Our adventure has begun in the New Year 2010. It actually began November 2009 so we’ll bring you up-to-date from there.
Starting out November 2, our destination was Ft. Pierce, FL, to Sandy’s folks for Thanksgiving. Our route was through Dodge City, KS with a stop at Boot Hill Museum and Cemetery; one of the best museums I’ve been to for it was very descriptive of the lives of Indians. On to OK and what a surprise of how western this state is versus being a southern state. But before we took in the cowboy thing, we were humbled at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum – the Murrah Federal Building that was blown up. When exiting the elevator you enter the museum as though you were there the morning of the tragedy. Kids voices, people talking, and then the explosion. It is a beautiful tribute to those who died. There is an outdoor memorial with chairs that light up in the evening; miniature chairs for the children who perished, and regular sized chairs for the adults. We went back to Oklahoma City the next day to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. An amazing place with artwork and everything you would want to know about cowboys, real or otherwise as in John Wayne. Then on to see our friends and fabulous hosts Mel and Diane Swafford in Tulsa. A special treat was receiving a grand tour by our hostess and experiencing incredible worship at the historical Boston Avenue UM Church with Pastor Mouson Biggs.
Moving on now to Texarkana, AR, by way of Robbers Cave State Park (where Jessie James is said to have hidden out); and the Talemena Trail with a 13% grade! We got to have lunch with some of my childhood friends ~ Nancy, Darel, and Connie Bair. My family vacationed with them for many years on Coldwater Lake, MI, and boy did we catch up and go over old memories.
Our next stop was in Pittsburgh, TX, to see Bill’s cousin Karlene and Ken Wolff at Camp Shiloh. We were treated to the East Texas Oil Museum; the Ezekiel Flying Machine and Depot; s’more pizza (complete with marshmallows, chocolate, and crushed graham crackers); and the Sweet Spot USA. These two are Builders for Christ, and are fabulous hosts and a delight to be with. It was sure fun catching up with family here.
Backtracking to AR again we went to Hot Springs and only toured the Forsythe Bath House, which was free. Now to the good stuff…Clinton’s Presidential Library in Little Rock. This was fascinating seeing his limousine; the Cabinet room; the Oval Office which was set up to look just as it did when he was in office; gifts of the people; dresses of First Lady’s; description of preparations for State Dinners; and, of course, his daily schedule; a time line; and how great he and Al Gore were, in addition to Hillary being the first woman elected into office as Senator of NY.
On the way to the Town of Helena-West Helena we saw cotton fields and rice fields in the Delta. Now, you wouldn’t think this town was anything to see, but Bill and I both agree that this was a highlight of the first leg of our trip. We started out thinking we would tour through here quickly and be on our way to Vicksburg. NOT! After reading some literature that sparked our curiosity, we went to the Welcome Center and picked up information for a driving tour and had a ball. Once we got to the Delta Cultural Center we were hooked. Here there were exhibits on how the Blues music was started. We were guests on “King Biscuit Time,” a radio show aired daily for 45 minutes on KFFA with host Sonny Payne since 1951 (actually started in 1941). I even got to read an advertisement, welcoming people to the area. Guests also included 5 young men and one woman from Canada and Australia who had built a 7’ x 32’ boat and were rowing it down the Mississippi. They had been on the river for at least 2 months (maybe 3) starting in MN and will end in the New Orleans area. We wanted to see The Depot, too, for it had Civil War exhibits in it. There we met Harold (age 80), a delightful black man with lots of information. Exhibits showed a lot of the history of the place including the 1927 flood that hit everywhere but here because of the levee. We learned that Walnut Street was where the blacks could hang out and Cherry Street was for the whites. Harold said a black person couldn’t park on Cherry, but they could shop their stores. If a white woman was walking on the sidewalk, a black man had to go into the street to pass her. We drove to the Confederate Cemetery where some tombstones said Dead Confederate – as in Unknown Soldier. In 2005, 6 soldiers were found at Battalion C. It was an awesome day – one full of surprises and definitely a “GEM.”
In Vicksburg, we took a 16 mile driving tour of the National Military Park, starting with the Union history. Besides learning a little about the Civil War, we were also taken in by the history of segregation along the way – specifically the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma where a protest took place because Negros were not allowed to vote.
Into southern Georgia and down to Ft. Pierce, FL, in time to see the Jigu Drums of China at the Sunrise Theater where my mom ushers. Thanksgiving was a wonderful celebration with my parents; brother Tom and his wife Tina; Aunt Carolyn; and great Aunt Obbie and Uncle Bill, and cousin Linda. YUM on the turkey feast and good family time! After everyone left, we traveled in the RV to St. Augustine with mom and dad. What a touristy spot, but a good time.
We traveled home to Colorado the 2nd of December and celebrated Christmas with my brother Steve’s family and Bill’s sons Mike and Jay and their families. It was so good being home with our church family, too. We flew back to Ft. Pierce January 5 and stayed with my parents for a week where there were record low temperatures for a record length of time. There we had an elk stew dinner with more of my childhood friends, Jack and Lu Dunlap and Nancy and Phil Scott. Boy did more memories of Coldwater Lake fly there, too. AND, we got to spend an afternoon with my nephew Travis and his girlfriend Jaime~a very good time getting caught up.
