On February 3, 2016 we left for our southern states trip...not knowing at the time that this would be our last trip with the Minnie Winnie. From Fairview we drove I-20 East through wide open spaces and small Texas towns that in years past dealt with cotton and slavery as part of the Old South. We stopped for the night in Shreveport, LA.
On February 4th we crossed the Mississippi River into Vicksburg, MS - a town steeped in Civil War history. Next morning we visited the Vicksburg National Military Park which is a major Civil War battlefield. In the park we drove along the battle lines of the Union and Confederate armies which are lined with memorials to the battalions of the various states in the North and South that fought in the battle of Vicksburg. One highlight was the U.S.S. Cairo Museum which houses the U.S.S. Cairo - a Union ironclad battleship that was sunk in the Yazoo river during the battle. The ship has been restored and is fascinating to explore.
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| U.S.S. Ciaro Ironclad Warship |
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| Vicksburg National Historic Park |
The afternoon of Feb 5th we drove down to the town of Natchez, MS which marks the beginning of the Natchez Trace National Scenic Trail. While exploring the quaint town of Natchez in the Minnie Winnie, we came upon a Mardi Gras parade and almost ended up in the parade before we were able to find a side street where we could exit.
For the next 3 days we drove the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway. The original Natchez Trace was a trail used for thousands of years by the native American Indians. The Natchez Trace begins in Natchez, MS and ends in Nashville, TN. It was used in the early 1800s by traders on the Mississippi River. They would load their goods on barges in the Ohio valley and float down the Mississippi to markets in New Orleans where they would sell their goods and their barges. Then they would walk back up the trace and start over again. The most famous traveler on the trace was Meriweather Lewis of the Lewis and Clark expedition. He died in 1809 while hiking the trace...an apparent suicide. When steamboats arrived in the 1820s the Trace became obsolete.
The Trace Parkway today is a beautiful 450 mile 2-lane road with no stop signs or red lights. The speed limit is 55 mph so it's a great way to enjoy a leisurely scenic drive. Stops along the way include ancient Indian mounds and restored way-points (called Stands) along the trail that provided food, sleeping accommodations, and supplies for the travelers. The road also passes a beautiful Cypress Swamp.
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Mount Locust Inn and Plantation
One of the "Stands" along the Trace |
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| Emerald Indian Mounds |
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| Natchez Trace Parkway |
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| Cypress Swamp |
We ended our trip on the Natchez Trace at the Meriwether Lewis Monument which marks his burial spot and pays tribute to his many accomplishments as an early explorer of the American west.
We stayed one night at the Davey Crockett State Park in Tenessee where it snowed. We also stayed one night in Chattanoog, TN and one night near Asheville, NC after crossing the Smokey Mountains. We made our way through the pines of North and South Carolina and into Georgia where we stayed at Petersburg Campground on Thurmond Lake. On Feb 13th we drove to Savannah,GA and visited Fort Pulaski National Monument and Tygee Island Lighthouse on the barrier islands near Savannah. Fort Pulaski was part of a system of forts built in the early 1800s to protect key ports along the east coast of the U.S. This fort was attacked and captured by the Confederate army during the Civil War. The walls still bear the scars of the heavy bombardment from rifled artillery that eventually bought down the fort.
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| Fort Pulaski Natl Monument near Savannah, GA |
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| Tybee Island Lighthouse |
We spent Valentines Day in Savannah and thoroughly enjoyed taking a guided tour of the city on the Oglethorpe Trolley and eating at the Distillery. Savannah is unique with over 20 park-like squares surrounded by stately antebellum mansions. It's moss covered cypress trees preserve the feel of the old south. This town is one of Liz's favorite places and we plan to return. It also boasts a wonderful visitors center that allows overnight parking for RVs.
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| The Distillery Restaurant |
Next day we left Savannah following Rt 17 down the Georgia coast. We stopped at Fort Frederica Natl Monument, one of the oldest coastal defensive forts - built in 1747. The fort was built to protect the early English settlers in Georgia and was established by James Ogelthorpe. Then we continued down the coast and stayed the night at Little Talbot Island State Park near Jacksonville, FL. This park had a beautiful beach on the Atlantic.
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| Fort Frederica Town Ruins and Visitor Center |
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| Little Talbot State Park Beach |
On Feb 16 we continued down the Florida coast to see the fort Castillo de San Marcos at St Augustine. This fort was built in 1695 by the Spanish to protect St Augustine and their other colonies and interests in Florida. It's the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. We thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the fort and sightseeing in old St. Augustine where they have an overnight RV parking lot within the Natl Monument.
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| Castillo de San Marcos Natl Monument |
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| Castillo overlooks the Matanzas River |
Next it was on to Orlando and Disney World where we met for a 3 day adventure with Topher, My, Miurie (their nanny) and grandkids Denae and Beau. We spent 1 day each in the Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot. How can you not have an amazing time with grandkids in Disney World, and we did!
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| Denae with Piglett |
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| Beau running from Piglett |
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| My, Topher & Denae in the Rainforest Cafe at Animal Kingdom |
On Feb 21 we left Disney World and traveled west across Florida to Lake Griffin State Park where we saw some beautiful 300 year old live oaks with Spanish moss. Then on to Tallahassee, Fl where we spent the next night. On Feb 23 we drove to St.Marks, FL on the gulf coast which is the trail head for a paved bike path up to Tallahassee. We did a 20 mile round trip on the beautiful bike path and ate dinner in a small seaside cafe overlooking the bay. Then we returned to Tallahassee for the night with warnings of dangerous tornadoes in the area (fortunately they missed us but they gave us a scare).
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| 300 Year Old Live Oak |
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| St Marks Bike Path Trailhead |
On Feb 24th we drove to Panama City, FL and then on to the Gulf Islands Natl Seashore near Pensacola, FL. Located on the barrier islands in the Gulf of Mexico, this seashore consists of miles of pristine white sand beaches, Fort Pickens (built in 1834 as part of the network of forts to protect coastal cities), and a beautiful RV park within the National Seashore boundaries. We had a wonderful time biking, touring the fort, and lounging on the beach (at 55 degrees it was a little chilly).
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| Fort Pickens |
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| At the Beach (dressed for cold weather) |
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| Beach at Gulf Islands Natl Seashore |
On Feb 28 we headed for home. On the way home the Minnie Winnie began making a moaning noise (like she was tired from the long trip). She is 15 years old and has been a wonderful companion taking us safely and comfortably on our travels through all these years. So we decided it was time to give her a rest and starting looking for a new RV. As it turned out, this was our last trip in the Minnie Winnie. All we can say is THANK YOU MINNIE - you were amazing and we will never forget you and the memories you made with us!
