levels. Oh, they were open but the road getting there was flooded. Mmmm - plan B. We looked at campgrounds on both sides of Ol' Miss and finally headed for high ground in Illinois. And to my amazement, we found a campground pretty high up for Illinois! We are situated at a huge, sleepy, dated, campground complex. It has a lodge built in the 1930's by the WPA, horse trails, lakes, campgrounds, all spread out over several miles. The campground holds close to 80 sites, but there are only a handful of us here. We're enjoying hanging out, planning our day tomorrow and as luck would have it making use of our new awning. A 15 minute shower from no where surprised us! Hoping for a good night's sleep since we have quite an eventful day planned tomorrow regarding the Corp of Engineers efforts to tame the Mighty Miss. Ned heard there's a simulator for navigating a barge into a lock and he can't wait.

Feelin' the Delta Blues

Reelfoot Lake State Park, Tiptonville, TN

BBQ smokers on every lawn, fields of newly planted cotton and folks sitting on stoops with all the time in the world sure made me feel like I was in a Faulkner novel. Life on the Mississippi Delta really is the most "Southern place on earth." What an incredible juxtaposition to our visit yesterday with all the showy antebellum homes and genteel folks. This is the land of bbq, catfish, and singing the blues. This area rates as one of the poorest, highest unemployment and worse healthcare in the county so you really appreciate how the blues resonates from their soul. We were only going to do a quick stop in Clarksdale, but the friendly southern hospitality, blues, bbq, and lazy summer day won out. The junction of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale is where, according to legend, Robert Johnson sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for mastery of the blues guitar. Sounds like a great place to me to soak up the local color and get lost in time.
Our first stop was the Delta Blues Museum now located in an old train depot. It was incredible! So many of the famous blues singers came from this town, not just the Delta area. Unfortunately, we couldn't take any photos inside, but the stories, costumes, guitars and especially photos of all the legends were awesome. All the greats were featured - Muddy Waters, BB King, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, and tons more. Even Ike Turner was born here. By the time we left we were hooked and didn't want to leave the town. Big decision of the day was to either hit Abe's BBQ (world famous for ribs) or Morgan Freeman's blues joint called Ground Zero. We popped into Ground Zero to take a look and were greeted my Miss T who was so warm and welcoming that we decided to stay. Ned got a local draft beer called Southern Pecan, I got some tea and we were settled in for awhile. Today's menu was a full plate lunch for me (by now it was around 2ish so it was lunch & dinner- really!) pulled pork, the best turnip greens I've ever eaten, black eyed peas and cornbread. Ned opted for the hamburger with pulled pork and grilled onion ON it and sweet potato fries. We got chatting with the waitress and the musician who would be playing that night. The big news in town was this was Election Day for mayor and the co-owner of the joint was running. They were pretty sure he was going to win so everyone was getting ready to share in the celebration. They almost convinced us to stay. It sure sounded like it was going to be a good time and a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear some great blues with the locals. Alas, we opted to poke around town for bit more and then continue our drive up the river.
There's a record and folk art store in town called "Cat Head". It's listed in the book of "1000 places to See Before You Die." Nothing at all fancy about this place, but it sure was fun to linger and check out their wares. We were the only ones in the store and the person behind the counter spent the whole time playing his blues guitar. It fit the mood perfectly. There's one photo of a man sitting on his guitar that I just loved! I'll put it in the photos below.
We continued on through the laid back backroads of Mississippi and then all too abruptly we were in Memphis and back to the modern world. Once out of Memphis, the GRR in Tennessee really doesn't hug the river nor does it seem to embrace the river life. The next 75 miles or so was suburban sprawl and strip malls. We really didn't feel like we were in vacation mode until we hit the lake road to Reelfoot Lake State Park. This 25,000 acre lake was created by an earthquake in 1811. We got a campsite right on the lake and arrived in time to see the sunset. Nice end to an unforgettable day.
P.S. - Just checked the election results before posting this and it looks like Bill Luckett is winning it by a landslide. Should be a good time at the Blues Club tonight!

