Home is Where We Park It:  Natchez State Park, Mississippi

Date:  June 2, 2019

Temperature:  100 Degrees in Natchez/ 89 Degrees Natchez State Park

Wind:  Calm

Now How About That

Overcrowding?

Open Air Tour

It was, I believe, Thursday, maybe Friday when I received a phone call from the VA Center in Pensacola.  After three weeks someone finally got around to readying the Xray of my finger.  They told me it was still fractured and I should see an orthopedic specialist as soon as possible.  Now how about that.  I’ve had the splint off for weeks now and have been using the finger ever since.  Now you want me to seek out a doctor?  Really?  Don’t think it’s going to happen.  Hey, it will eventually heal.  Maybe a bit crooked but so what.

One more thing, there is all this talk about overcrowding in RV parks across the country.  We must be in the wrong part of the country.  Since St Augustine we haven’t encountered an over crowded park.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining.  I’m just wondering what is going on where.  This beautiful state park, for instance, is empty.  It has forty plus sites and I would say there are no more than four sites occupied, including ours.   I just hope the trend continues.

Time to do some more sight-seeing.  We’re going back into Natchez to take an Open Air Tour of the city.  It really is an open air tour because we’ll be riding around in a specially modified golf cart.

Yes, Barbara’s on board and ready to go.

This is Julia our driver and guide.  She, like us, is also from New Jersey.  Small world indeed.

Come on, hop on board and we’ll get going.  Our first stop is the Canal Street Station.

 

There are actually two terminals here, the one visible to the left above is where the passenger terminal was, the tracks where in the middle where the planter is now located and the cargo terminal was to the right.   This is the cargo terminal as seen from the street.  The large windows were once doors where wagons, trucks, whatever backed up to them, unloaded, and the goods were taken through the building to waiting trains.

This is the William Johnson house. William Johnson was a free man of color in Natchez. He acquired several building in Natchez, approximately 2,000 acres of land south of town and he owned several slaves. He gained the respect of leading citizens of the time, some of whom he loaned money to – including the governor of Mississippi who had signed his emancipation papers.  His house continued to be owned by the family until they sold it to the Ellicott Hill Preservation Society in 1976. The house was then donated to the city who in turn donated it to the National Park Service in 1990. After an extensive restoration process, the National Park Service opened the house as a museum detailing William Johnson’s life in 2005.  I’ll have a complete blog later about William Johnson.

This is the home of the mayor of Natchez during the Civil War.  When Union forces gathered on the river off of Natchez he decided to surrender rather than take a chance that they would sack the city.  Held by the Union for the duration of the war, the city escaped the damage and devastation seen by many other southern ports.  It is said that the Mayor died the next day of a broken heart, or was he poisoned?  No one really knows.

This is a one-and-a-half story Greek Revival townhouse built for Samuel and Jane Newman around 1840. They purchased the property for $1,000.  Over the years ownership changed several times. In 1884, the property was sold to Bettie Jacobs, and in 1900, Bettie Jacobs sold the property to the Natchez Elks Lodge for an undisclosed amount.  Not long after acquiring the property, the Natchez Lodge a local builder to enlarge the building. During the 1902-1903 renovation, the builder added a full second floor to the original half story. This explains why the windows differ on the second floor from those on the first. Since the 1902 renovation occurred during the Victorian Era, many architectural features were changed. Fireplace mantels and door moldings were “modernized” into the Victorian style and the front pediment and four massive columns added.

What happens when you want to join the Elks but they refuse to accept you as a member?  You build a bigger house next to their lodge!

This is the first jail built in Natchez.  The story is when a criminal was to be hanged, they did so with him in full view in the third floor window.  Town citizens would gather to observe and picnic.  The door on the gallows would open and the criminal would drop to the second story and be visible in the second story window.  Honestly, not my idea of where to go for a picnic but times were different back then.

This is the First Presbyterian Church, located at the corner of South Pearl and State Streets  It is one of the finest examples of a Federal-style church in Mississippi. Constructed in 1828-1829 on the site of an earlier church, it is home to a congregation organized early in the 19th century.

