Day 14
June 13, 2011
Okay - today's journal entry is heavily edited! Apparently this was a BAD day - I was all spit & vinegar in the hand written journal. Wowza! So the following is just an evidence based, factual version of the day’s events - all emotion taken out of it!
We left Mobile rather early, because we had lots scheduled for Vicksburg & I wanted to have enough time. We stopped at Krispy Kreme & then drove, mostly back roads to Jackson, Mississippi...then an interstate to Vicksburg. About 10 miles east of Vicksburg, we came upon the immediate aftermath of a horrible accident. It was terrible. There were many cars involved - a huge fire...the smell was awful. Another 5 minutes and we would have been stuck...gave me a little bit of perspective.
Vicksburg was under water 4 weeks before our visit...seriously under water, from the Mississippi River overflowing...so I was nervous as to what we'd see. The water had eroded and things really didn't look too bad. However, we were pretty much the only people in town! (a blessing to be sure).
Our first stop was a "historical Antebellum Mansion"...their claim to fame was that Jefferson Davis's daughter lived there at some point. Rip off. Two minute, self-guided tour, for $20.
Then we drove "downtown". We couldn't see the Mississippi, because the flood wall was so high - so it was sobering to think the water had exceeded it. The Old Train Depot, which had been photographed many times in the preceding weeks, with at least 7 feet of water engulfing it - appeared bone dry. Amazing. They had workers and trucks surrounding it...with the big Obama sign out front - "America's Recovery & Reinvestment Act"...interesting! 4 weeks!
Next stop was the old Vicksburg Courthouse, built in 1850. Very cool. We were the only ones there - so we got to spend some time & learn some things. For instance - in that courtroom, Jefferson Davis sued the US government to get his plantation back, after the government seized it, following the Civil War. In 2011, my four kids yelled, fought, danced and frolicked on the historical floor of the courtroom. IMO, cool.
Final stop, the Vicksburg Battlefield, which is huge (sq miles) btw! It was sooooo hot though, we drove it, just passing by the many, many monuments to the many, many regiments who fought there. We did get out of the car to see the USS Ciaro - a Union battle ship that was sunk in the Mississippi during the Civil War and raised in the 1960's, reconstructed and displayed, adjacent to the Battleground's memorial Cemetery. Gave me chills...
We checked in at the Vicksburg Fairfield Inn. Disgusting (although the staff was very sweet). Dinner at Kroger...nobody was talking...rough day...early to bed.
Mobile, AL –Vicksburg, MS
229 miles/3 hours, 30 minutes
Hotel: Vicksburg Fairfield Inn, Rm 120
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