The Great River Road - And So It Begins

Location: Leroy Percy State Park, Hollendale, MS

We were off to an early start this morning to explore the wonders of Natchez, MS. Before the Civil War this town had more millionaires than anyone in the U.S. largely due to the cotton trade. The wealthy plantation owners choose to live in town rather than on their more remote plantations and the mansions they built were quite impressive. Fortunately, this town was spared during the Civil War and over 500 antebellum homes are still standing today. Rather than do a bus tour or driving tour of these homes we decided to bike through the streets of Natchez and really see as many of these beauties as we could. The streets were lined with magnolias, thick with kudzu vines, spanish moss hung from huge old oaks, and the blooming lilac trees were intoxicating with their scent. Yes, it was quite the heady experience seeing these gracious homes so close up. The Melrose Home reminded me of Tara in "Gone With The Wind" with the huge expansive lawn and majestic oak trees. I could just see the ladies dressed in pastel colored large hoop skirts and holding parasols as they socialized with the upper crust. We also rode along the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River. What a great way to view this slow moving mass of water on its way to the Gulf. We got excited about following her all the way to the headwaters.
Well, all this riding around worked up an appetite and since we're in Mississippi we HAD to get us some bbq. Where else but at the Pig Out Inn. Pulled pork and cole slaw for me and brisket and baked beans for Ned.
After a thoroughly southern lunch, we officially began the drive up the Great River Road (GRR). First stop was Port Gibson whose town motto is "Too beautiful to burn." General Grant spared Port Gibson from burning to the ground. We checked out the quaint town and kept moseying on the road. This part of the GRR reminded us of the Natchez Trace Parkway with rolling hills, lined with luscious broad leaf trees, and lots of mowed lawn lining both sides of the road.
Next stop was Vicksburg, MS to see the National Military Park. We enjoyed the movie, visitor's center and live reenactment all telling the story of the fight for Vicksburg. It was a long campaign (well over a year) with many back and forth battles, but in the end on July 4th, 1863 General Pemberton, head of the Confederate forces, officially surrendered due to illness and starvation. What I found really fascinating is that for the next 100 years the white citizens of Vicksburg refused to celebrate the 4th of July. The African American community, however, partied on.
Ned's favorite part of the park was seeing the resurrected and restored USS Cairo. This ship, one of the seven Union ironclad gunboats, was sunk on Dec. 12, 1862. It was salvaged and brought on land on Dec. 12, 1963. It took many years to partially restore it. The artifacts were preserved like a time capsule in the silt of the river. It's pretty impressive to see this beast reconstructed. Got a great picture of Ned grinning ear to ear as he spent a good hour climbing over and in her trying to figure out the inner workings.
Tonight we are camped at a State Park along the GRR. It's in a clearing among a forested area. It's beautiful and tranquil, but not much going on. No bike trails and the sign near the lake says, "Do Not Feed the Gators". I guess they like to keep them hungry so definitely no swimming tonight!

Creole Culture and the Corp of Engineers

Location: Natchez State Park, Natchez MS

We had a slow start this morning due to spending time with a Swiss couple, Peter and Theresa, who've lived for the last 30 years in Australia. They tour the U.S. almost every year for at least a month. They travel much like we do, light and back roads. Peter spent years shooting video of America Road trips for a Swiss TV Channel. It's amazing how much of America they have seen over the years. They've even done the Alaska Highway. We enjoyed swapping stories and giving each other tips of places to visit. They are encouraging us to take a road trip through Australia. In fact Peter was so emphatic about it that he brought over a list of all the places (with prices!) of Aussie camper vans for rent. Who knows this could be fun! One of the true joys of road trips is meeting interesting people like these folks.
Our first big outing of the day was visiting Natchitoches (pronounced "Nack-a-tish").
and the Cane River Heritage Area. Natchitoches is the heart of the Creole culture in Louisiana. The Creole Culture is a blend of Spanish, French, African and Native American culture. It took shape in this area around the 1800's. We took a walking tour of the downtown historic district, then did a tour of several old plantations. The historic downtown is quaint, still lined with brick streets, and has a gorgeous grassy embankment along the Cane River which is lined with fragrant magnolia trees. This is the town that the movie Steel Magnolias was actually filmed and is based on a true story of the author's sister from this area.
It rained hard last night, which was fortunate because it lowered the temperature and made for some dramatic cloud formations. It also set the tone for viewing some of these plantations. We were by ourselves on most of the tours. As we walked the fields, out buildings and slave quarters it was quite powerful. I wanted to honor and be respectful of the contribution and hardship of the people who spent their lives on these grounds. Walking over the wet plowed grass along the corn and cotton fields and viewing the plantation in this humidity made it feel so real.
Our next adventure was finding the Old River Control Structure on the Mississippi River. Ned and I have been reading "The Control of Nature" by John McPhee. In it he describes how the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers is trying to control the flow and direction of the Mississippi River. A pretty amazing (if not ultimately futile) effort. We were fascinated by how the Mississippi River used to flow into the Red River thus eventually making the Red River the more dominant river. A key element into preventing this, and keeping New Orleans from drying up, was building the Old River Control Structure. We had to go see it. Since the main point of this trip is driving the Great River Road and learning all about Ol' Miss, this was a natural starting point. We made a trip to the Army Corp of Engineer Visitor Center in Grand Encore and spoke with one of the old retired Corp volunteers. Turns out this structure was a mere 3 hour side trip. Pshaw, that is a mere drop in the bucket to us! So, off we were with this volunteer's directions, driving down some pretty obscure roads, and armed with a couple of maps. Our efforts were not wasted. It was incredibly fascinating and so rewarding to see in action something we had been reading about. Even though the Corp has done a valiant effort it does seem as if the Mississippi will eventually win out. We also enjoyed viewing the locks between the Mississippi River and the Atchafalaya River.
We sadly said goodbye to Louisiana and crossed over the mighty Mississippi for the first time this trip. We pulled into Natchez State Park outside of Natchez, MS rather late, but are rewarded with the first fireflies. Looking forward tomorrow to exploring Natchez and beginning our adventure on the Great River Road.

