Day 42 – July 30, 2019

We have made it to the end of week 6. To be honest, Kathy and I are ready for six more. Ashley, on the other hand, dreams of clicking her heals and magically returning to the Fantasyland that is El Cajon.

I was trying to figure out how there is such a disconnect between parents and child. I think I may know what it is.

This trip is the simple life. There are no worries, no stress, no time commitments, no responsibilities. It is 100% Hakuna Matata.

Want to stay another day at Busch Gardens? Do it. Northern Mississippi not your cup of tea? Keep on moving. You get my point. It is simplicity in its simplest form.

Ashley’s simple life can be found during summer break in her bedroom. Wake up at 10. Hide under the covers with the tablet until noon. Only get up because Mom says to. Eat, get dressed, do something you don’t want to do for a few hours. Then it’s back to the bedroom with that wonderful unlimited Wi-Fi and tablet. Go to sleep when you want to and repeat. It’s Ashley’s version of simplicity.

As soon as school starts, that ideal life is gone.

It may take her ten years to figure this out, but this trip has given her one thing that she will own for the rest of her life. Memories. The same way she won’t let me forget the crushing defeat I suffered yesterday, we won’t let her forget all of the great things we have experienced.

We do want Ashley to have a little bit of her ideal summer. So we are cutting a very straight line back home. We got on the I-20 West in Atlanta. It will turn into the I-10 somewhere and then the I-8. Then home. Simple.

We started the day in Vicksburg. One of the more important Civil War battles ocurred right here and the battleground has become a National Park. With our park pass, we get in for free.

We stopped at the Visitor Center to watch the movie about the battle. Vicksburg lies on the Mississippi River. Control of the river was important because it allowed for easy movement of men and supplies in support of the war effort. The Union had control of the river to the north and south of Vicksburg. Lincoln considered Vicksburg the key to winning the war.

War is awful. Thousands died. The prosperous city lied in ruins. After 47 horrific days, the Union won the battle and the river.

The Civil War would continue for another year and a half. Many consider the Union victories at Vicksburg and Gettysburg the turning point in the war.

After the movie, we took the driving tour of the pristine battlefield. The entire tour is 16 miles. Like Gettysburg, the grounds have hundreds of monuments to the people who fought and commanded the troops here.

We left Vicksburg with a better appreciation for the Civil War. Within minutes, we were driving over the Mississippi River and into Louisana. It was another driving day.

We stopped in Louisiana only once, three miles from the Texas border to get gas.

As we started our 650 plus mile drive across Texas, we found a place for dinner called the Golden Chick. Their featured item is chicken tenders. For sides they have southern favorites such as ocra, green beans, mashed potatoes, and mac and cheese. The meal was quite good.

Ashley studied the receipt and noticed at the bottom it said, “Have a blessed day.” Nice.

As we started toward the door, we found a cross design in the wallpaper.

Ashley remarked, “They would not have the guts to do that in California.”

An hour later we had reached our destination, Tyler Lake State Park. It is a beautiful, wooded park with a man made lake.

The campground was virtually empty. We enjoyed a short hike along the lake and the sunset.

Back at the tent, we played some DS before going to sleep.