The Home of the Blues

Before the trip, I had researched points of interest and thought it would be fun to stop in Memphis, TN to visit the famous Graceland. Neither Darryl or I am Elvis Presley fanatics, yet so many of our friends and family suggested we spend the time/money to check out his mansion and planes. Coincidently, these same friends also warned us about the criminal elements lurking in the area and mentioned we should stay within the confines of the gated RV park. It only took one trip to the local Planet Fitness and Aldi to understand their concerns, since we constantly saw security officers/vehicles driving in the nearby area and heard a steady flow of police sirens nearby. Regardless, we booked our Graceland mansion and plane excursion which did not disappoint.

While we had planned for a longer day stay, we opted to visit Graceland and immediately begin our journey through Mississippi

and to Alabama. Since the weather was going to be in the low teens in Tupelo, Mississippi where we had booked reservations, we were forced to abandon those plans to avoid dealing with frozen/bursting pipes. Instead after boondocking for the night, we secured a site at the Brierfield Ironworks State Park in Brierfield, AL. Due to the inclement weather, we were the only campers in the park which we didn't mind at all. Our first day included unpacking and scouting out the onsite historical buildings and artifacts. While it was quite cold, we enjoyed taking the dogs on several hikes and taking in the beautiful scenery of rolling hills, babbling brooks and watching the visiting deer. Sometimes, an unfortunate drawback of camping deep in the woods is not being able to watch any local television channels which only really matters when Darryl is interested in watching the football playoffs.

After a full day of outdoor activities, the following morning we enlisted the help of the camp host to locate a reputable dog sitter so that we could visit the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute. As we finished our tour, we walked across the street to the 16th Street Baptist Church where they were holding an MLK Celebration Service. Realizing we were in the exact place where the MLK movement started, we were thrilled to be able to be part of such a monumental event. Afterward, we made our way to the famous bar-b-que restaurant called The Dreamland and enjoyed some unbelievable grub and draft beer. One of the unexpected benefits of visiting this area at this time was there was no traffic due to it being a holiday, and there was no charge to see the exhibits. Neither Darryl or I had ever attended a black Baptist church service which was one of the most enlightening, fulfilling and inspiring experiences.

The following morning, we began our drive to Montgomery, AL.
We arrived at the Gunter Hill State Park and were impressed by the large, concrete lot spaces which were surrounded by beautiful Spanish moss hanging from the nearby trees. Our spot boarded the Alabama River and invited fishing enthusiasts from all around. Since it was still quite cold, we opted for indoor rest in preparation for the final leg of our trip.

Our next stop was one of importance as it had been over 24 years since I had visited my grandfather's burial site in Dothan, Alabama. It was a chilly 34 degrees, with blistering winds yet my discomforted dissipated as I reflected on the beautiful memories I had created with the most patient, loving and accepting man I had ever met.

Only about 45 minutes after we left the gravesite and saw the Florida state line did we realize our journey was near complete. We talked at length about all the places we visited and the different people we met along the way and felt a sense of grief as it ended. We reflected on the

goals we had set before the trip and concluded we were successful in every area.

Specifically, we dedicated daily time to our spiritual growth, took in each new experience without distractions, spent a significant amount of time in the gym working to improve our health, made the effort to connect with old friends throughout the US, took an initiative to learn about the cultures where we visited, learned new skills, "enhanced" our relationship while in each state and spent hundreds of hours on the road driving, talking, reflecting, grieving, celebrating and planning for the next journey.