Wednesday April 9

Set off this sunny morning in the Kentucky countryside. First stop was the Keeneland race track (outskirts of Lexington), where we could wander around the paddocks and see the horses, and watch them having their morning exercise around the track. Then we had a scenic drive through the countryside, lots of horse farms.

Next we drove a couple of hours to Dayton, Ohio where there is a lot of aviation history. We went to the Wright brothers visitor centre and watched a half hour film about their flight attempts. They had a printing shop and a bicycle shop before they attempted to fly. Seems like they were very curious and clever guys. 

We moved on and stopped for the night at Bowling Green, Ohio.

Tuesday April 8

Early start this morning, we had a four hour drive to our first stop, plus we lose an hour going back into Eastern Time Zone (in Kentucky). Stopped about 11:30 for a country breakfast at Cracker Barrel restaurant, plenty to eat, including grits, which I tried but won't bother again (bit like a porridge). Next up was Abraham Lincoln birthplace national park. We saw a movie, exhibits, and a full size replica of the inside of his two room cottage birthplace home. Apparently it was the usual type of frontier home and his family was middle class. What they thought was the original cottage has been moved and a building put around it, that looks a bit like the Lincoln memorial in Washington D.C., forty years later they found out it wasn't the actual cottage!

Next we continued on to Bardstown, the home of bourbon. Lots of distilleries in this area doing the tour and tasting thing. we stopped and looked at the museum in one place but didn't bother with the tasting . . . beer is our thing.

Then continued on to Lawrenceburg for overnight. It has been nice and sunny all day.

Monday April 7

Set off for Clarksdale this morning, only half an hour away. The rain has stopped but it is very cloudy.

We visited the Delta Blues Museum and spent about an hour and a half looking at the exhibits and listening to video and music clips. It was an interesting place.

Next up was a two hour drive to Tupelo (still in Mississippi) to visit Elvis's birthplace. The simple two room house is still there and the land around it was purchased and made into a park. They moved the church he used to go to, from a block away, into this park. A museum has been built with exhibits and a short movie of "the early days", also the usual gift shop. An interesting stop, but nothing like Graceland.

We continued on to Jackson, Tennessee for overnight.

Sunday April 6

Woke up to rain this morning. It moved in overnight and we now have warnings of 1-2 inches of rain, possible flash floods, and thunderstorms with a possibility of tornadoes! 

We decided to miss our first planned stop and get moving north to Vicksburg ASAP in case it helped us to miss the worst of the storm. An hour and a half later we arrived at Vicksburg National Military Park (there was a huge siege here, which was a turning point in the civil war), we watched the movie first then the exhibits before heading out on the 16-mile driving tour around the battle sites, which now include lots of large memorials to each battalion/division. We also went in the U.S.S. Cairo museum which has a flat bottomed paddle steamer (same name), covered in steel, that was sunk in the Mississippi River during the civil war. It had been raised from the river and restored. It was almost 2 pm when we went to leave the park and get some lunch, but as we drove around a bend we had to stop as a tree had fallen down and blocked the road (which was one-way through the park). Ian took a look but there was no way he could do anything. I called the park rangers and they told us to sit tight they would come and clear it. First vehicle showed up with a woman ranger, second vehicle had two guys and the third vehicle had a guy with a chainsaw! They soon cleared it and we were on our way again.

I asked Ian to go ask them how long they would be as his wife wanted to use the washrooms - but he wouldn't : )

We had a quick lunch and headed north again, this time a two hour drive to Cleveland, Mississippi for an overnight stop. Had bouncing down rain, fog and thunder and lightning along the way. Some areas there was a lot of water sitting around on the surface of parts of the road and fields. relaxed at the hotel before going for dinner at a Mexican place just down the road. We are hoping tomorrow will be a better day, forecast only calls for a 20% chance of rain!

Saturday April 5

Had a busy day today. Started by doing a two hour swamp tour on Lake Martin. We were in an aluminum boat, with a flat bottom, designed for the Louisianna bayou, with a fairly quiet motor on the back. Lots of cypress and tupelo trees growing up out of the water. The largest we saw was about 125 foot tall and more than a hundred years old. Lots of birds here, egrets, herons, spoonbills, cormorants,  ducks. Some of the birds migrate, some were here having their babies. Also saw a few gators but they were not sunning themselves in the sun as it was a cloudy morning, so were mostly underwater with their heads floating just above the surface.

