Vicksburg, MS (part 3 and last)

The best part of the Vicksburg Battle park tour is the U.S.S. Cairo museum and exhibit. The Cairo was a "city class" ironclad gunboat that sank on the Yazoo River north of Vicksburg.

 

 

It was commissioned in January 1862 and sank in December of 1862. It was the first ship to be sunk by an electrically detonated mine which was called a "torpedo" during the Civil War. It worked by having a soldier hide on the bank of the river and wait until a boat was over the mine. The mine was usually just a waterproof keg of gunpowder which was wired to a detonator on the bank of the river. The boat sank in 36 feet of water in 12 minutes. Fortunately, there was no loss of life. The boat was forgotten until the 1950's and 1960's when it was recovered and restored. It now rests in the Vicksburg National Military Park.

 Freedom parked at the U.S.S. Cairo

U.S.S. Cairo

 

 





Looking at the bow

 

Sloped Iron Clad with framing

 

 

Ships boilers

 

 

Hog cables that kept the fore and aft parts of the boat from sagging

 

 

Aft end of the boat showing the paddle wheel and rudders

 

 

I am ready to move on tomorrow. I guess I have what is called "hitch itch". Today's temperature was 85 degrees and it is clearly time to move north in search of the 72 degree line.

 

The next stop will not be a site-seeing stop. The campground seems to be tucked away in the woods. It should be a nice place to kick-back and relax. If I get adventurous, I can do some hiking  walking on the trails.

 

Ya'll take care of each other. Cya.

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Random Thoughts and Things

I will be doing these Random Things and Thoughts every now and then, maybe once a week. It will be a little bit of everything. No rules. No subject off-limits. I will still try not to piss anyone off.

1) My travel plans are going to change a little bit. I had planned to go to Savannah, GA and then up the coast to Washington D.C. and points north. I'm looking for a more drastic and faster change in scenery, so I'm heading northeast to Chattanooga, TN. Then up through the Blue Ridge Mountains to Washington D.C. by way of Virginia and points north.

2) My next campground will be Jennings Ferry Campground in Alabama.

3) I'm not sure how I'm liking this not shaving. My face itches and the beard is grey blonde.

4) I got my door fixed. When I got to this campground, there was a sign beside the driveway saying "mobile RV tech available on-site". I called him and he showed up early the next morning. An hour later, (actual work was 15 mins, BS was 45 mins) and $50, the door was fixed stronger than when it rolled of the assembly line.

5) The stay at both Poverty Point and here has been too long. From now on, I plan to make reservations for 2 nights. If something good is happening, then I'll extend. If not, then I'll move on. There will be places that I will want to just stay and do nothing.

6) Between towing and not towing, the truck has been averaging 10 miles per gallon. This is the number I expected and budgeted.

7) Comments and questions are encouraged. I know some of ya'll feel like you shouldn't comment, but don't feel that way. The blog will be much better if there is input from everyone who reads it. For example, what do ya'll think about my change in travel plans?

8) I can easily go 3 days without sewer or water hook-ups. If I really try, I can stretch it out to 5 days. I am not prepared to do without electricity yet. I still only have the one battery and no solar panels.

9) After all of the comments I received about sandals, nobody mentioned that wearing them would make my feet dry. I had to put some lotion on them tonight for fear that they would start cracking. Maybe that is why some of the wise older retirees wear socks.

10) Once you're inside Walmart, you can not tell what city you're in.

Vicksburg, MS (part 2)

This post will be a long post with lots of pictures. Remember, you should be able to click the picture to make it bigger.

I went to the Vicksburg National Military Park. It is a driving tour park with pull-off spots so you can walk and see some of the monuments. It took about 2 1/2 hours to drive through the park. The weather was beautiful with clear skies and temp's in the mid 60's.


The entrance to the park is through a Memorial Arch. In 1917 Congress allocated $150,000.00 for a reunion of the veterans of the Vicksburg campaign. About 8,000 vets from both sides attended. After the reunion, $35,000.00 was unspent so it was decided to use it to build the Memorial Arch.


