Mississippi, Fall 20

Finally, it is time to leave Mankato. As always, we love seeing family and friends but “hitch itch” is affecting us. We will heading back to Mississippi, by way of Galena, Illinois; west side of Chicago; Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville, Tennessee and Natchez Trace.

Our first stop was a night in Sleepy Eye at the farm. Dave’s dad will be going into a nursing home next week and we wanted to see him one more time, living in the home he has lived in since 1959.

On the first night, we camped in a small city park in Monona, Iowa, Gateway Park.

Next day, we passed through Galena, on our way to our campsite at a Water Conservation Corp Rec area called Blanding Landing. It was 11 miles from Galena but took 25 minutes by truck, 45 if the trailer was attached. On one trip back, we took the route offered by the truck GPS and it ended in a dead end. We were very happy we had not taken that route with the trailer.

We spent a morning and afternoon exploring Galena. The main street is so quaint and it was fun to browse. We had lunch at the Galena Brewing Company, splitting a chicken salad sandwich. While walking the streets, we saw a dog in a store window who could easily pass as Boo’s brother!

For our friend Roxi.

Oldest house in Galena.

Alfie, Boo’s brothter.

After lunch, we toured the home owned by Ulysses S. Grant and his wife Julia. Grant was actually born Hiram Ulysses Grant but we aren’t sure when he changed it. While president, his wife was the first president’s wife given the title “First Lady of the Land”, later shortened to “First Lady”.

On the 3rd of October, we took a detour through Grand Detour, Illinois, and drove past Dave’s house where he lived in the 70’s. Grand Detour is named after a quirky “detour” by the Rock River there. It is also where John Deere invented the first steel plow.

Dave lived here while working for about a year for United Suppliers in nearby Dixon, boyhood home town of Ronald Reagan. We didn’t have time to explore his home.

That afternoon, we got to Window World Chicago in Lisle, Illinois, owned by Dave’s friends Joel Slater and Jackie Rosborough. We spent a couple of hours chatting inside WW, then went to supper with them. They came back to the trailer for another hour, mainly to see Boo I think. She sure makes a lot of friends! Later, we boondocked in the WW parking lot for the night.

Of course it is Sunday!

Always thinking of our friend Jim “Homer”Holmstead.

Sunday, October 4 Linton, Indiana where we boondocked at WalMart. We had planned to camp at a campground Dave found on line, but it appears to be abandoned.

We got to the Louisville, Kentucky area on Monday the 5. We will stay two nights at Grandma’s RV park in Shepherdsville.

Parked next to us in Kentucky and decked out for Halloween.

On Tuesday, October 6, we went into Louisville for some sightseeing. We had not done much of that this year. Our first stop was the Louisville Slugger museum. That was a lot of fun and I’m glad Dave suggested going there. One of the things I learned was that Babe Ruth was one of the original 5 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Wow!

Both of us swinging Rod Carew’s game used bat. You could see some ball marks, cleat nicks and what looked like where it may even have hit the bench a time or two.

Zeus of Apollo on the corner in Louisville.

A small park has a plaque commemorating Fort Nelson, which stood where Louisville now stands.

Here are a couple examples of the boarded up windows, due to riots after the Brionna Taylor non-conviction.

Then we headed to Churchhill Downs where we had a picnic lunch on a bench in the parking lot.

historic walking tour tour at Churchill Downs. I’ve never known a lot about horse racing but this is iconic. It was established in 1875 and is home to the Kentucky Derby. We also spent time in the Derby museum.

This is actually Barbaro’s grave.

On Wednesday, we headed out for Nashville. Our first stop was Maker’s Mark Distillery. It was interesting to see all of the distilleries along the way but this one had been recommended to us by a friend. We decided not to take a tour but were able to take some pictures of the grounds.

Maker’s Mark storage buildings are black and there are MANY.

Continuing on, we found we were near Lincoln’s boyhood home, Knob Creek Farm. Unfortunately, the historic site will not be open until Fall 2021, but we took some pictures.

This cabin is where one of Lincoln’s friends lived and is similar to what he would have lived in.

Lunchtime and we could not find a park to pull in to, but there was an elementary school that was not in session and it made a pretty location to eat. Some people honked and waved from the highway.

Then, we found out that we were less than 2 miles from Lincoln’s birth place so off we went to Knob Creek Farm.

There are 56 steps to the top of this memorial, one for each year of Lincoln’s life.

This is the actual cabin Abraham Lincoln was born in, now situated inside the memorial.

Lincoln’s father lost both farms due to property disputes so he gave up and moved his family to Indiana.

Traveling along, we saw our first tobacco fields!

Later that day, we reached our destination, Nashville I-24 Campground in Smyrna, Tennessee. We originally planned to stay here for 3 nights but hurricane Delta is heading along the route we want to take next, with heavy rains. so we extended our stay for a total of 5 nights.

This is a pretty, rustic park and our site is by a stone banked dry creek. Boo is having a blast watching the squirrels.

On Thursday, October 8, we went into Nashville to the Grand Ole Opry. We were here previously but only took outdoor pictures last time. This time, we took a Backstage tour. Maybe we will take in a show if we ever get back to Nashville for a third time!