This is St Mary Basilica.  St. Mary Basilica is a minor basilica, once the cathedral for the state diocese.  In a minor basilica, all the liturgical roles for congregation members are to be promoted, liturgical music is to be prayerfully developed, and special feasts days and devotional practices are to be observed.  The oldest Catholic building still in use in Mississippi, the church received its first blessing in 1843. The church, a landmark in the city, is an exquisite example of Gothic Revival architecture.

The next stop has to be the saddest place in one of the saddest times in our nations history.  I just stood with a heavy heart for a long time in silence here.  This is Forks of the Road.  At the Forks of the Road market, which by one historian’s account probably looked like “a sprawling prison camp,” salves would be haggled over and sold to cotton plantation owners who came from across the Deep South.  At its peak, as many as 500 slaves could be found at the market on any given day. It’s believed to have been the second-largest slave market in the South; the biggest was farther down the Mississippi in New Orleans.

Based in Alexandria, Virginia, Isaac Franklin and John Armfield were the largest traders of enslaved African Americans in the nation between 1828 and 1836. The men bought enslaved people at low prices in the Upper South and sold them at much higher prices in the Lower South. While Armfield remained in Alexandria to purchase bondsmen for shipment south, Franklin handled sales in New Orleans and Natchez.

This is the Stanton House.  In 1858, Frederick Stanton built the home of his dreams for his family on his new property – an entire city block of Natchez, Mississippi. The city block cost about $1,550. The house cost over $83,000 before it was even furnished. Carrera Marble, mahogany doors 2 1/2 inches thick, chandeliers from France, and Italian statuary appointed the interior. Huge Corinthian columns and granite steps adorned the facade.  Ironically, Stanton lived only one month after his dream home was finished.  Stanton Hall housed a college for young ladies for a short time, then fell into disarray to some extent before the Pilgrimage Garden Club renewed the antebellum mansion to much of its former glory.

This is Natchez Memorial Park.  At it’s entrance is a monument of an unnamed Confederate solider facing north, keeping watch for the soon to come Union Forces.

Within the park proper is one of the largest wrought iron fountains in the south.

This is the home of Greg Iles who is the writer of many New York Times best-sellers since 1992.  This nationally-acclaimed Mississippi writer not only spends his time writing novels here at his house that are full of suspense from to cover to cover, but he is also a screenwriter and a talented musician.

A bright red door in Natchez – what do you think it means?  Not that.  It means your mortgage has been paid off.  Want to start a new trend in your neighborhood!

Even the man hole covers are unique.

Back at the Visitor Reception Center I discovered this display entitle Bowie’s Sandbar Fight.  James Bowie, lying on the ground is approached by Norris Wright who intends to finish him off by stabbing him with his cane sword.  Bowie instead pulls him down unto his knife killing him.

Barbara discovered this game.  It was about one’s journey to Natchez and back home again.  It was fun and informative at the same time.

That ends another day for us in Natchez.  We’ll take Monday off, go back in on Tuesday, and move out on Wednesday.

That brings to an end another day on The Road of Retirement.  We’ve learned a lot about this part of the country and a lot about Natchez.  Overall it’s been a good time and we’re not done yet.  So stayed tuned.  We’ll bring you more of our travels as the Internet allows – sometimes we can get connected and upload pictures, other times you can forget it.

Thanks again for sticking with us.  We enjoy your company.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

 

 

 

 

Home is Where We Park It:  Natchez State Park, Mississippi

Date:  June 1, 2019

Temperature:  87 Degrees

Wind:  Calm

Natchez Trace Parkway

Natchez Visitor Reception Center

This morning we awoke to a beautiful day.  Clear, sunny skies.  A bit cooler since the rig is fully shaded – except for the front windshield.  Reflex takes care of the heat that would normally come in there.  What more could one ask for.

We decided we would take our first trip on the Natchez Trace Parkway.  The park we are in is about 15 miles from the actual start so we’ll work our way down the parkway back to the beginning.  We’re taking the car this time.  It’s a beautiful road that goes up and down, and twists and turns this way and that.