The picture at the right is one of the almost 1,300 monuments located along the 16 mile road tour. The monuments are paid and provided by the states who had military forces in the campaign. Not all are as big as the one on the right. Interesting fact: During World War II, about 145 of the biggest and heaviest metal monuments were removed and melted down for the war effort. Not all of these removed monuments have been replaced.

Lots of cannons are scattered around the park in the

original positions during the battle

The union general in charge was U. S. Grant. Grant tried several different methods of taking Vicksburg. One was trying to cut a canal on the Louisiana side of the Mississippi River that could be used to by-pass Vicksburg and be out of range of the cannons on the bluffs around the city. Grants canal scheme failed when high water broke the upstream dam and flooded the dig site. Grant then decided to cross the Mississippi River downstream of Vicksburg and attack it from the east. After crossing the river, he needed to take the Rebel stronghold at Grand Gulf. It was similar to Vicksburg in that cannons could easily be used to stop river traffic. The Grand Gulf Battle park is located about 20 miles south of Vicksburg. The road to the park has overhanging trees that gave a tunnel effect.

Freedom at the Grand Gulf Battle Park



After Grant took Grand Gulf and a couple other small battles, he went to Vicksburg. The confederate General in charge at Vicksburg was General Pemberton.  He had plenty of time to fortify the approaches to the city to withstand any assault. Grant tried a couple frontal attacks which were easily stopped by the Rebs, so Grant decided to lay siege to the city and starve it into submission. The city held out for about 47 days before Pemberton asked Grant for the terms of surrender. The two generals met under an Oak tree in between the two front lines. The picture below of an up-side-down cannon marks the place where the two generals spent a couple of hours discussing terms.



Meeting place of Generals Grant and Pemberton

There were about 10,000 lives lost on each side during this battle. The Battle at Gettysburg happened just a couple of days later. These two decisive wins for the north practically assured their overall victory.

Take care of each other. Cya

Vicksburg, MS (part 1)

The weather was a little bit better yesterday. The temperature was in the 50's with a strong wind. If you stayed outside very long the wind chill would make you look for a warmer place. I drove around old Downtown Vicksburg and it looked like every other downtown. Empty buildings with new landscaping along the street and brick inlaid cross-walks trying to make it look pretty. They may be able to revive it, but if they do they will be one of the few towns in the country that achieves it.

Anyway, I went to the Vicksburg Visitors Center and picked up several more pamphlets of things to do. Sidenote to the chefs out there. The lady at the visitor center was telling the lady before me (yeah I was patiently waiting again) a trick about fresh herbs. She said cut them up, put them in ice cube trays with water and freeze them. When you need some in a recipe just put the whole ice cube in the meal, the extra little bit of water won't hurt. 

I visited the Louisiana Circle. It is on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in both directions, north and south. Canons were placed there to protect the river from Yankee gunboats. A group of Louisiana soldiers manned the cannons.

Climbing the hill to the Louisiana Circle

Trying to get boats past this point in the river was called "Running the Gauntlet". The cannons were very accurate because they had rifled bores which would spin the cannon ball as it was shot. There were only a very few of those on the confederate side and were used only in the most important places.

Looking to the north up the Mississippi

As I looked over the Running the Gauntlet plague, I could visualize gunboats as they would be rounding the bend and the Louisiana boys springing into action. Tense times for both sides.







"Louisiana Circle" Cannon facing south

The bridges in the background are I-20 and old U.S. 80. You can also see a tug and barges heading upstream.

I will learn more on the battle in the next day or two as I begin to explore the battle park itself. People are saying it usually takes a couple days or more to see and appreciate it all. And since I'm retired, I have those days. The temperature this morning is a chilly 37 degrees. I think I'll have another cup of coffee and let the sun do it's job at warming the place up.

