N'awlins

street musician

After a stop at Belhaven University and several flea markets, we made it to The Big Easy in the early evening yesterday. Our hotel is downtown about three blocks from the French Quarter. Since it was early and still daylight, we walked down Canal Street to see what the sites would reveal.

leaving downtown on a streetcar

Just a few blocks down Bourbon Street, and we'd had enough of this seedy street. David commented that he liked Disneyland's version of New Orleans much better than the real thing. The French Quarter is the oldest section of the city, and you can tell. It is definitely a touristy area, but one we had to experience at least a little. The narrow streets and the wrought iron on brick buildings were the real deal complete with crowds, deteriorating buildings, and hawkers standing at the doors competing for our attention. 

St. Louis Cathedral

We walked to Jackson Square and saw St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest continuously active Catholic church in the nation. We scoped out some places to eat and decided on Oceana on Conti Street. Our waiter was the best part of the meal. He was probably playing up the cajun act, but he was friendly and took good care of us. His accent and the way he spoke to us was charming.

Yep, that's sweat. It was really humid.

After our meal, we walked along the river and Decatur Street for a bit. Then we took a streetcar up St. Charles Street. By now it was dark and the route was quite long, but as we traveled uptown, we got to see a gorgeous collection of houses. This was a beautiful part of New Orleans.


I had hoped we might find a swamp tour we could go on today, but they all seem to require reservations, so that will get crossed off our list.  We are all getting a little tired and grumpy (okay, mostly me), and we have a long drive to Houston, but before we leave the city, we'll do a few more things: visit the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, eat a muffaletta from Central Grocery, and take the ferry over to Algiers Point. We might even stop at Oak Alley Plantation outside of the city if we feel up to it.

on the road again

This morning we hugged my sister Karen, brother-in-law Bill, and nephew Hunter and wished them safety on their trip back to Nebraska. Then we had a goodbye breakfast with my mom and dad before they left for Florida. We are all going back to our little corners of the country today (except for those of us in the cutest little red car you ever did see who are taking a while to get back home).

Hey batta, batta...

Yesterday was our last full day together. The boys and I went with Karen and her family to the Mississippi Sports Museum. For those of you who are wondering if we ever do anything other than look at old houses, here you go. The museum honors all of the different athletes that have come from Mississippi. It was a nice place and Joe especially enjoyed it. If you'd like to read a more detailed description and view his photos, you can do so on his blog: http://joesage.wordpress.com/

Broadcaster Dave

There was stuff about Jerry Rice, Brett Favre and a bunch of other people I've never heard of. We got to try our hand at pitching, throwing football passes, being a sports broadcaster and more. We watched a well made video about the different athletes and Mississippi pride was strong throughout the film. It was quite touching actually.

The starting line up

Afterwards we headed over to Golden Corral for a late lunch and feasted on a number of buffet items. I had the boys try lima beans and turnip greens (just a bite) so that we could experience the food of the south. Zach liked both, David said the lima beans were okay. Joe didn't hate them or anything, but he wasn't a big fan. I'd had lima beans before, but I didn't care for the turnip greens - too bitter for me. I also had some bourbon street chicken which was very tasty.


The boys went on an unsuccessful search for a bowling alley, while Karen and I took off to find some antique shops. After all, I now need Louisiana and Mississippi license plates. Unfortunately, the antique stores around here are a bit too upscale and no one sells license plates. They directed us to a Flea Market, which will be one of our stops as we drive toward New Orleans today.


We ended our day at Uncle Bill's where I got to look at many of his old books. He has his own internet business where he buys and sells first edition books that have been signed by the author or illustrator. They are beautiful and sell from $100 to $5000 a piece!


We are getting a late start, but we've gotten used to hanging out and having slow mornings here in Mississippi. Our first stop will be near Jackson, to visit Belhaven University. David's friend DeRon is thinking about attending this college when he graduates, so we thought we'd go take a picture.


As we begin the journey home, I am excited about the new sites we will see and experience, but I'm also grateful that we made the trip to meet and get to know these special people we are privileged to call family.

Independence Day

Yesterday was the 4th of July. We knew we were going to Ruth Ann's for a BBQ in the evening, but we had some time to kill and all of the museums were closed for the holiday. So we made the 75 mile trip to Newton, Mississippi where my dad grew up. I loved it, the boys are always pretty good sports (although they kind of have to be since I'm the one paying for this trip), and my sister, and the rest of the family tolerated the side trip.

