Pensacola, FL

McDavid, FL

Flomaton, AL

Montgomery, AL

Today was an interesting day. I started out early from Vicksburg because I knew it would be a long day, not only because of the long drive, but because I knew I’d be stopping often. I crossed the full width of the state of Mississippi on Interstate 20, and crossed into a new state for both me and the trailer, Sweet Home, Alabama. The folks at the Visitor Greeting Centre just inside the state line were the most cheerful bunch, and really helpful. I continued my journey eastward on Highway 80 across Alabama before my day ended in Montgomery, the State Capital.

Although there is a huge amount of Civil War history surrounding Montgomery, (Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the President of the Confederacy as it’s first capital was here, for instance) today my focus was on Civil Rights rather than Civil War. I followed the 54 mile route from Selma, Alabama to the State Capital, Montgomery, Alabama that Civil Rights activists marched on March 21,1965, accompanied by Dr Martin Luther King Jr. They marched, I drove. Although I did walk over the famous Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The story of this march is told in the movie Selma, which was produced by Oprah, and she even had a small part in the movie. I stopped at the National Park Service Interpretive Centre in Selma for maps, etc and asked if the movie had been fairly accurate. The two women I talked to both thought it had been factual as far as what they showed other than they believed that MLK actually had a better relationship with President Johnson than was depicted in the movie. One of the women’s grandmother had been involved in the marches and she had heard all sorts of first hand accounts.

There is also a second interpretive centre about 30 km from Selma which has displays and an excellent documentary film on the events of the March from Selma to Montgomery, including a lot of first hand accounts of what it was like. It shows the long road before even getting to the 1965 marches, the months and months of work by groups working out of the churches in Selma (primarily the Brown Chapel AME and the First Baptist Church) by mostly youth organizations. (DCVL-Dallas County Voters League, SNCC -Student Nonviolent Coordination Committee and SCLC – Southern Christian Leadership Conference). It’s a huge centre and this afternoon when I was there it was me and one other family from Texas. To be fair, it’s not anywhere near the height of tourist season, and they did say the movie has dramatically raised consciousness about the events. In fact one woman said a man from Hungary made a special trip just to see it all, after seeing the movie.

The movie, Selma, focuses, for dramatic effect I suppose, on the events surrounding Bloody Sunday and the successful march to Montgomery on March 21, 1965. These events however, were the culmination of years of struggle for blacks trying to register to vote. While a few had been successful, many were turned down for non-legitimate reasons such as lack of education, etc. and any attempts to motivate people to register resulted in harassment by local authorities in Selma. The Sheriff in this story is not one of the good guys, and neither is the Governor.
On March 7, 1965 (Bloody Sunday) as hundreds of peaceful marchers came over the crest of the bridge they realized it would be wise to retreat after seeing the police presence on the other side of the bridge. Despite their retreat and peaceful acts, they were chased and beaten by the police, some on horseback while they were trying to make their way back to the church or their homes.
The final successful march was actually the third attempt. The second attempt, this time led by MLK, turned back after he led the marchers in kneeling in prayer rather than march headlong into the police presence. Some condemned MLK for not proceeding with the second march. I remember being confused by that decision in the movie, but the documents I read today say that MLK decided to turn back because the Governor had refused to sanction the march and instead of providing safety, the police were prepared for another Bloody Sunday and he didn’t want to take the innocent people into that situation. He also wanted to prove that the marchers would continue to protest peacefully. MLK subsequently pushed President Johnson to get the injunction against the march lifted and it finally was, allowing for the successful march on March 21.

Strategically, publicity surrounding Bloody Sunday and the second march that was being widely televised and monitored and which demonstrated the march was going to be peaceful, gave MLK the lever to get national and international attention for the cause. This attention drew all sorts of people to Selma to join in the march as it progressed over the 5 days it took to get to Montgomery, and what started as 4000 ended up as over 15,000 in the final march to the Capital. MLK gave his famous “How Long, Not Long” speech that day, which he wrote while in jail in Selma from a previous arrest for marching.

Finally in August, President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act which suspended many of the barriers to registering that black voters has struggled with. The sad reality is that it’s really a rather hollow victory because while voters are now able to be registered, many of the youth, in particular, are not voting. In the last presidential elections less than 25% of black youth in Alabama voted.

