W18: Five States, Some Snow and Home

Cat’s Eye View

These are Squadron Emblems from WWI airplanes, seen at the National Museum of the USAF!

Day 40: March 21

We continued north on Highway 7, the windy Scenic Drive:

and kept heading towards West Memphis where we hoped to stay at the Tom Sawyer RV Park. We had a few interesting sightings:

• a MAGA billboard just outside Clinton’s Little Rock
• a scary billboard about using the rod to save your children’s lives
• “Cosmopolitan Magazine” is Porn and Hurts Your Children

Unfortunately, the Tom Sawyer website and phone message said they were closed due to flooding, so we continued into Memphis and saw the flooding as we crossed the Mississippi:

We traveled along the river to the T.O. Fuller State Park (Site 38, $20.48  FHU, senior!). It’s the first Tennessee State Park to welcome African American visitors. It would be a good place to stay to explore Memphis and Graceland. We just hung out, chatted with the neighbour (well, he did most of the talking!) and had this view from my chair:

Day 41: March 22

Well, today we drove. Sunny and not-so-warm. And saw these sights:

• the “Shoot Point Blank” Gun Range
• “Sad Sam’s Fireworks” located in a Shell station (maybe that threat is what make’s Sam sad?)

We got Site 3 at the Singing Hills RV Park near Mammoth Caves, Kentucky (Site #31, $18.00, FHU, Passport America) and had a few birds and even neighbouring horses in the view from my chair:

Day 42: March 23

Uh oh, first sign of snow in the Kentucky hills! By the time we got to Bardstown, we saw the remnants of what we later learned was eight inches of snow the day before. Guess the town literally shut down:

 

However, we got to spend some hours at the amazing Civil War Museum of the Western Theater. There were so many artifacts, a more personal and complete collection than any we’ve ever seen. We learned that 80% was contributed by two collectors who spent decades searching through Kentucky homes. The best part is they met with each family who sold and documented anything the descendants knew. So, the displays were particularly touching.

Next stop was the adjacent Old Bardstown Village and the Women of the Civil War Museum, including the story of a Canadian nurse who lived as a man, joined the Union Army and ended up as a spy:

By the time we walked through the War Memorial of Mid America, I had had enough of war! So, we headed to the My Old Kentucky Home State Park (we just drove by the house that inspired the racist and somewhat rewritten song) and pulled into Site #24, E/W, $24.30 Senior) with this view from my chair:

Day 43: March 24

We continued our Civil War theme and stopped at the Perryville Battlefield Site. It was pouring rain and the road was blocked by cars and pickups that we saw belonged to a group of reenactors:

So, no stop today. We changed our historical focus somewhat, and went to Shakertown (now THAT’S a wall!):

We went into the Visitor’s Centre, headed out to walk around, then decided to get back into the MoHo out of the rain and cold. Not a good day for being tourists.

By Verona, Kentucky, there was snow everywhere, even a short blizzard:

and we were happy to find the Oak Creek RV Park (Site #16, E/W, $15.50 Passport America). Since it was our last night in the US, we drank the rest of the cheap wine and whisky, ate cheap pizza and listened to an old Joni Mitchell/James Taylor concert. And “enjoyed” this view from my chair:

Day 44: March 25

The Winter Wonderland we woke to was brightened by this little guy:

Onward northward where it continued to get warmer and brighter! We took a side trip to the National Museum of the United States Air Force. It was huge, free, and a little too “hawkish” for me. Interesting that there were armed soldiers and “airport” security (the guy behind us had to leave behind his rather large knife). However, the planes were beautiful works of art and feats of engineering:

When we went to the “Presidential Planes” area, and I walked in the steps of FDR and Kennedy and Johnson and Obama, I realized that one day, Trump will be commemorated here (maybe?). And I found that and the Presidential Coins I saw for sale in Bardstown (his will be for sale one day, too) disturbing.

After, it was smooth sailing, an easy border crossing and a night at a Walmart in Windsor, ON:

Day 45: March 26

It was nice to be very close to home for our final drive of the trip. We were just behind a highway closure and got through the detour quickly. Therefore, the next miles were almost car free until, of course, we hit Toronto. But we made it home safely.

This trip was so good in so many ways. First, it was a healing trip. I shed many tears and missed my Dad and our phone calls immensely. But I also didn’t have to worry about him. After not travelling last winter, it was great to be away again. We still love Texas and saw a few new places. We saw more of New Mexico and will continue to explore there. We will consider staying away longer in the future and hanging out in South Texas for the songbird migration in April. We still love to move around a lot; three nights in one place is enough for us. And, we are entering a new phase in our lives. The grieving continues as do the tears, but the smiles and the memories provide a balance. Travelling is good for us. We’ll continue to share our adventures here!