Mississippi River Cruise - Part Two

 

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This Page

 

While in Greenville, MS, Jan enjoyed a ride on the indoor carousel.

...Opening Comments from Bob

This Page: Jan and I had the opportunity to escape the never-ending snow and take a river cruise up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to Memphis. In Part 1, we spoke of our time in Louisiana. In Part 2, we cover the rest of the trip from Mississippi to Tennessee. There are three new poems in this issue, A Blip, Watch Tower, and Cappy Stahlman Welcomes.

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Viking Mississippi, our ship, docked in Natchez, MS

St. Mary's Basilica, Natchez, MS
w.

Interior picture of the basilica

Three Poems

Comment: A deeper poem. I personally have found that Stanza 6 is the hardest to reach when experiencing
what is described in Stanza 5.

Comment:With modern technology the second stanza is even more real.

Comment:A final poem regarding the Mississippi River Cruise: We had done a lot of walking and
as described in the poem, Jan and I made use of the bench pictured and described. When Cappy's
family dedicated this bench to his memory, little did they realize that a couple tired Utahns would
someday enjoy the view of the River he had often witnessed, thus, still impacting the future.

Natchez was very much involved in the Civil Rights Movement

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Recommendations

Viking Mississippi River Cruise

While you pay top dollar, we have never experienced such high caliber of service as we did on this cruise. This shipping line continues to receive the highest ratings of any line by national travel magazines. Be warned, as Jan and I took one of the last two openings in 2023, I believe 2024 is also totally booked. You will have to check if interested.

Please take a look at the online book and gift pages.

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Individual rebellion: Natchez has some truly gorgeous homes including Antebellum ones. But, I had to choose
this humorous one. The story goes that the woman who owned this house decided to put a few outdoor decorations
in her yard which the neighbors objected to. The city stepped in to try to stop her. Ultimately, she won the case and
in retribution has increased her display over years a hundredfold. To make matters worse, her home is now on every
tour bus route.

Vicksburg, MS, of course included a tour of battle field. The Vicksburg Campaign (May 18 – July 4, 1863)
was a significant Union victory in the American Civil War because it gave the Union army complete control
over the Mississippi River and cut the Confederacy in two.

Battle of Vicksburg: 1) USS Cairo, the first ironclad ship sunk by a mine and later raised for a museum display;
2) Union cannon placement (blue signs indicate Union and red ones, the Confederacy) Pictured is a very small
section of the battlefield. The defensive line around Vicksburg ran for approximately six and a half miles. The
naval arm of the Union played a major role in the victory at Vicksburg. The trees picture above were not present
in 1863. It was wide open farmland. 3) Over 1200 monuments honor troops and the state's war dead. This one
honors Union troops from Illinois. 4) Vicksburg National Military Park was established in the year 1866. It covers
an area of 116 acres and has the largest number of Civil War interments of any national cemetery in the country. Of
the approximately 17,000 interments, only 5,000 are identified. In addition to the Civil War soldiers, veterans of the
Mexican War, the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, and the Korean conflict are buried here.

Greenville, MS "Home of the Blues": This shore excursion was an additional add-on and Viking's first docking in this small community. What a welcome we received! The day became the highlight of our trip. The city fire and police department greeted our arrival with sirens. As we disembarked, high school students and teachers cheered and shook hands. A competition choir greeted us at the local public auditorium (pictured top left). As we entered the auditorium, a blues musician/singer (pictured top right) was performing. About twenty minutes later storyteller Hank Burdine spoke of the history of the area. (pictured bottom left). He also mentioned that this small community has more authors per capita than any city in the U.S. Morgan Freeman via video (pictured bottom right) introduced his friend singer/songwriter Steve Azar and his band. (See clip below.) The luncheon served was incredible, especially the unending availability of catfish. Even a local brewed moonshine was served. Jan and I both loved the experience and friendly, gracious welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A 14 second clip of Steve Azar and his band.

Memphis, TN: Elvis Presley's home Graceland and some of his toys. Last tour on the cruise.

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Tai Chi Corner

On the bow of the ship practicing with Janice and new friends.

Click here to locate the name of a tai chi instructor near you, or contact me directly.

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Part One MS River Cruise