As someone so involved in the democratic system my whole life, it was a moving day. This issue tugs at my heartstrings and I have to admit to some tears as I walked over the bridge today. I find it incredibly frustrating that there are those that are willing to make such sacrifices to ensure the ability for people to exercise such a fundamental right as voting, and yet not everyone exercises that right.

I’ve got some other great pics but am having major wifi issues this evening. I’ll add them later.

Selma, AL

Vicksburg, MS

It was a warm (23-ish) , sunny and interesting day in Vicksburg, Mississippi. It was sure nice to have some warmth again. The last warm day was a fleeting one, back in Baton Rouge. Since then while it has been mostly sunny, it’s been around 15 degrees as a high and going down to near zero over night.

All things Civil War receive a huge amount of attention here in the South as they do in other parts of the United States and so with the claim being made that the battle and siege of Vicksburg was the beginning of the end for the Confederacy, I came specifically to Vicksburg to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park. I have previously visited Gettysburg and I was interested in learning about this battle as well. I’m by no means a war or specifically Civil War buff, but you can’t help but be interested in the human side of this particular war when neighbours fought against each other and even brothers fought against each other.

The National Park at Vicksburg is really well done. The visitor centre has an excellent video shown in their auditorium every 30 minutes that really helps to put this battle and siege in context and to give enough specifics that it all makes some kind of sense. The battle ground is large and there is a 16 mile drive around the site with markers and maps. In addition you can hire a personal guide to join you in your car for the tour or you can buy a CD that talks you through the park and you can go at whatever speed you like. Given that I was sure to be wanting to stop to take pictures, I decided the CD version made the most sense. It was really well done. It covered the basic facts as well as giving some first hand account information that I always find the most interesting.

Throughout the park are monuments put up by the various states involved in both sides of the battle at Vicksburg with each State deciding the timing and appropriate kind of monument. Some are single monuments and are large and imposing, like the Illinois one, and others are smaller and more artistic like Rhode Island. Some states decided to put small markers at each site where their troops fought throughout the battleground. You’ll see that Kansas’ monument is the most modern of all, and is one of the more recent ones. In addition there are many busts and monuments and plaques to various players in the battle.

Major General Ulysses S. Grant was the Commander on the Union side, was tasked with clearing any resistance from the South along the Mississippi. Vicksburg, high on a bluff along the river was a major impediment to that task. The Union thought that if they took the Mississippi they would have control of the major transportation route and they would divide the Confederates. In the end it took 46 days of siege after 2 major battles before the Confederates, commanded by Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton, agreed to capitulate to ensure the ability to get the best possible terms for his soldiers. The Confederates surrendered on the morning of July 4th, 1863.

There is a Union Cemetery on the grounds, with the graves of 17,000 Union soldiers, 13,000 of which are unknown and are marked by simple small stones with just a number on them. The Confederates lost over 5,000 men and they are buried on a cemetery elsewhere in Vicksburg.

So after that heavy morning, I stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking the Mississippi and in a 1890’s former biscuit making plant.

Near it, on the main road through historic downtown there is another important piece of history.
The location they claim was the first location to start bottling Coca-Cola anywhere in the world in 1894! Before this time you could only get Coke at a soda fountain. Joe and Herman Beidenharn apparently started the venture in their confectionary factory. I haven’t verified the claim with the Coke folks. The restored 1890 building holds a museum, store and gift shop. It’s a little cheesy and junky, but only costs $3.50 to get in and really such an important part of history! And of course I stopped to have a coke float, which I hadn’t had since my youth, sitting at a table outside in the sun. It was lovely.

Then for the final interesting part of my day, I drove up Highway 61 north to the town of Onward. “Town” is really pushing it. It is one building with a store and gas pump on the highway. The point of interest in Onward is that it is here that the claim is made that the term “Teddy Bear” got started. Something about Teddy Roosevelt going hunting and coming across a bear tied to a tree, and being kind hearted he didn’t want to kill a captive bear. So they started referring to bears as Teddy bears. Seriously, I’m not making this stuff up.