An interesting tidbit, the Opry has been in existence for 95 years and has only 221 members. They sure are selective. The first part of the tour was a film into where it showed members being invited to join. They are always asked by another member, when they do not expect it, while they are on stage and always in a unique way. This was very moving and emotional.

There have been 4 homes for the Opry. The circle that the performers stood on at the previous home, the Ryman, is on stage here. We got to stand on it for a picture.

Beautiful grounds.

The tour starts with a movie presentation by Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood.

Tammy Wynette’s Rolls Royce, payment for one of her performances in Nashville.

Hee Haw was filmed in this room.

Members wall.

Our hero.

Each of the dressing rooms has a theme or a specific use. There is a room for “first performace at the Opry”, Induction performance, Blue Grass groups, glitzy ladies, and many more.

Dressing room only used the evening of induction of new members.

On the way back to the campground, we drove to Hermitage, home of President Andrew Jackson, also known as Old Hickory. We had decided not to take a tour at this time, but hoped to take some pictures of the grounds. Without a ticket, we couldn’t see anything except the entrance and parking lot. That was disappointing.

We had tentative plans for our third day but it was drizzly out so we decided to just hang out in the campground. The same was true for the next two days because of rain. By this time, we were ready for some down time so that was okay.

On October 12, we started the 444 mile drive along the Natchez Trace. This runs from Nashville, Tennessee (more accurately, Franklin) to Natchez, Mississippi. It started as a buffalo and Indian path but later became an important route for Union soldiers to move supplies to Natchez and New Orleans.

Above is the courthouse in Franklin, TN. Franklin was the site of one of the last and deadliest battles of the Civil War.

Getting to the start of the Trace.

Lunch along the way.

We got to walk into a tobacco drying shed. It actually smelled really good. I didn’t know but different kinds of tobacco are used in cigarettes and cigars or pipe tobacco.

Above is part of the original Trace.

We spent our first night just off the Trace at Fall Hollow Resort in Hohenwald, TN. It was gorgeous.

Fall Hollow Resort

Someone in the park is ready for Halloween.

Continuing on, we reached the death spot and memorial for Merriweather Lewis, of Lewis and Clark Fame. Lewis was shot in a cabin here. It is still not certain if he committed suicide or was murdered.

Memorial to Merriweather Lewis. It is a broken column to show a life cut short.

More original trail.

We drove through a small corner of Alabama the next day and reached Tupelo, Mississippi about noon. Of course we had to go to Elvis’ birthplace!

Home where Elvis was born.

Elvis’ boyhood church.

Elvis as a boy at actual size and Elvis “bigger than life” as an adult. The piece is called “Becoming”.

We kept driving and got to a park along the Trace where we could camp for free, called Jeff Busby Park. This is located within the parkway.

Jeff Busby Park.

Our third day on the trace was a beautiful as the first two. We saw several cotton fields not yet harvested.

Strong winds winds earlier this year had blocked part of the parkway.

Ross Barnett Reservoir on the Pearl River, in the Trace.

We ate a picnic lunch at the end of the Trace at a Visitor Center but it was closed.

We continued on to our campground in Natchez, Plantation RV Park. It was late in the afternoon when we got here so we went to supper at a place recommended to us by the manager at Fall Hollow. It is called Roux 61 and is 1/2 mile from our campground. Dave and I split a coconut coated shrimp dinner with enough left overs for a lunch.

Plantation RV Park

Roux 61

On our first full day in Natchez, we went to the Visitor Center, then walked around the historical town. We had been here before and did a tour but this time, enjoyed it on foot. Boo enjoyed it too!

It was hot out and it had been suggested we stop at Fat Mama’s Tamales if we had time. It was along our path. We enjoyed a margarita on the patio with Boo, then ordered 6 tmales which we took home and shared for supper.

Fat Mama’s patio.

Friday, as we were packing up for the final 3 hours to Petal, where Dave’s sister lives, we got the phone call we all knew was coming but dreaded. Dave’s dad had passed away that morning. Dad, Grandpa, Les…whatever someone called him, will be sorely missed. We settled in at Jane’s and made plans for a return trip to Minnesota.

Dave and I have been having issues with our truck so rented a car for the return trip. We left at 4AM Sunday. Jane, Tom, Gavin and Garrett were in one car. Hannah and Jordan came separately, a day after us.

Jane’s yard.

A toast to Dad, as if he were joining us.

Flowers from my kids.

All of the Petersons.

So many beautiful flowers for Les.

The day after the funeral, a cardinal visited the farm!

After getting back to Jane’s we spent time working on our truck issues. Yuck…

After many repairs to get our Ford in working order, we were able to trade it in. We are now driving a 2018 GMC Denali. We really like it and hope to have it for many years.

One day at Jane’s, she was making supper with an audience. I think they are hoping she drops something.

On November 7, we made a family event day, traveling to Mobile, Alabama to tour the USS Alabama ( a WWII battleship) and submarine US Drum Tom, Jane, Gavin and Garrett made the trip with us. We were celebrating time with Gavin before he leaves on 11/11 for the Navy. This was a great day. I wimped out and did not tour the submarine.