We were told and did discover that there are circular turn outs at various points along the parkway.  This is the only one we came to on this stretch of the Parkway.

At this turn out we discovered an actual portion of the Old Natchez Trace.

We discovered that after the American Revolution frontiersmen from the Ohio River Valley brought their goods down the Mississippi to Natchez and New Orleans.  Once there since the current was too strong on the river to return by boat, they broke them up and sold the wood.   They then returned north using a number of different trails which ultimately evolved into the Natchez Trace.

We learned of the hardships travelers or Kaintucks faced on the 500 mile journey home.  They were now on horseback or foot.  Insects and snakes.  Rain and mud.  Swamps, creeks, and rivers to cross tested their resolve.  There were also robbers to deal with.

We learned that two Daughters of the Revolution played pivotal roles in the development of the Natchez Trace Parkway.  One of the two, Mrs Byrnes , became president of the Natchez Trace Association in 1934 and for over thirty years campaigned for the development of the Natchez Trace into a scenic national parkway.  Through her efforts and the efforts of many others the National Trace Parkway was completed and dedicated on May 21, 2005.

Now at the origin of the Parkway in Natchez

we moved on to the Visitor Reception Center.

Moving toward the front door we discovered this mural of main street revealing commercial and social activity in Natchez 100 years ago.  The welcome message across the mural in several different languages was created to emphasize the diversity that has always existed in Natchez.

Yup, that is Barbara once again leading the charge.

Once inside you find an fantastic display that contains a wealth of information about the city of Natchez.  This is an overview of the lobby which contains the display.

Behind the information counter in the visitor center is this wonderful wall mural of the city as it once was.

Let me say right up front, there is no way I can cover everything that was at the Visitor Center.  I spent close to two hours wandering around, reading, and taking pictures.  The best I can do, and I will try, is to present a snapshot of Natchez as presented at the Visitor Center.

The story of the city of Natchez is the story of a city that was built on the back of slaves when cotton was king in the south.   Natchez Forks of the Roads became the second largest slave trading market in the Old Southwest.  New Orleans was the largest.

By 1850 it was rumored that there were more millionaires residing in Natchez then anywhere else in America. They quickly learned that the more human commodity they invested in at The Forks the more cotton they could grow.  The more cotton they grew the richer they became.

Advertisements of Negroes for sale in 19th century newspapers and hand bills reflect an abundant number of dealers selling enslaved persons at The Forks.

A receipt given for the purchase of slaves.

Alongside the world of cotton lived the men and women associated with the river:  gamblers, innkeepers, dock workers and boat men.  Their life was centered in a section of Natchez known as Under-The Hill.  It was the seedy side of town full of bars, brothels, as well as river front commercial establishments.  Today this is a vibrant part of the city filled with some of the best restaurants in Natchez.  Unfortunately, we couldn’t visit it today because it is partially flooded due to the record rise of the Mississippi.

Over the years Natchez went through many changes.  There was the Civil War and following it the question loomed large:  How would the former enslaved and those who had enslaved them interact?  Regulations were first put in place to try and force the freed slaves to again work on plantations in slave like conditions.  African-Americans in turn threw themselves into forming a new social order.

Natchez slowly began to pull itself back together.  After the Civil War a close knit Jewish community emerged in Natchez.  They used their capital to establish stores, buy cotton, and extend credit to planters and sharecroppers.  Some amassed fortunes in banking, land, and the supply business.

During this time Natchez was becoming a thriving commercial and industrial town.  By 1900 Natchez was home to cotton mills, seed oil plants, lumber mills and an iron foundry.  But it all came to an end because of one little bug – the boll weevil.

But in 1932 Tourism came to town.  But it at first presented only the idealized picture of the south and avoided any mention of the harsh reality of slavery.

But that has now changed.  Today, as this display at the Visitor Center makes clear, Natchez is willing to present all its sides:  the Plantations, the slave cabins, the Forks in the Roads slave market and the homes of freed persons of color.