Newton is a small town that hasn't changed over the years, and Joe commented that it was similar to Radiator Springs in the movie Cars. Downtown was pretty run down and the newer stores like Walmart were on the outskirts of town near the Interstate. I asked my dad which of the buildings looked the same or were still in business. He pointed out the Rexall Drugstore and the Roxy Theater. He also pointed out that his Uncle Stanley's law office was on the second floor of the brick building.


Our first stop was the house my grandma lived in and where many of my dad's younger brothers and sisters grew up. I remember visiting my grandma as a kid and thinking this was the coolest old house. I remember wood floors, a porch with a swing, the bathroom with an old tub, the old fashioned door knobs, and lots of stairs going down to the back yard which was down a hill. When we got to the house, it looked like the current owners were having a party. There were several cars parked in the yard and a beat up old Pontiac GT that did not look like it was in working condition. We were all standing outside in the street and I was taking pictures of the house. There were two signs on the door: NO TRESPASSING and BEWARE OF DOGS. While I was taking pictures, a man came out and asked if I was interested in buying his car. I explained the reason we were there, and he let me walk around  in the yard to take some photos. I wasn't brave enough to ask if we could see the inside of the house though.

Next we went to the cemetery where my great grandparents, grandparents and a number of their children were buried. We saw the headstone of Eloise, my dad's sister who died at the age of two when my dad was only five years old. We also saw the youngest brother Tommy's grave. He had Down's Syndrome and died when he was ten and I was just a baby. There were other gravestones of the Majure family that marked my dad's aunts and uncles. I didn't know much about them, but my dad though started talking when he got there and told me more as we looked at the markers.


Farther down a hill in another area were the graves of three of my uncles. Uncle Bob who died in a motorcycle accident when he was stationed in Japan. He left behind a wife (Sachiko) and two children (Bill and Tamiko). I remember my Uncle Bob and his family and I remember how sad it was when he died. He was only 33. Right next to his grave is a place for my aunt Sachiko when she passes. My Uncle Glenn's grave is also there who died in 1993 and my Uncle Martin who passed away in 1997. Each person has their own story and I'm hoping to learn and understand as much as I can about their lives.

Where my dad's house once stood

Across the road from the cemetery was a church and also the place where the house my dad grew up once stood. It was sold or traded (my dad wasn't sure) for the house I remember. We drove over to the area; the house that was across the street from my dad's house was still standing. My dad told me he used to compete with the boy who lived in the house to see who got the highest scores on their spelling tests. He also explained that this house was the last house in the "white" part of town. Further down the road only African Americans lived. It was a segregated town back then, and my dad lived in a poorer part of town judged by how close it was to the border between the two "districts."

The house across the street

As we left town, we stopped at the abandoned Ford's Ice Cream building where my dad worked as a teenager. The building was primarily a manufacturing plant, but they had a little shop where my dad was a soda jerk. I walked around the building and saw that there were many broken windows and open doorways near the loading dock in the back. Although I was tempted to climb inside and look around, I knew that this kind of stuff didn't really interest the rest of the party and they were ready to leave town. So I snapped some photos and climbed back into the air conditioned car for the drive back to the hotel.

 At Ruth Ann's we shared what we had seen with everyone and listened to the different stories. Earlier I had looked through several photo albums that Ruth Ann had of memorabilia from the family. I got to see photos of my dad as a young boy and read letters from different brothers. I love this stuff.

It was too dry for fireworks, so the boys didn't get to experience backyard fire crackers. They did however get the experience several years ago when we were in Idaho, so it wasn't a great disappointment. David and Zach got to ride Billy's 4-wheel ATV which was fun, but Zach was trying to go faster and didn't know how to shift! The younger ones went out looking for lightning bugs, but weren't able to catch any. When I went outside, I was astounded at the night sounds. There was a chorus of frogs croaking and crickets chirping. It was really loud. No seriously, I mean it was really loud. Really!

on the way to Ruth Ann's

Although we didn't get to shoot any fireworks, we did get our own 4th of July display on the way back to the hotel.  A thunderstorm was starting as we were leaving Ruth Ann's. The ground was so hot that when the rain hit the road it turned to steam and it was like we were driving through fog. The flashes of lightning were spectacular, lighting up the road and making it look like daylight. Some flashes were so bright that we said it was like a camera flash and that God was taking pictures of us.