I had a look at the casino whose RV Park I’m using to see what it was like. Typical casino, and surprisingly still smokey. Amazing that they still allow smoking here. It reinforced that I’m not a big fan of casinos and have no need to visit again.

Vicksburg, MS

Today I said farewell to New Orleans, for now. Something tells me it won’t be forever. Still lots to explore and I’d like to see it when it wasn’t Mardi Gras time.

This morning I headed north up the Mississippi and into another new State for me and for the trailer (it’s now been through 8 States), Mississippi. I back tracked a little, heading back on Interstate 10 through Baton Rouge and then heading north on Highway 61.

Just inside the State line, I stopped at the Mississippi Hospitality Centre to get information on my stay in Mississippi. First time I’ve seen a visitor centre that advertised, and indeed provided, Security in the parking area of the centre. It wasn’t a warm and cozy feeling for me, imaging there must be a need for it. In any case, there was a couple in the centre using the wifi who I said hi to as I passed them, and when the folks at the desk asked where I was from and I said Canada, they said that the couple also there were too. Wouldn’t you know they were from Ottawa too! They were just heading back to Ottawa after a trip to Florida and over to New Orleans. We had a chat about our experiences in the south.

I headed off up the road, and arrived at the town of Natchez just in time for a great lunch of blackened catfish sandwich at a place called Roux 61 Seafood and Grill. It was recommended to me by the folks at the “Mississippi Hospitality Centre” and it was indeed a great choice. Then I headed into Natchez.

Natchez is built atop a bluff overlooking the Mississippi. Across the river is Vidalia, Louisiana. It’s their 300 birthday this year and their catch phrase is where people have been meeting for 300 years.

It is the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River, the early major transportation route, and is a blend of cultures and peoples: African-American, British, French, Native American and Spanish. The French were the first to arrive and with them, the first slaves from Africa. The English, Scottish and Spanish also moved in until in 1797, the first American Flag was raised at the House on Ellicott Hill. Natchez was the first capital after Mississippi became a State in 1817.

Natchez has a similar history as the plantations further south, although they grew cotton in this area rather than sugar cane. There are beautiful antebellum mansions along the river that remained largely intact during and after the Civil War. Many of them are well preserved and have been turned into B&Bs or are open to the public for viewing. In the spring and fall, there are organized Pilgramage Tours, when many of the private homes are open to viewing by the public.

I wandered all over the historic downtown area taking pictures and chatting with people. One thing I noticed is that for the second time since I’ve been in the south, someone referred to the lovely day we had today as a “pretty” day. It was a young man I encountered as he was trimming grass on one of the old homes. The southern charm is still alive and well and living in the south. People are so open and welcoming and inquisitive. Another small cultural thing I first noticed in southern Texas is that snow cones are not “snow cones” here, they are “snow balls”.

One historic marker I stopped at was the Forks of the Road marker. Because of Natchez’s location, on the Mississippi and the Natchez Trace trail that runs from Natchez to Nashville, it became one of the major slave trading sites in the south. The marker is at an intersection that showed up on a map in 1853 and which identified the area as having 2 “Negro Marts”. If you’re interested in reading more about the slave trade and this particular location, there is a lengthy article at this link.

http://mshistorynow.mdah.state.ms.us/ar ticles/47/the-forks-of-the-road-slave-m arket-at-natchez

After getting my fill of pictures and noting the time, I headed off on the last part of my journey today, further north to Vicksburg, Mississippi. I’m staying tonight at the cheapest of the RV Parks I’ve stayed in so far, Ameristar RV Park. It’s associated with one of the casinos here and so it’s really just cost recovery to get more people in the door of the casino. It’s adequate and clean, although once again, the wifi isn’t good. Sigh. And no, I won’t be participating in the casino action.

Natchez, MS

Baton Rouge, LA

New Orleans, LA

I spent another great day in the French Quarter today. I had hoped to do a walking tour and check out the museum but they weren’t running the walking tours because it was so crowded and the museums were closed because it’s Monday. I should have checked that out before hand because that is so often the case. Oh well.

I grabbed a pastry and tea at Antoine’s Annex on Royal to get my day started after looking at the line up at Cafe du Monde which was my original destination. Probably just as well that I didn’t have more beignets. Then I just wandered the French Quarter, did a little shopping and enjoyed the music on the streets and at a band stand on the Mississippi. The atmosphere is simply electric even early in the day. There is more life and energy in that small area than there is in most large cities. Of course it’s fuelled by a fair bit of alcohol even early in the day.