We’ve now come to the end of our first day here.  Once again we didn’t think there would be that much to see or do here.  Once again we were wrong.  So, we’ve made plans to stay here an extra day and cram in as much as we can.  Tomorrow we’ll tour the city.  The following day we’ll go in search of plantations, forts and so much more.  Stay tuned we’ll bring it all to you.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  It was a day for a wonderful drive on the Parkway, a day in which we learned so much about the city of Natchez, and a day to just be together doing what we love to do:  travel along, hand in hand, singing our song.  Time to go, sleep is calling.

Thanks again for your company it is always appreciated.  Have a good night, till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

 

 

 

 

 

Home is Where We Park It:  Natchez State Park, Mississippi

Date:  May 31, 2019

Temperature:  89 Degrees

Wind:  Calm

Travel Day

The Joke Is On Us

We did it to ourselves.  On the way in to Pontchartrain last week one of the valances came off a front blind.  No big deal we’ll just put it back up.  We dug in the goodie box and found a couple of new clips and together we went at it.  Won’t you know it the last one refused to clip in, at first.  We persisted and finally it was in place.  Fantastic.  Job well done.

Today I was sitting across from the blind in my chair and I looked, then took a double take.  No wonder it was so hard to put back up – we had put it back on upside down!  That by the way is the way it is going to stay until, well, until it falls off again and we need to put it back up.

No rush to get up this morning.  Though it was a travel day we had time.  Most of what needed to get done had already been done the night before.  Then we hit a snag.  Front slide in.  Back side, no go.  It refused to move even an inch.  Um?  So I hit the out button for a second, the green light came on, then I again hit the in button and in it came.  My guess is we have a switch going bad.  I’ll take it out of the wall and see if I can clean it up first and then go from there.

The temperature was again going through the roof.  By 8 am we were again at 89 degrees and it was humid and muggy.  Time to get this show on the road.  Like clock work we had everything packed up, everything secured, slides finally in, jacks up and we were on the road at 10 am.

Going out France Road did not seem as bad as coming in.  Don’t ask me why.  Same road, same pot holes, same wash board surface.  It was a direct shot to I 10 and we were off and rolling.  Traffic was light and moving with no issues.  First stop was for fuel.  That done we were now headed north to our new home.  Most of the trip was on interstates except for the last  two hours.  The last two hours we were on two lane county roads that twisted and turned, went up and down.

Soon enough we were at the entrance to our new home.  This is another one of those parks tucked away in the middle of nowhere.  The road in makes you wonder if you’ve taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way.  Then, once you make the turn into the park you still have a mile or two to go to the campground.  It’s an interesting trip.

But  a trip well worth it.  Here is our new home for the next four days.  All sites are concrete pads, dead level, 50 amp electric and water.  We’re also surrounded by trees which offer some welcome relief from the sun during the day.  Once again, though, we were able to find a window to the sky and Gertrude is in her glory.  We are too because we still get to watch Jeopardy James and Wheel of Fortune.

Our neighborhood.  Mostly empty when we got here, but they are slowly beginning to trickle in for the weekend.

Tomorrow we may try to get into Natchez.  Notice I say try, our understanding is that parts of it are already flooded with the worse to come this Saturday.  Time will tell how far we get.

That was our day on The Road of Retirement.  We had an easy trip and once again were able to enjoy the journey.  Time now to make plans for tomorrow and put my pictures from the WW II Museum in some sort of order.  I also need to begin planning for 2020 and our Western Tour.  First, some sleep.

Thanks for coming along again.  We enjoyed your company, catch your tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road

 

 

Home is Where We Park It:  Ponchartrain Landing RV Park and Marina, New Orleans

Date:  May 30 2019

Temperature:  91 Degrees

Wind:  Southwest 8 mph

Finishing Up The Big Easy

Packing Up

So our time here is just about over.  We’ll be packing up tonight and tomorrow morning, and then heading north.  We’ll have one eye on the weather though right now we are not anticipating anything out of the ordinary.  Time will tell.

Let’s go back to The Big Easy for a bit and we’ll share with you some odds and ends we have yet to post.

