We began the day at the Vicksburg National Military Park in Vicksburg, MS. We learned a lot about the siege of Vicksburg, but what we enjoyed the most was the recovered U.S.S. Cairo ironclad, most of which is on display under a large tent in the park.
Much of what you see here is original, including the iron on the front and side of the ship. The ship was sunk during the Vicksburg siege with a makeshift mine in the water. It was recovered in modern times though when it was raised from the silt on the river floor. It was very impressive to see up close.
From the park, we headed into the town of Vicksburg, where we visited the Biedenharn Candy Co. This was the first place that Coca-Cola was ever bottled. Prior to this bottling, it had only been dispensed via soda fountains. Here we learned about both the bottling process and the soda fountain dispensing process.
From there, we walked downhill towards the river, where we checked out some impressive murals, which were painted over a few year span on a flood wall near the river itself. The murals were about the history of Vicksburg, from early times to more recent times.
Here you can see some of the murals beyond this park.
After Vicksburg, we headed south towards New Orleans. On the way, we crossed over the 24-mile bridge that spans Lake Pontchartrain. We never quite lost sight of land, either behind us or in front of us, but it was a long bridge.
Today...New Orleans and beyond. 
No comments:
Post a Comment