And today I was even guilty! I stopped at World Famous Pat O’Brien’s. I think every person who responded to my Facebook posting looking for advice on things to do in New Orleans mentioned Pat O’Brien’s so naturally it was a must-do. Pat O’Brien had a speakeasy in the the French Quarter during prohibition but in a different location which he converted into a legitimate business after prohibition was over. Business was good and local people loved to hang out in the little
piano bar.

Eventually, O’Brien realized his business had outgrown their space and he and a partner bought property just down St. Peter Street. The building built in 1791 was originally a theatre but Pat converted it into a bar and patio area. The famous Hurricane drink was created in the 1940’s when whisky, bourbon and scotch were hard to come by and in order to get those alcohols the bar owners were forced to buy more readily available rum. They did some experimenting and came up with the famous drink and served it in a glass that resembles a hurricane lamp, thus the name. New owners gradually bought out Pat O’Brien’s but they kept the same name and lust for good times and built an even larger empire including merchandizing and another location for private parties.

I can personally attest to the potency of 1 Hurricane, but also to the warm and friendly environment. I shared my table with a couple from Oklahoma, Ken and Mary. We spent a great time chatting for over an hour. Nice folks with a passion for the outdoors, hunting and fishing.

I decided I best get out and walk a bit to work off the drink and so wandered up to the Mississippi. The Natchez Paddlewheel boat came back onto the river for today after being in for refurbishing and it’s calliope was playing at the dock to generate interest and in deed it did. It’s sound, created by steam being forced through large whistles, is quite piercing and a bit haunting.

Built in 1975 with the engine from a paddlewheel boat from 1925, the Natchez has been a part of New Orleans history since then. In 1976 she carried Gerald Ford on a campaign tour which ended with a big rally in Jackson Square and in 1988 President George HW Bush arrived at the Republican National Convention aboard the Natchez when New Orleans hosted the convention. After Katrina, the company suffered as tourism struggled like all other companies in New Orleans, but the company sent the Natchez on what they called a “tramping tour” up the Mississippi, doing tours up and down the river, to let the world know that New Orleans was resilient and would be back. It celebrated it’s 40th anniversary last year, and indeed, NO is back. The Natchez also participates in paddlewheel races from time to time to raise funds for local charities. She is undefeated since her first race in 1976.

There was also a great band playing at a band shell on the waterfront. It attracted a large crowd, and toe tapping, and outright dancing were almost irresistible. I stood in the sun, looking out at the Mississippi, grooving to the music as best I could among a crowd that knew how to do that much better than I, but loving every minute of it. I almost missed my late lunch/early dinner reservation I was enjoying my time so much.

But I rushed off to T Paul Louisiana Kitchen (thanks for the suggestion David) on Chartres Street to enjoy yet more great southern food. I had a great shrimp and sausage creole dish that was soooo tasty, with a bit of sweetness rather than a bite. They served little corn bread muffins as well as one with pecans and spices. Unfortunately I didn’t have room for dessert.

Satisfied with a great day I headed home before the parades this evening. I had to once again pass by Bourbon Street on the way to my parking spot, where the craziness factor was creeping up and it was only about 5 pm. There were definitely some interesting sites, and there was some breast baring going on, as well as some butt baring (as you’ll see if you look closely at one of the pictures) but nothing too terribly lewd was obvious. I suspect as darkness came that changed somewhat.

It really has been a great few days. I have to admit to a bit of trepidation and concern about my personal safety coming into New Orleans alone, especially at Mardi Gras time. There certainly are some sketchy areas, and opportunities to get into trouble, but using reasonable common sense, and taking normal precautions (not being ostentatious, carrying only a small amount of cash in a well guarded place, and no credit cards, staying on the main thoroughfares, hanging out with families on the parade route rather than young punks, etc) I didn’t feel unsafe at any time.

I don’t head out tomorrow, but will spend the day getting laundry done, cleaning my house and planning my next steps. At this point I’m not really sure where I’m headed when I leave on Wednesday. North or east. Will see.