Frizzell + Fruitcake = Fun!

Location: North Toledo Bend State Park, LA

We are now officially in East Texas. How do I know? People greet us with "Y'all", sweet tea is ubiquitous and I'm a bit dewey. (We southern ladies don't perspire, we just glow and get dewey). Yep, we've officially left the dry baking heat and entered into the land of humidity. First destination today was Corsicana, Texas. Home of Lefty Frizzell and Collin Street Bakery. What, you don't know Lefty Frizzell, honky tonk country legend of the 1950's? Perhaps this will refresh your memory. Lefty Frizzell
The Lefty Frizzell Museum is located in Pioneer Village, a reconstructed little hamlet that has a blacksmith shop, old cabins, law enforcement and crime museum, slave cabin and a trading post. This little village was created in 1956 by the local historical society, and God love them, they preserved it ever since in exactly the same state. This includes the worn and yellowed newspaper clippings, black and white photos and hand written references to things such as "This is how your grandparents lived." The Lefty Frizzell museum is a real little gem. It pays homage to many country music legends, including Merle Haggard who was first asked on stage by Lefty. I especially liked the custom Lefty cowboy boots, embroidered jackets and photo of Lefty with a very stoned looking Johnny Cash. The local park also has a statue of Lefty. To my fellow country music fan Eric, you would have loved this! I so wanted to get a postcard, but as the sweet elderly volunteer at the museum said, "Oh my, we haven't had those in years!". Well a fellow or gal can work up an appetite looking at all this memorabilia (oh did I mention the Bonnie & Clyde gruesome death photos?) so a trip to the world famous Collins Street Bakery, renowned for their DeLuxe Fruitcake, in downtown Corsicana was in order. Ned remembers "fondly" as a kid receiving this fruitcake with a cowboy on the tin lid each Christmas. We each got a sample, but in all honesty I ate them both. (Truth is I love fruitcake!) I was disappointed in that they only give factory tours during the fruitcake making season. Sigh.
We thoroughly enjoyed the drive today. This morning, traveling through the prairie and lakes section of Texas, we passed fields of corn, wheat, sorghum, sunflowers and cotton. The wild flowers were abundant and lined the road. This afternoon we crossed into the Piney Woods area and were overjoyed with the dense woods and rolling hills. Dogwoods, mimosas, pine trees and lots of big broad well kept lawns were mostly what we encountered on the back roads. We made a few stops at some farmer's markets picking up peaches, mangoes (different variety than we get back home), and veggies for dinner.
Finally we left the great State of Texas behind us and crossed over into Louisiana. Every time we've traveled to Louisiana we've had some incredible experiences. Today was no different. We are camped at North Toledo Bend State Park on a peninsula jutting into the Toledo Bend Reservoir. Best campground of the trip so far!
It's a heavily wooded area with generous space between campsites and the facilities are top notch. And for some reason on a Saturday night it's almost vacant. Another great perk is it has free laundry facilities. One week on the road and it couldn't be better timing. We got here a little late to use the swimming pool so we hopped on our bikes to explore the vast park. For those of you worried about Ned getting his grove back I can honestly stay - The Nedster is back. We had a bike race up a hill and he beat me fair and square. All the more incentive to hit Fit Culture gym when I get home!