Today is a kick back day with my sister and family. We are going to a sports museum, and bowling.

Family Reunion

Yesterday was the official family reunion day, and just about everyone was there.

My grandparents, Linnie and Reece Majure had ten children. There are five living sons and daughters of my grandparents: my dad Charlie, Aunt Linda, Aunt Rose Ellen, Uncle Bill, and Aunt Ruth Anne. They were all there along with spouses, my mom and Ruth Ann's husband Billy. In addition, my Uncle Bob's widow, Aunt Sachiko and my cousins Bill and Tamiko were there with their families. We also got to meet Ruth Ann's two children, my cousins Hank and Jennifer and Jennifer's husband and daughters. And of course, my sister was there with her husband Bill and son, Hunter. Did you count that there were four Bills? It's a popular name!

We had a traditional southern meal at Ruth Ann and Billy's house. They live in rural Mississippi and it was about a 40 minute drive from our hotel. They have about 40 acres with a pond and surrounding woods. Jennifer and her husband, John built a house on the property and it is a beautiful and slow paced area to raise their kids.
We sat or stood around and visited, getting to know each other and sharing stories or memories. It was good to meet this part of our family tree and I'm so glad we did. Aunt Ruth Ann has some photo albums with pictures and news clippings about the different family members. I'm looking forward to reading through this and learning more about our family's history.

 


Today we are going to Newton, Mississippi which is about 75 miles away. This is the town that my dad grew up in. Although the house he grew up in is no longer standing, I'd still like to see the place where the house once was. I also want to see the soda shop he worked at as a kid, and the house where my grandma lived when we would visit her.


Later in the evening we will go back to Ruth Ann's for a 4th of July BBQ. Some of our cousins will have left for home or other vacation destinations, but those who are local to the area will still be around.

Southern Life

Yesterday we spent the day in Natchez, after a southern breakfast of baked eggs, bacon, grits, hot biscuits, and fruit. It was the first time the boys had ever had grits before. Zach seemed to like them, David said they needed some flavor so he added a spoonful of sugar, and Joe didn't appear to like them. As for me, I took a few bites, and that's about it. But overall, the breakfast was delicious. At breakfast there were three couples from the surrounding areas. One couple was from New Orleans and they gave us all kinds of recommendations of what to do while in the city as well as what to avoid. Before we left, our host showed us his model train railroad he was building. The boys and I got to see his plans and what he's completed so far. It's going to be very nice and reminded me of the Model Train Railroad Museum in Balboa Park. 

Our B & B - Devereaux-Shields House

After a few photo ops, we went to the visitor center, watched a video, looked at exhibits, and made our plans to visit a few homes. While there, I read about the Nathchez Indians and the huge mounds constructed around the area. I remembered reading about this long ago with the boys when we read the first book of A History of US. I wish we had time to visit, but we had a lot to do in our already busy day.

Rosalie

First stop was Rosalie; it is a good sized antebellum (Pre-Civil war) home. It was built by a businessman who later got into the cotton business. Cotton was the main business of the town. The plantations had their farmland across the river in Louisiana, but the families lived in the town homes in Natchez. We learned about the history of the two families that lived in the house and all about the types and brands of furniture. Rosalie has the largest collection of original furniture. At Rosalie, there were two parlours which was common in those days. One parlour for the men to drink and smoke, and one parlour for the women to play music and do needlepoint. The thing that was most impressive about Rosalie was the view. It was built right on the bluffs and from the porch and many windows there was a spectacular view of the Mississippi River.


The next stop was the home of William Johnson. He was born into slavery, but was freed at the age of 11. As an adult, he became the town barber and was a very successful businessman. He lived in town with his wife, eleven children and mother-in-law. Their home was more modest, but still very nice. The most interesting part of this tour was William Johnson's diary. It has provided a lot of information about the people and day to day operations in Natchez. He was always lending money to people.


Our last stop was Longwood. This mansion was just outside of town. We drove about a half mile down a wooded trail and then came into a clearing with a large house looming in the distance. It was quite impressive. This home was unusual for several reasons.

