New Orleans/FL Trip (Day 7) - Vicksburg, MS

We started off the day with a great complimentary breakfast buffet at the Ameristar Casino across the street.

We then headed out under sunny skies, but still cool, to visit a few historic sites in the Vicksburg area. The first place we visited was the Confederate Civil War cemetery. It as actually just a section of a much larger municipal cemetery in town. Almost every identifiable Confederate soldier who died in the Battle of Vicksburg is buried, or has been reineterred, here. We also saw about 20 buzzards in the cemetery, sitting on tombstones just looking at us - kind of creepy.




We then visited two historic Episcopal churches in town. One was open, the other had services in progress so we didn't go in. There must be at least 25 churches in town with perhaps surprisingly for the south, a wide range of denominations represented.









While waiting for a couple of other attractions to open we decided to see if we could find "Grant's Canal". This is the site of an attempt by General Grant during the siege of Vicksburg to divert the Mississippi around Vicksburg. After two attempts to do so, the project was abandoned as unfeasible. We found the site just across the river in Louisiana down a dead-end road.









Next, we visited a historic house (Anchuca) built in 1830 that is now a B&B. It is one of the most significant antebellum homes in Vicksburg and was the last home of Jefferson Davis' brother.




We then visited the Vicksburg Old Courthouse Museum. It is very well done and contains a large number of historical collections representing Vicksburg history.

And to finish up the day, we visited the site where Coca-Cola was first bottled and sold in 1894 - the Biedenharn Candy Company, now the Museum of Coca-Cola History and Memorabilia. Prior to bottling, Coke was only sold as a fountain drink.

On the way to the RV Park, we stopped at a fast food seafood place (nothing special) for a quick take-out dinner and are now back at the park doing laundry and watching the Super Bowl.

We are off to New Orleans tomorrow and will get set up for our Mardi Gras adventure beginning on Tuesday.