East Coast Tour 2014 Day Fourteen Yes you can go back home again, thanks goodness ! Our last day on the road. Some may think we are crazy for biting off so much travel in such a short time. We were pressed on the last couple of days. but Lynn worked out the logistics and we made it back fine, and still got to see a lot of cool stuff. We had missed getting in the Vicksburg national Battleground by twenty minutes the day before, but that was most likely a blessing in disguise. We got to bed fairly early so we could be loaded up, fed, and ready to drive through the Vicksburg National Park at eight when they opened. It is a very scenic drive, with twists and turns and a gazillion memorials literally. It seems every state that had soldiers in the battle also had memorials, and not just one. Many states had one for each different regiment, group. or army that was there during the battle. There are also cannons spread throughout the park placed where they were during the siege There is even an Ironclad, the Cairo.that was sunk then retrieved from the river on display. I should say pieces of it re-assembled in a resemblance of the ship. There is also a National Cemetery filled with the fallen from this battle, with even some soldiers of later wars, and even one Vietnam veteran. There are only two Confederates soldiers buried there, and that was by mistake as they died in the Union Hospital during treatment and were mistakenly interred in the Graveyard. The Confederates were then deemed unworthy to be buried in an Union Cemetery since they had succeeded from the United States. There is a large Confederate Cemetery in Vicksburg, but we didnt have time to visit it. We spent nearly three hours viewing the park, and enjoying the drive and thinking about the history of the area.The original battlefield was fairly clea trees and growth so imagining it as it was then made it thought provoking as to the actual battle conditions with the two Armies being so close in proximity.Im not sure how long a person could spend digesting every marker, sign, and memorials in this Park. They were everywhere and anywhere. It is also a popular running and biking location as we passed dozens of people enjoying themselves. We stopped at the gift shop for the required fridge magnet, and restroom stop before heading home.We topped off the tank, and grabbed some to-go food and with mixed emotions began our last day of vacation. Crossing the Mississippi River it off to Louisiana. Im sure there are plenty of things to see and do there, but it was time to get home, the Kitties and grand kids were calling and of course the rest of our loved ones ! Lynn drove a good portion of the way home. Shes really been a blessing on this, and of course the other road trips for finding lodging, navigation, relief driving, and most of all companion. I normally try to just go with the flow, as she works hard to make the travels interesting but this year she worked in a special stop for me at the Don Garlits Drag Racing Museum. We were about as close as we would ever be to it, and as much as I enjoyed seeing it, a dedicated trip was not in our future. So thank you Lynn for that ! I slept most the way through Louisiana and woke up just prior to the Texas border. I finished the drive home, and as Wilson luck would have it we hit The LBJ Freeway just about at rush hour. Ahhhh, to be back in Dallas. We made it home and quickly unloaded the car and returned it to Hurts. Surprisingly they knocked nearly ninety dollars off for our problems with the first car ( no 12 volt working accessory plugs) and car two (tire issues). We ended up only being out 292.00 for wheels for the trip. WOO HOO ! We have only about three or four states we havent driven through. I hope to make it to them perhaps in the next couple of years. Theres talk of a family vacation with the kids to Disney World next year. We feel extremely lucky to have had a spectacular vacation, having a safe drive through this marvelous country we are lucky enough to live in, and too see just a small part of what it has to offer. I am especially glad to have someone like Lynn to enjoy it with. A BIG thanks to her, and her mom for tending the kitties while we traveled. Also a shout out to our son James for additional support with the kitties too. Here is some of the totals: Number of days traveling - 14 Miles driven - 3,882 Number of states visited including Texas - Eleven + twice into two states. Traffic citations - NONE ! Scornful looks for speeding - lost count Enjoying the trip and the company - priceless Trip Cost - Worry about that later, thank you VISA !
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 14:38:47 +0000
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