First, it is an octagonal shaped building with a large onion shaped dome at the top. It's architecture is unique with a mixture of Greek and Byzantine style. The family wanted something different from the popular Roman architecture of the time. It is the largest building of its kind in the U.S.

Longwood

The second interesting fact is that it was started about a year before the Civil War (or as our tour guides always said, "The War between the States"). The main structure of the building was completed, and the basement was finished which is where the family lived during the remaining construction. Most of the workers were from the north. So when the war broke out, they all literally dropped their tools and left.


Haller Nutt, the owner was able to complete a little more work with the help of locals, but he died of pneumonia before the war ended. The house remains unfinished to this day. The family continued to live in the basement. Of 32 rooms only 9 were ever completed. 

Scaffolding

The original plans for this house show the opulence of the cotton baron era. The house is the size of a hotel, and the layout of the rooms is quite interesting. We were able to view the living area of the family and then went to the unfinished first floor. In the center of the main floor, you can look up and see the scaffolding of the four additional floors rising above you. As we walked around the unfinished floor, we saw paint cans, an old bathtub, packing crates, tools, and a variety of other things showing the haste in which the construction  halted.

We had a short drive (1 1/2 hours) to our final destination, so we hopped in the car and arrived in Madison. We are staying at the same hotel as my parents and my sister and her family. When we arrived they were all at my Uncle Bill's home just a few miles away. So we unloaded the car and then drove over to meet all the aunts, uncles and cousins. Today is the big reunion day at Aunt Ruth Ann's house. It should be a lot of fun!

rollin' on the river

I love staying at a Bed & Breakfast. Which is why I'm so happy that we get to spend  tonight at the Devereaux Shields Bed and Breakfast in Natchez, Mississippi. We arrived at about 5:30 p.m. which is the earliest we've ever checked into our lodging. As a result, I still have some energy and will type up this post tonight.


So let me back up to earlier today. We left the hotel in Shreveport and took the bridge across the Red River into Bossier City to The Boardwalk. Basically, it is a outdoor mall similar to Downtown Disney or the Otay Ranch mall (for those who live in San Diego). There are a bunch of casinos  and restaurants that line the waterfront which is the main reason folks head over to The Boardwalk. There's a trolley that runs through the shops, but it wasn't operating at the time we were there.


We played a round of miniature golf in a large room lit with black lights only. It was kind of like Cosmic Bowling, but with glow in the dark golf balls and neon colors on the floor, walls, and  structures. Joe won, but Zach is disputing the win. He thinks I didn't add correctly. We've already thrown away the scorecard, so we can't check. I guess it will always remain an unsolved mystery.


After golf, we walked over to a huge sporting goods store. It reminded me of a Cabela's where the outdoorsman (hunting & fishing) could get just about anything he needed. When you walk in the door, there's a big sign that instructs those who enter to check in their firearm or bow at the Courtesy Desk! I am such a Southern Californian. I found the whole thing quite amusing. 


Outside by the exit of the store were the alligators. I counted two. They looked like they were sleeping and keeping cool fully submerged underwater. The entire exhibit was a teaser to get you to go to Alligator Park about an hour away. We drove right past it, figuring we'll have other opportunities to see alligators up close and personal.


Before too long we were crossing the mighty Mississippi River into Natchez. One thing I've enjoyed recently on this trip is the number of rivers we've crossed or seen. Rivers were the lifeblood of people and businesses and you can see how different towns and cities rose to importance because of these waterways.

As we drove through town, it was great fun seeing all of the old homes. Natchez is the oldest city along the Mississippi, and it's chock full of historic homes and plantations. Our B & B home is in the middle of downtown on a street with many other beautiful Victorian homes. Our hosts are very accommodating and we are the only ones in the house tonight. We have a two bedroom suite on the second floor and the whole experience is just lovely. David made the comment that the furnishings remind him of the Titanic. However, he was quick to add, that he wasn't thinking our vacation would end in the same way!


 If you would like to see more of our rooms (The Rose Suite) you can view a virtual tour on this page. There is also a link to the second room at the bottom. The Rose Suite

We had dinner at the Magnolia Grill which was right on the river front. The food was pretty tasty, our waitress was hospitable, and the view was impressive. The boys and I had a great conversation over dinner about the second book in the Hunger Game series, Catching Fire (we started it today). We talked about the characters and made predictions on the plot. And Joe, shared his (and others') opinions on casting for the movies that are scheduled for filming in the coming year(s). That's what happens when you have a film guy around. It's almost like having an Entertainment Tonight reporter at the table giving you the latest scoop. 



