My sister Susan and dog Rutherford left North St. Paul last Friday morning at 600a. We drove through Iowa, a bit of Missouri, and on to Illinois just east of St. Louis. There we visited the Cahokia Mounds, what is left of the oldest city in North America! The people were of the Mississippian tribe and lived along the river. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is wonderful. The museum gives vivid representations of life for the people who inhabited this area, and the grounds have many mounds, including Monk Mound, 100 feet tall, which you can climb the 130 steps to get to the top. What can you see? Modern St. Louis including the arch off in the distance! I would encourage anyone who can to visit this historical site or at least learn about it online.
From the mounds we drove to Memphis and arrived at 1030p. We stayed at the Guest House at Graceland which is a 900-room hotel that is marvelous! Lots of restaurants, things to do, and impeccable service. It is .2 miles from Graceland. So, I visited Elvis' home on Saturday morning. It was an experience - I wonder what Elvis would think of how they have commercialized so much of his life! The tour of the house was interesting but what is most striking is the size of the rooms - they are fairly small. Of course Graceland was built in the 1930's so it was a different time. It certainly is an explosion of textures and colors! I had my tour, so I don't need to go again.
We met up with my niece for dinner after some sightseeing and shopping, but the next big event was Sunday. Susan's friend had a garden party at her home with 400 people in attendance! It was a social event and very well done. There was a jazz band, violins on the porch above people as they entered, lots of food and flowers. It was quite an event, and I am glad I got to be present.
On Monday morning Susan flew home, and the dog and I drove from Memphis to DeLand, Florida! It was a beautiful day and Rutherford travels well, so it wasn't a hard trip. I got kind of misty-eyed going through Mississippi, and it brought back memories of living in that state with Michael. But soon we were in Alabama enjoying seeing another state! We spent most of the drive in Alabama, and when we hit Florida it started to rain. Even that wasn't too bad and we arrived at Rutherford's home.
So fun to see my nephew, niece and their 7-month old baby. She is so sweet and fun, as are her parents! I was treated to a birthday cake, a little bottle of champagne, and a card that assured me I am already old so another birthday doesn't make a difference! It was so sweet of them, and we went out to dinner as well, but most of the time was playing with the baby and catching up. They have a wonderful older home that I quite enjoyed, and I treasured my time there. It was a little hard to say goodbye to the dog, as he had been living in Minnesota for 6 months, but he is home and happy.
On my birthday I traveled to Miramar Beach where my sister and brother-in-law have a wonderful winter home. Best birthday present - I got to play tennis for the first time in a decade and the courts are right outside of their home! I played twice in two days and even though I can hardly move, it was worth it. I love tennis! Down the hill from them is the beach, white sand and beautiful, so I made sure to get in a walk along the water. We also had a birthday dinner and I feel quite spoiled! We also played games and just relaxed which was great.
Today I left Miramar Beach and headed to Houston. Almost immediately after leaving big storms rolled through and I had to stop several times to wait out the rain. That put me behind schedule, but I needed to stop at Dauphin Island. Michael and I went there with friends when we lived in Mississippi so it has fond memories, and the last time I was there was with my mother. I also started writing a story set there, so I wanted to see how it had changed in 30 years! There are lots more buildings on the island and many houses have been rebuilt because of hurricanes, so now it is a mix of old and new but still has kept its charm. On the way back to the freeway I went past Bellingrath Gardens and stopped in. It was past azalea time but still much to see including a snake in the path in front of me and one swimming in the pond! The walk was calming and the surroundings lovely.
I made one final detour after hitting Mississippi and that was to part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. It was a quick stop to see a section of bayou but I was rewarded with seeing a small alligator sunning himself on a log next to half a dozen turtles! All within a few feet of the road. I love seeing all of nature, from flowers to alligators, as I travel.
Now I am in Houston to see friends. I can't wait to see what the next week holds. I have already drive 2800 miles!
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