For my final day in Louisville, I ignored the festival completely and dove into history. Today is the traditional day of another unusual competition, the steamboat race, but it was cancelled due to the river being flooded and dangerous. I found ways to make up for it. Muhammad Ali Center My first site for the day was the Muhammad Ali Center. Muhammad Ali, the greatest boxer in history, was born Cassius Clay in Louisville. The Center broadly consists of two parts. The first is a history museum dedicated to his life and career. The other part is an examination of Ali’s core values, and how visitors can apply those values in their own lives. It should go without saying that the ... read more

Tonight I witness one of the festival’s signature competitions, and possibly the most insane sporting event in existence. Before then, I had some time to kill. I used it to explore the childhood of a revered American. The Kentucky Knobs is where the limestone plateau of central Kentucky meets the Ohio River valley. It consists of hundreds of triangle shaped hills carved by streams. The hills are triangular instead of rounded because this area was never covered by glaciers. In the early 1800s, this was the western frontier of the US. Abraham Lincoln Birthplace One of the many settlers who came into this area was one Thomas Lincoln. He moved around a lot; he had already lived in three other states before coming to Kentucky. He eventually bought a farm called Cave Spring fo... read more

Louisville Marching Band Competition Today’s first event is a slice of Southern culture that I have never seen in person. Southerners, especially African Americans, take marching bands very seriously. They have competitions to show off their skills. Today was the one for the Derby Festival. It began with a traditional African drumming group, followed by the eight competition teams. They ranged from community groups to universities. It became one long afternoon of beats. Teams were judged on rhythm, precision, difficulty, and choreography. Marching in formations was just the start of it. People drummed while lying on their backs. People flipped sticks i... read more

The Crossroads My main goal for today was to drive back to Louisville, Kentucky. This required going through part of the area hit by the storms a day earlier. I was not looking forward to it. Ironically, the day itself was perfect weather wise. The temperature was in the high seventies, without a cloud in the sky. It started with a little treat. While clearing my car top this morning, I discovered a little cotton boll stuck to the roof. It had clearly blown there overnight from a nearby farm. It was the perfect symbol of the Delta. On the way into town, I passed the original crossroads of highways 61 and 49. Ironically, the modern roads have been rerouted and meet somewhere else. This is the interse... read more

Natchez Today I explored Natchez, another old Mississippi River town. All Southern towns to some degree worship their history, particularly the time before the Civil War. Natchez in particular is consumed by it. Everything here seems to celebrate the antebellum era of the Old South, which in reality was enjoyed only by a tiny elite. In Natchez’s case, this nostalgia is a big part of its modern existence. Natchez was founded on a high bluff above the river. It’s the southernmost river town that was guaranteed to not flood, so it became a natural port. Men came here to set up cotton plantations or become dealers, and make their fortunes. A surprising number came from northern sta... read more