Tomorrow we hope to do a walking tour of the downtown historic homes and then take a tour of at least one plantation. But for now it's time for a relaxing evening and a quiet night of rest. 

my girls

Today marks our 6th day on the road. Tomorrow afternoon we will arrive in Madison, Mississippi where we'll settle down for a few days and enjoy the 4th of July with my Dad's family. It's been a fun trip so far, although it will be good to have a place to relax for awhile and be more than 12 inches away from each other for hours on end.


Yesterday we met up with Rhiannon and Marianne for lunch. Both gals were in my Girls Bible Study (GBS) when they were in high school many years ago. They are all grown up, and Rhiannon is expecting her first child at the end of this month and enjoying married life. Marianne is working as a physical therapy tech and doing well. It was great fun catching up with them. 


The girls from GBS hold a special place in my heart. There were about eight regulars that participated for three summers during their high school years. Many are married, some have children (or on the way), several  have graduated from college, and one even flies jets in the Air Force. About half of them remain in the San Diego area, and the others are spread out in the southwest. It's rare that I get to see many of them, so this was a special treat.

As I sit here typing, my memories flood in with such warmth and fondness. Every once in a while, you have a time in your life that can never be recreated. This was one of those times. Each girl was so different in personality, but once a week, we'd gather and share our lives together . I love that so many of them stay in touch and the bonds have remained as they've grown older. 


Marianne used to call me Mrs. Mooh-kay. When she'd see me in the distance, she'd call out with an enthusiastic yell... Mrs. Mooooooohhhh-kay! And she'd always ask, "Are we going to do any activities tonight?" Rhiannon was the thinker, always reading, writing, and delving into deep topics. Ashley was our song leader, writing songs to memory verses and leading us in music each week. She was just starting to play the guitar back then. Chandel was our God-cha Girl which stood for God Chat Girl. She was in charge of keeping us updated on prayer requests. Rocky just wanted to fly a plane and get out on her own. She was determined she would never get married, but she ended up being one of the first ones to tie the knot! Sweet Ruthanne was always kind and never wanted to hurt anyone's feelings. She'd always comment on my little "wink." The other Ashley was called Float, because her initials were AW and that led to A & W Rootbeer which led to rootbeer floats, which...well you get the idea. April was 16 going on 30. She was very grown up and often said, "Okay, kids!" She's the one I get to see and interact with the most, and I consider it an honor to call her my friend. Happy sigh here...I love my girls!


After lunch we headed over to The Stockyards which is an historical area of Fort Worth where you can shop and see a real longhorn cattle drive! Okay, so the cattle drive lasted all of three minutes while 15 longhorns were herded down the street by a cowgirl and a couple cowboys. But I'm glad we were able to experience it, after all we were in cowboy country!

The last task of the day was to find a cowboy hat for David. Aunt Karen said he should get a white hat since it was the summer, but he really wanted a black one. We walked through several stores and saw hats ranging from $20 to $300. At one store, the clerk told us the hat could be custom creased. That was the store, that was out of David's price range. At the General Store (which Rhiannon recommended), the perfect hat was found. Mission accomplished.

On the way out of Fort Worth, we hit some rush hour traffic. It felt like home. We had a three and a half hour drive to Shreveport. About 100 miles out, we hit some rain and wind along with a lightning show. After we arrived, we decided to try Whataburger, a popular hamburger chain in Texas and surrounding states. It's open 24 hours and the food was pretty good. We had some trouble understanding the cashier, but I'm not sure if it was because of her accent or that we were just dead tired.

The weather has definitely changed now that we are farther east. The landscape is greener, the atmosphere is much more humid, and there is a musty smell in the air. It's a nice change from the arid hot climate we've been experiencing this week, but now we feel like we are in a sauna.


Our bags are packed with clean laundry and we're ready to discover what Shreveport has to offer. There is a boardwalk on the Red River that has casinos, black light mini golf, and Uncle Buck's Alligator Bayou. The boys want to play mini golf, but I want to see some gators!