Next stop was about an hour and a half away, at the Rosedown Plantation at St. Francisville. It was a lovely house with an interesting history.

We continued on to Natchez, Mississipi whose heyday was in the 19th century, due to its location on the Mississippi River. It was bustling due to the river boats transporting goods and cotton was the main industry. About two thirds of the richest families in America had homes here at that time. Lots of beautiful old homes remain here but it is quieter than it once was. We visited the William Johnson House, the home of a freed slave who went on to become a successful businessman and own slaves of his own. He left a 14-volume diary chronicling 16 years of his life. We are staying the night here, but not in the Grand Hotel!

Friday April 4

Had an early start this morning, we weren't sure if there would be commuter traffic or not. Turned out the roads weren't too bad but we still missed the turn to get on the highway to leave town. Eventually we figured it out and got to our first stop, the Destrehan Plantation on the River Road, which runs alongside the Mississippi River and used to have loads of plantations. Not as many these days, but still enough to draw many visitors either day tripping from New Orleans or passing through like us. We stopped and took a tour around one called "Laura" which had been owned by a Creole family (a mix of European, native Indian and Black people). It was a very informative tour with most of the historical references coming from a book written by a previous woman owner. Nothing like Gone With the wind, mostly a working plantation with time off spent in New Orleans over the winter two or three months for the social season. Mainly, this plantation was run by the smartest child, usually a female. We toured the house, a slave cottage and some of the grounds. Tour was about 70 mins., after which we proceeded to Lafayette where we visited the Acadian Cultural Centre. The Acadians were French settlers from Nova Scotia who were deported to Louisianna because they wouldn't fight with the British against the French. Next we went walking around Lake Martin where there were lots of birds and swampland. We are going on a boat tour in the morning so we may see even more birds.

Sounds like there has been some bad weather today but we have avoided it as we moved on. It was raining a little this morning but it has been a lovely sunny afternoon.

Thursday April 3

Spent another day in the French Quarter, lots of walking. Took in some sunshine (27 today) and sat in the square listening to music. Went in the Cabildo (museum) where the Louisianna purchase was signed then went for lunch (a local dish: rice and red beans with sausage) and a beer. Sat outside and listened to a jazz band playing while we ate.

Toured the 1850 house after lunch, more walking then a rest before going out to dinner. Went on Bourbon Street for a restaurant, everywhere was wild, music blaring, dancing and drinks "to go" while walking around. Only place I've ever seen where you can get a slice of pizza and a beer to go! Only rule is it has to be in a plastic cup/mug. Five mounted police on the street, armed guard at the restaurant door and it wasn't even 7 o'clock yet!

Wednesday April 2

Spent the day in the French Quarter. Started off by showing up at the National Park Service visitor centre to get tickets for their walking tour at 9:30. We were third/fourth in line and only 25 tickets available, all tickets were gone by about 9:10. Watched a short movie on the Mississippi River before the walk with a ranger. Next was Cafe Du Monde for coffee and warm beignets which we ate on the river bank while watching the trolley buses and a paddle steamer depart. We then strolled around taking in the history, atmosphere and music. Stopped for lunch at a bakery with a nice quiet courtyard where we had a rest before setting off again. Went to the Old Mint (museum) and watched a performance by a jazz trio, that the Nat. Jazz Historic Park puts on, good musicians that played rock, blues, and more all with a jazz twist. Walked some more, sat and listened to more music (lots of it here), before going back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

Tuesday April 1

First stop was Tannehill which was an ironworks site pre dating the civil war. It was in a lovely setting in the trees and nice and quiet. Some folks were staying there in their RV's. We toured the museum and walked around the site for an hour and a half. All the building had been brought from other locations, often donated log cabins etc.

We kept moving and went through Alabama, Mississippi and into Louisianna, arriving in New Orleans about 5.

Found our hotel easy enough and managed to park in the underground parking that has tiny spots with barely enough room to open your car doors - thank goodness we don't have a big SUV! Ian is happy to leave the car there for a few days and walk around instead.