I'll be relocating to another RV park down the road about 7 or eight miles. It is in a more country location and the park is more open than this one at the casino. The casino park is OK, (on a scale of 1 to 10, it's a 5). I need to be out of here by 11:00. There is a big 18 wheeler parking lot for the casino and I haven't seen the first truck parked there. I plan to use it for an hour or so today to practice backing Liberty up. I need the practice before I get into some of those very tight older state/federal campgrounds.





 Freedom keeping an eye on the Mississippi as it rolls on by

Ya'll take care of each other. Cya



Travel Day; Delhi, LA to Vicksburg, MS (bad day)

Freedom and Liberty Hitched between Storms

I decided to leave Poverty Point State Park at Delhi a day earlier then I had planned. Someone told me there wasn't much to see around that area and they were right. Once I decided to leave I needed to time it with the thunderstorms that was rolling through the state. I figured I could get everything ready to go and hitched up between storms. Then I would only have to wait for the next one to pass and I could fall right in behind it all the way to Vicksburg. If everything worked out right, I could be set up in the campground at Vicksburg before the next storm came along. Sounds like a good reasonable and logical plan, uh? Nothing should go wrong. 
So I gave one last look at the first park I camped at after retirement and hit the road. 

Last look at Poverty Point State Park (after the rains)




The skies were clear over me but I could see the storms ahead and behind me. I began to doubt my decision about trying to slide in between storms. So I said to myself, "what is the worse thing that could happen"? Dang, I shouldn't have asked myself that questions because all sorts of things came to mind and not one of them was good. I began to wonder if I would be able to make it to the state line.

Lucky for me, the weather held and I got to the Ameristar RV Campground in Vicksburg. I patted myself on the back for making such a great decision and wonderful planning. The lady who checked me in was a very nice older southern lady who liked to talk. I was in the mood, so we talked for a while. She had known a few Goza's in her life and asked if I was related to any of them. I answered "probably" but didn't know for sure. After chatting for about 15 minutes about nothing in particular, she said she was going to give me one of the good campsites. I thanked her and left to go get set up. All of the sites are pull-through sites which made me glad since I still need more practice at backing up the trailer. I was surprised that the sites were so short. By the time my slide-out was far enough ahead to miss the electrical pedestal, Freedom was half way in street. But I decided it would be just fine as I again patted myself on the back.

I checked level of the trailer side to side and it was right on. Good. No leveling blocks needed. I also checked the level fore and aft and it was off some but I figured the landing gear should take care of that. Wrong! So, of course the last thing to do after everything else is done is level fore and aft. This is after chocking, checking electrical and unhitching from the truck. After doing all of that, there wasn't room on the landing gear to lower the front end enough to get even within one bubble of center. By now, I'm soaked with sweat due to being overweight but I blame it on the high humidity brought on by the rain. After inspecting the concrete pad for quality assurance, I noticed that 3/4 of the concrete pad is pretty level while the other 1/4 goes uphill. My landing gear is on that uphill quarter and I can't go backwards or my slide-out will hit the electrical pedestal. I look around at some other empty sites and spy a level one. I hurriedly take everything back down, hitch up and head to the office to change sites.

I'm a little frustrated at this point and suddenly remember the storm that was in my rear-view mirror on the way here. A glance at the sky says it is near and it will be a race to set up before it rains again. I run trot walked very fast into the office. Do you remember the sweet southern lady that liked to talk that checked me in earlier? Well she is checking in an older couple and wouldn't you know it, she is talking about old times. Apparently, this couple has been coming to this campground for several years and have struck up a friendship with the "sweet southern lady that likes to talk." I wait patiently by the door looking at the sky turn darker by the minute. Finally after about 15 minutes, the couple leaves and she says, "what can I do for you honey-child". I explain the situation and ask for the other site and she says OK. Before another "honey-child" can leave her lips I thank her loudly and head for the door. I thought to myself as the door closed behind me that I was being as rude as a Yankee, so I poked my head back in and thanked her properly.