I have to say right up front they know how to treat Veterans in this part of the country.  The first time I boarded the tour bus I got a rousing ovation for being a Veteran.  Then there was the gentleman who wanted a picture with me because he wanted a picture with a real veteran.  I also cannot tell you how many times people came up to me and thanked me for my service.  It was such a good feeling to be recognized like that.

Food is up first.  I did it, I finally bought some Alligator bites to try.  What a big let down.

They look like and they taste like chicken nuggets.  The only difference is the premium price for the gator bites.  Now that I’ve had them I’m good and I will never have to order them again.

Here’s how New Orleans came to be.

In celebration of their 300 years, 1718 to 2018.

More unique art work.  Here we have art on reclaimed roof titles from the roofs of some original buildings in the French Quarter.

We switch now to art work on pieces of wood left over from Hurricane Katrina.

Art work in progress.

This is Canal Street which is 171 feet wide, the widest in the city.  It was originally supposed to be an actual canal that linked the Mississippi with Lake Pontchartrain.  That of course never came to be.  By the 1800’s it became the primary dividing line between the Creole French Sector side of the city and the American sector, which is known today as the Central Business District.  In the 1800’s it also became the first street in the city to have electric street lights.

This is Cancer Survivor Plaza, one of twenty four found throughout the United States.  The money for all twenty four parks or plazas was donated by Richard and Annette Bloch.

This is the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis King of France.

The church was visited by Pope John Paul II on September 12, 1987.  This is a stature erected in front of the church commemorating that visit.

This is Jackson Square which was the site of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.  I absolutely enjoyed walking around the park.  On the outside is a pedestrian mall that is closed to cars at all times.  It was a fascinating place to wander around also.

In two corners of the park are two marble statues representing Spring and Summer.

The focal point of the park is the statue of Andrew Jackson.

These are some building murals that I was able to get pictures of.

 

Here we have a couple of street performers.  This first gentleman just stood dead still but every once in a while he would raise a hand and try to draw someone in and get them to pick something out of his bucket.

What do you think?  Dead or alive?  I stood and stared for a good five minutes and he never moved a muscle nor opened an eye.

Yes, he’s very much alive and very, very unhappy if you take his picture like this.  Ask me, I know!

Want your future read?  Since I already know mine I declined!  These ladies are all over the place and believe me they do a brisk business.  I don’t know why.

This is the entrance to Mardi Gras World.  Sure wish we had had the time to visit and tour this.  This is where all the floats are made for the annual parade.  Interesting note, our guide informed us that the law now requires all who ride on the floats to be tethered to them.  Want to guess why?  Too many who are feeling no pain by the time they get on keep falling off during the parade!

A peek inside, the best picture I could get as we were moving by.

These are some pictures of the French Quarter.

These are some pictures of the might Mississippi which clearly show why they have levees in this part of the world.  Take a close look, the river has already overflowed its banks.  The houses behind the levee, note that you can only see their second story.  Imagine the destruction that would ensue if the levee broke.  The river we were told is at record heights.  In fact on the news yesterday they stated that the river is closed to all river traffic in the St. Louis area because of the height of the river.

This is the riverboat that you book if you want to take a luxurious trip on the river.  The American Queen is said to be the largest river steamboat ever built. The ship was built in 1995 and is a six-deck recreation of a classic Mississippi riverboat, built by McDermott Shipyard for the Delta Queen Steamboat Company

New Orleans.  The city I wanted no part of but quickly fell in love with.  Put it on your bucket list to visit – you will not be disappointed.  We’ll be back someday that is for sure.

Time now to begin packing since we’re moving out tomorrow.  We’ll start our journey up the Natchez Trace to Nashville.  We’ll take it our way, slow and steady with several stops along the way if for no other reason than we can.

That’s if for now on The Road of Retirement.  We’re looking forward to the days and miles ahead.  We definitely believe that the joy is in the journey.  Stay tuned there is much, much more to come.

Thanks for joining us again.  We always appreciate your company.  Till tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road