Starting out November 2, our destination was Ft. Pierce, FL, to Sandy’s folks for Thanksgiving. Our route was through Dodge City, KS with a stop at Boot Hill Museum and Cemetery; one of the best museums I’ve been to for it was very descriptive of the lives of Indians. On to OK and what a surprise of how western this state is versus being a southern state. But before we took in the cowboy thing, we were humbled at the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum – the Murrah Federal Building that was blown up. When exiting the elevator you enter the museum as though you were there the morning of the tragedy. Kids voices, people talking, and then the explosion. It is a beautiful tribute to those who died. There is an outdoor memorial with chairs that light up in the evening; miniature chairs for the children who perished, and regular sized chairs for the adults. We went back to Oklahoma City the next day to the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. An amazing place with artwork and everything you would want to know about cowboys, real or otherwise as in John Wayne. Then on to see our friends and fabulous hosts Mel and Diane Swafford in Tulsa. A special treat was receiving a grand tour by our hostess and experiencing incredible worship at the historical Boston Avenue UM Church with Pastor Mouson Biggs.
Moving on now to Texarkana, AR, by way of Robbers Cave State Park (where Jessie James is said to have hidden out); and the Talemena Trail with a 13% grade! We got to have lunch with some of my childhood friends ~ Nancy, Darel, and Connie Bair. My family vacationed with them for many years on Coldwater Lake, MI, and boy did we catch up and go over old memories.
Our next stop was in Pittsburgh, TX, to see Bill’s cousin Karlene and Ken Wolff at Camp Shiloh. We were treated to the East Texas Oil Museum; the Ezekiel Flying Machine and Depot; s’more pizza (complete with marshmallows, chocolate, and crushed graham crackers); and the Sweet Spot USA. These two are Builders for Christ, and are fabulous hosts and a delight to be with. It was sure fun catching up with family here.
Backtracking to AR again we went to Hot Springs and only toured the Forsythe Bath House, which was free. Now to the good stuff…Clinton’s Presidential Library in Little Rock. This was fascinating seeing his limousine; the Cabinet room; the Oval Office which was set up to look just as it did when he was in office; gifts of the people; dresses of First Lady’s; description of preparations for State Dinners; and, of course, his daily schedule; a time line; and how great he and Al Gore were, in addition to Hillary being the first woman elected into office as Senator of NY.
On the way to the Town of Helena-West Helena we saw cotton fields and rice fields in the Delta. Now, you wouldn’t think this town was anything to see, but Bill and I both agree that this was a highlight of the first leg of our trip. We started out thinking we would tour through here quickly and be on our way to Vicksburg. NOT! After reading some literature that sparked our curiosity, we went to the Welcome Center and picked up information for a driving tour and had a ball. Once we got to the Delta Cultural Center we were hooked. Here there were exhibits on how the Blues music was started. We were guests on “King Biscuit Time,” a radio show aired daily for 45 minutes on KFFA with host Sonny Payne since 1951 (actually started in 1941). I even got to read an advertisement, welcoming people to the area. Guests also included 5 young men and one woman from Canada and Australia who had built a 7’ x 32’ boat and were rowing it down the Mississippi. They had been on the river for at least 2 months (maybe 3) starting in MN and will end in the New Orleans area. We wanted to see The Depot, too, for it had Civil War exhibits in it. There we met Harold (age 80), a delightful black man with lots of information. Exhibits showed a lot of the history of the place including the 1927 flood that hit everywhere but here because of the levee. We learned that Walnut Street was where the blacks could hang out and Cherry Street was for the whites. Harold said a black person couldn’t park on Cherry, but they could shop their stores. If a white woman was walking on the sidewalk, a black man had to go into the street to pass her. We drove to the Confederate Cemetery where some tombstones said Dead Confederate – as in Unknown Soldier. In 2005, 6 soldiers were found at Battalion C. It was an awesome day – one full of surprises and definitely a “GEM.”
In Vicksburg, we took a 16 mile driving tour of the National Military Park, starting with the Union history. Besides learning a little about the Civil War, we were also taken in by the history of segregation along the way – specifically the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma where a protest took place because Negros were not allowed to vote.
Into southern Georgia and down to Ft. Pierce, FL, in time to see the Jigu Drums of China at the Sunrise Theater where my mom ushers. Thanksgiving was a wonderful celebration with my parents; brother Tom and his wife Tina; Aunt Carolyn; and great Aunt Obbie and Uncle Bill, and cousin Linda. YUM on the turkey feast and good family time! After everyone left, we traveled in the RV to St. Augustine with mom and dad. What a touristy spot, but a good time.
We traveled home to Colorado the 2nd of December and celebrated Christmas with my brother Steve’s family and Bill’s sons Mike and Jay and their families. It was so good being home with our church family, too. We flew back to Ft. Pierce January 5 and stayed with my parents for a week where there were record low temperatures for a record length of time. There we had an elk stew dinner with more of my childhood friends, Jack and Lu Dunlap and Nancy and Phil Scott. Boy did more memories of Coldwater Lake fly there, too. AND, we got to spend an afternoon with my nephew Travis and his girlfriend Jaime~a very good time getting caught up.
And now we are ready to begin the next leg of our adventure.
No comments:
Post a Comment