The new site was level enough fore and aft and only required one block left to right. As I was finishing the set-up on the left side of the trailer, a wind came up, the rain started and I heard a big bang come from the other side. I just hoped it wasn't from my trailer cause that sound just couldn't be good. As I rounded the corner of the trailer I could see my door just flopping in the wind. A big gust of wind pushed it back and ripped the hydraulic opener off the door. That will need to be fixed before I forget and let it swing open. But that will be another day and time.

Oh well, everything is set up now and time to relax. I went to the visitor center and got several pamplets of places to see around the area.

There will always be good days and bad days. Our hope is the good outweighs the bad by a whole bunch. I know mine has over the years, so one bad day is not a problem with me.

Take care of each other. Cya

Exploring textiles

I got dressed in my retirement clothes and planned for an intense day of exploration.

What keeps the fire ants out?

 



I begrudgingly followed the advice from almost every woman I know and didn't wear black socks with my newly purchased sandals. I went commando.

I thought and thought about where to go and what to see but came up empty. Then I remembered a place that I just knew I had to see. So I loaded up and headed there as quick as I could.

 

I was lucky in that no one else was there. I had the place all to myself.

 



 

The exploration lasted about an hour and a half. I left with clean clothes. The room was very clean and well maintained. Wash was 75 cents and dry was 75 cents. It gives an idea of the profit margin at the laundromats that I was using in Shreveport/Bossier when I was camped at the marina. Wash there was $2.75 and dry was at least $1.00.

 

I will be pulling out sometime tomorrow headed for Vicksburg, MS. The weather is questionable with the possibility of thunderstorms on and off all day. I'll try to fall in behind the storms after they pass through.

 

I plan to visit the Vicksburg Battle park and the re-claimed iron-clad ship that was recovered from the river. Both should be interesting. After I'm finished with Vicksburg I may head north to Missouri or Tennessee. I'll wait and make that decision later. If ya'll have any recommendations, add a comment.

 

Take care of each other. Cya.

 

 



Northeast Louisiana Exploration

I spent the first full day of retirement exploring the area of Northeast Louisiana. I had passed through this place once before, many years ago. I had forgotten how poor the people are in this area. It is a shame because they are sitting on some of the most fertile ground in the country. There are still people living in old sharecroppers houses with little kids running around in the yard. With no other houses for miles, these kids are isolated just as if they were on an island. Instead of water surrounding them it is just cultivated fields for as far as the eye can see. It was the same thing in the little towns, except instead of poor country people, it was poor city people. I'm sure it's been done, but it is hard to imagine the kind of determination it must take to break away from that cycle of poverty. 

A Tree Grows in the Country

 

I took the picture above because it reminded me of the book "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith. It too represented hope for the future. I wonder if the planter of this tree thought of it as hope?

I drove through these area on my way to the Louisiana State Cotton Museum in Lake Providence, Louisiana.
 

Freedom at the Cotton Museum

 

 

The museum does a good job of showing the history of cotton production. The lady volunteer said cotton production has been declining every year for the past several years. One reason is because of cheap, imported cotton from China which has driven the price down and made it non-profitable for our farmers. The federal government is not doing it's job to protect the American producers from artificially priced, government subsidized low imports. If the imports represent a true cost and those other countries can produce it cheaper, then by all means it is "free enterprise". But when another country subsidizes their exports like China is doing with cotton just so as to run our farmers out of the business then that is when the federal government should step in to stop it. The other reason is that farmers have switched over to producing corn because the price of it is high due to Ethanol production. Kind of ironic that in that case, "our" government is artificially inflating the price of corn by subsidizing the Ethanol production. A good idea would be for both governments to get the heck out of the way.

Well. I didn't mean to write such a bummer of a post. Oh well, got to take the bad with the good. :)

I'll be leaving here Monday heading to Vicksburg, MS. Hopefully the predicted Sunday night rain will have passed through before I pull out.


Take care of each other. Cya.