Moving fast and writing slow

The last month, we have been moving steadily along the path of the Lewis and Clark trail.  Between traveling, exploring and poor Wi-Fi, I continue to fall farther behind.  While still at the starting point in St Charles, MO. we also visited the final home of a true American legend, Daniel Boone.  It is just a few miles from St Charles. His final home is preserved and additional buildings of that era have been moved to his farm.

He continued an active life until his death in 1820 at the age of 86.  In addition to the farm and his duties  as magistrate for the area, he still enjoyed exploring the country far and wide. 

A visit to the site provides a glimpse of his life beyond the legends made famous by TV and movies.

A must see for early American history buffs.

St Charles, MO

We are moving along on our Lewis and Clark trail to the Oregon coast.  Between the travel, sightseeing, and poor Wi-Fi, I am getting way behind in documenting this trip.  Our  first stop for this journey is St Charles, MO , where Lewis and Clark came together to start this epic adventure.  The old town ST Charles remains as close as possible to the way it looked when the adventurers arrived. Many of the structures still date to that era and it remains a quaint  reflection of that era.

We enjoyed walking the streets and imaging the hectic preparations they were making before heading west on the Missouri  river.  We had a nice lunch at the Mother in Law house.  The story goes that when the couple was building a new home, the wife wanted her mother to live with them.  He agreed and built the house in two sections with no connection between the two halves.  It is said that the ghost of the mother can still be felt as she remains lonely looking for someone to communicate with.  We enjoyed lunch without encountering the mother-in law. 

The Madrid Bend

As we continued north towards St. Charles, MO and the start point of the Lewis and Clark  expedition, we spent the night near the town of Madrid, MO.  We had heard about the recent flooding along the Mississippi the last week or so.  So we drove the few miles to Madrid and found a place along the dike to observe the river. 

While there was some flooding still in evidence, what struck me was the events of history that passed by this small town displayed on river front plaques.

  

The sad story of the forced migration of the Cherokee people to reservations in the west and the deaths that occurred. 

Perhaps the most important to the people of Madrid is the fault line they found themselves living over.

On the road again

We have been spending the last three months or so spending time with the family and getting those mundane things of life taken care of.  We are now back on the move on a journey of historical exploration.

   

Our first stop was Tupelo, MS and the boyhood home of Elvis Presley. The town purchased his childhood home and surrounding land.  They moved the church he attended as a boy along with other period structures to the home site. 

You first visit the small museum displaying many childhood items and memories from family and friends.  It is very clear that this is meant to be a hometown place.  When I left the museum, I had a better understanding of what some of his inspirations and motivations were for his music. His childhood was difficult due to the poverty level they experienced, but he was encouraged by his parents, church and school to pursue his music.  Unfortunately, pictures where not allowed in the museum.

The home were Elvis was born is adjacent to the museum  and contains only two rooms.  It was purchased for $198 dollars.  They lost the house when they could not meet the payments and Elvis's father forged a check by altering the amount to be paid to him and was sent to prison.

Elvis was strongly influenced by the music in his church.  When you visit the church, a reenactment of a Sunday service with Elvis singing is shown with three screens.  It is a very interesting presentation.

There is a reflection chapel nearby for Elvis fans to spend time.

On the top of the hill is a sculpture display by a Dutch artist of Elvis at his peak with a nine year old Elvis in front of him with his first guitar.

If you are an Elvis fan, it is a must see.