Okay, we are 3/4 of the way there....We have driven 1, 324 miles since leaving the island....Last night was the worst driving...We spent some time in Chattanooga TN to go to the aquarium there. Cameron was BEGGING me to go and I couldn't deny the poor child. It was totally amazing!! The exhibits were awesome, we touched stingrays, sturgeon and other creatures in special tanks. We even had stingrays eating out of our hands....We were covered in butterflies in the butterfly garden and saw some awesome jellyfish. Though we rushed through the place, we could have easily spent several hours there [View Full Entry]

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Gulfport, Mississippi is a beautiful city full of history. It is one of the largest cities in Mississippi and has turned into quite the casino town, along with nearby Biloxi. No matter what you reason for traveling to Gulfport, there are a number of things that you can see and do for free. You can visit the beaches of course. But in addition visit this page to find more things to do when visiting Gulfport on a budget! [View Full Entry]

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Oct 21 Day 4 on the water We woke up to another cool crisp day. We planned on leaving early, but were enticed to stay for complementary fresh warm cinnamon rolls. Glad we did, for they were delicious. We fueled up with 3 gals diesel and pumped out the holding tank and headed out on the river. We managed to sail for about 1 hour, but with light winds from the south we motored most of the day. We crossed under Interstate 40 around noon. We are basically out of Kentucky Lake now. It looks like a wide river at this [View Full Entry]

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So here are my conditions before I leave to go to Tokyo: * I've decided that I'm only going to bring one suitcase (it's really big) so that I can purchase another suitcase in which to bring back all of my goodies from Japan. It requires a lot of planning that, even one week prior to my departure, I have yet to do... * I still have to fix some of my issues with financial aid, but I can't get a hold of the guy who takes care of all of it... * I studied my Japanese for like a week [View Full Entry]

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Well day 9 was a blah day as for the riding. I left the Memphis area eager to see Austin and ran straight down the highway. It was about half divided and half local through small towns. The one thing that was a bit peculiar was that all the rest stops have armed security 24x7, and it is advertised on the signs. I did not stop. I arrived in the Gulfport / Biloxi area and saw Austin for the first time since March. I was and am happy. I feel so lucky to have great kids. I parked on a dock [View Full Entry]

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Just the past week, we spent a couple of days in Columbus, MS> Columbus is a decent looking little city, right on the border of Alabama. We spent two nights at the Holiday Inn in Columbus, located on Highway 45 North. Did a little shopping at the Leigh Mall, a huge Wal-Mart there, antique shopping, and plenty to choose from in the way of restaurants. Something worth seeing in Columbus are the many plantation homes. Also, there are some great views of the Tombigbee river. The city of Columbus, MS has also been experiencing a somewhat growth with a rise in [View Full Entry]

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The day started in Vicksburg with a stop by the Cedar hill cemetery. We came upon it quite by accident and it was interesting. Cedar Hill Cemetery is one of the oldest and largest cemeteries in the United States that is still in use today. It is also the final resting place for the Confederate Soldiers of the Civil War. A section in the Cedar Hill (Vicksburg City ) Cemetery was set aside to provide a fitting burial place for Confederate soldiers who died of sickness or wounds. Known as "Soldier's Rest," the plot in Cedar Hill Cemetery is the final [View Full Entry]

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Today we left Baton Rouge at 9:15am and headed back to Scenic route 61. (A quick stop for gas ...$2.37 a gallon). We rejoined route 61 at St Francesville. The road was once again forested and we passed many logging trucks all heading east. We saw a few lovely smaller homes set back quite a way from the road plus a few antebellum plantations. Their driveways were lined with massive oak trees that had obviously been planted many years ago. They were fabulous. We left Louisiana and crossed the state line at 10:25am. Route 61 north of St Francesville was a [View Full Entry]

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Hello from Vicksburg, MS. The last three days have zoomed by. I sure packed a lot into Saturday and Sunday in the DFW area. I explored Fort Worth on Saturday before going up to the evening activities at the Gaylord Texan. The highlight of my evening was a ride along in Elvis. Elvis is a 2002 Miata owned by Flyin’ Miata. Elvis is powered by a Corvette engine! Yes you read correctly a Miata with an LS1 engine. It weighs about 200 pounds more than a stock Miata and keeps the basic weight ratio. And it has that Corvette rumble which [View Full Entry]

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Biking The Natchez Trace Parkway The Basics Location: Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi Distance: 715 kilometres (445 miles) Access and Parking: Lots Washrooms: Many Towns on or Near: Tupelo and Jackson are on. Many towns are just off the parkway Water: At each washroom Signage: Good (MILE signs at each mile) Rest Area: Many Garbage Disposal: Lots Points of Interest: Many (see below) Other: This is a Road Trail (see below) The Natchez Trace Parkway is 715 km or 445 miles f [View Full Entry]

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