Journey to Jacksonville
January 4th, 2009The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
~St. Augustine
The past week found Kalie, Shawn, Jesse and me on an adventure as we drove to the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville. The trip took us over 3,000 miles in six days through eleven states. In addition to the 26-21 win over the Clemson Tigers, we made stops along the way to experience a bit of the local culture and attractions. Highlights were visits to Mammoth Springs, AR; B.B.Kings Club on Beale St., the Civil Rights Museum and site of Martin Luther King’s assassination in Memphis, TN; the birthplace of Elvis in Tupelo, MS; the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, AL; the Alabama statehouse and the first White House of the Confederacy in Montgomery, AL; the FSU campus in Tallahasse, FL and the Jacksonville Beach in Jacksonville, FL. We spent New Year’s Eve watching fireworks and listening to live music at The Landing in downtown Jacksonville and New Year’s Day at the Gator Bowl. On the return trip home we had lunch at The Varsity in Atlanta, GA (the world’s largest drive-in hamburger place) and dinner in Nashville, TN. After spending the night in Paducah, KY we continued on and came upon the little town of Cairo, IL which is sandwiched between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and has an interesting history. We had lunch in St. Louis, MO and dinner with Jesse’s friends in Kansas City before finally making it home. We had a great time and got to see many new places.
