Touring Tupelo and the Elvis Presley Birthplace

April 13^th – 16^th

We went to the Elvis Presley Birthplace while we were in Tupelo.  We watched a movie of influential scenes in Elvis’ life; from his birth to the time his family left Tupelo when he was 12 years old.  An interesting fact we learned was that Elvis also had a twin brother who was stillborn.

The two-room house where he was born and the Elvis childhood church have been moved to the area that also contains the museum, statues, and other interesting historical items.

It was all very interesting and after we left there we went downtown to view the “Homecoming Statue”.  When Elvis was 10 years old he placed 5^th at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show, held in Tupelo.  Later, when he was a superstar he returned to the fairgrounds to perform a concert.  A very famous picture was taken as he reached out to the crowd and later that picture was made into a statue.

Since we liked the campground and area so much we decided to stay another night.  Besides, we aren’t in a hurry to be anywhere. This lifestyle is great!

We also checked out a couple of other civil war historical sites.  Tupelo was the site of the final major Civil War conflict in Mississippi.

During the time we were in Tupelo we ordered a water filtration system from RVWaterFilterStore.com.  It is a three-part system that consists of a 1-micron, 5-micron and finally a carbon filter.  The first two are sediment filters and the carbon filter is to eliminate bad tastes.

That’s all.

Thanks for following along!

Traveling to Elvis’ Birthplace – Tupelo, MS

Saturday, April 12^th

(Tupelo, MS by way of Natchez Trace Parkway) Hi 81° F, Low 60° F

This morning we packed up and headed north on the Natchez Trace Parkway to Tupelo, MS.  Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis Presley.  We’re big fans of Elvis and we plan on visiting several Elvis-related landmarks.  After another leisurely drive along the Natchez Trace Parkway we checked into The Campground at Barnes Crossing.

The Parkway passes very close to Tupelo and the campground is about a half mile from the Parkway.  It’s a very nice campground that is beautifully landscaped and terraced.  We’re planning on staying for three nights and checking out the area around Tupelo.

After checking in at the office, we followed one of the employees to our site and he helped us back into the site.  It was a little tricky but I was able to back it in on the first try.  We then started our setup routine.  There was only one location that might work for the satellite dish to have a clear sight to the satellites.  Luckily, we were able to aim it just over the RV and under some tree branches and we were able to get it working.

The rest of the evening we just relaxed and took it easy.

I know this isn’t a very long entry but some days are like this.

Thanks for following along!

Visiting Historical Vicksburg, MS

Friday, April 11^th

(Riverview RV Park, Vicksburg, MS) Hi 78° F, Low 53° F

Note: At this time I'm unable to upload any photos.  I'll try later to edit and add the pictures. Sorry!

Today we visited the Vicksburg National Military Park.  At the entrance gate we were able to get an America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass for free because I am a member of the Armed Forces (US Navy Reserves).  It would have cost $80 for the annual pass if we had to purchase it outright.

We first went to the Visitor’s Center and obtained some information and a map.  We watched a 20-minute film on the historical battle.  It was very interesting, probably more for me as I am a history buff (especially Civil War history).  It was a good way to start traveling along the self-guided tour of the battlefield.

At the Visitor’s Center they also had a small exhibit with a diorama that used lights to follow the progress of the battle and subsequent siege from beginning to end.

After we left the Visitor Center we started the driving tour.  There are over 1,000

informational markers and places of historical significance along the 16-mile tour.  It was amazing to see the remnants of the battle and try to imagine what it may have been like to have lived in those times and participated in the battle.

 

The state of Kentucky had several regiments in the Union as well as the Confederacy.