After much debate, I have decided to consolidate our personal blog with our trip blog. So, for all those trying to keep up, I hope this will make it simpler. You can find us now on this blog at...
www.milesamerica.blogspot.com
Sincerly,
Thomas, Charity & Declan Miles
Monday, January 26, 2009
Friday, January 2, 2009
Day Twelve - Birmingham, AL to HOME!
You may have figured out that we are home already, I am just a little slow at posting our last days. I apologize. So here is the last leg of our journey.
We woke up in sunny 70 degree Birmingham, Alabama. Filled with pre-Christmas traffic from all the shoppers. Finally it was starting to feel like Christmas. We puttered around town, picked up a pizza and nibbled our way to Tannehill Ironworks. Tannehill is a foundry and grist mill that was started about the time of the civil war. It is also the end of the Appalachian Mountains where they work their way down from New Foundland (known as the oldest mountains in North America). How do they figure which mountain is oldest? Do you ask the trees? dunno. The place seemed deserted, and if you listened hard you could hear the fires going, the shouts of soldiers working the forge and the turn of the mill. It was here I was inspired to shoot a new project called "The South". Photos of things that make the south what it is, the history, the people, the future. I am taking requests, so let me know what makes "The South" southern to you.
After walking the trail up to the grist mill, Declan right to sleep riding on my back. We enjoyed the serenity and contemplated the end of our journey. Tonight we would be home. The thought seemed strange. We had been gone almost a month. We missed our dog Murphy, but our house seemed like just stuff. We missed our friends and family terribly and were ready to sleep in our own bed. We were ready to be home. We drove the six hours and pulled into our driveway to our dog that had missed us an awful lot. Declan skipped and skipped through the house, pulling out all his toys and grinning from ear to ear. He knew he was home.
We woke up in sunny 70 degree Birmingham, Alabama. Filled with pre-Christmas traffic from all the shoppers. Finally it was starting to feel like Christmas. We puttered around town, picked up a pizza and nibbled our way to Tannehill Ironworks. Tannehill is a foundry and grist mill that was started about the time of the civil war. It is also the end of the Appalachian Mountains where they work their way down from New Foundland (known as the oldest mountains in North America). How do they figure which mountain is oldest? Do you ask the trees? dunno. The place seemed deserted, and if you listened hard you could hear the fires going, the shouts of soldiers working the forge and the turn of the mill. It was here I was inspired to shoot a new project called "The South". Photos of things that make the south what it is, the history, the people, the future. I am taking requests, so let me know what makes "The South" southern to you.
After walking the trail up to the grist mill, Declan right to sleep riding on my back. We enjoyed the serenity and contemplated the end of our journey. Tonight we would be home. The thought seemed strange. We had been gone almost a month. We missed our dog Murphy, but our house seemed like just stuff. We missed our friends and family terribly and were ready to sleep in our own bed. We were ready to be home. We drove the six hours and pulled into our driveway to our dog that had missed us an awful lot. Declan skipped and skipped through the house, pulling out all his toys and grinning from ear to ear. He knew he was home.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Day Eleven - Photos - Memphis TN to Birmingham AL
Graceland lit up for Christmas
Beale Street, Memphis, Tenn.
FedEx Forum, downtown Memphis, Tenn.
Here are the photos from today...
Beale Street, Memphis, Tenn.
FedEx Forum, downtown Memphis, Tenn.
Here are the photos from today...
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Day Eleven - Memphis TN to Birmingham AL
Memphis, Tennessee. A place with many flavors. We sampled everything from Graceland to Beale Street with a lunch of BBQ at Rendezvous downtown to finish it up. Graceland was amazing to me. I knew that Elvis was famous, and had seen lots of his old movies, but I never fully understood how much of an impact he had on the world. He changed history in so many ways. He revolutionized music in the era before computers and broad media. His music changed the direction of rock and roll and dancing forever. It was an impact I had not fully realized. You left there wishing you could change things too. Not just on a small scale, but change the world. It was inspiring.
Rendezvous was a little hole in the wall basement restaraunt just off Beale street in downtown Memphis. The place was started back in 1948 when the owner - Charlie Vergo - cleaned out his coal chute and started making history. We we lucky enough to see Charlie while we were there. He came in for lunch and to check the BBQ pits. Overall, the food was good, but I think the BBQ in Savannah is hard to beat.
Rendezvous was a little hole in the wall basement restaraunt just off Beale street in downtown Memphis. The place was started back in 1948 when the owner - Charlie Vergo - cleaned out his coal chute and started making history. We we lucky enough to see Charlie while we were there. He came in for lunch and to check the BBQ pits. Overall, the food was good, but I think the BBQ in Savannah is hard to beat.
Day Ten - photos - Springfield MO to Memphis TN
The home of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of Little House on the Prairie.
It seemed almost eerie as the mist surrounded the house, giving it an air of mystery.
The frozen Missouri river still flowed strong.
This is one of the columns found in the cave. The formations were amazing!
Fantastic Caverns is one of four drive - thru caves in the world. It is the only drive through cave in North America. Missouri has over 600 known caves, that's why it is known as the "cave state".
Here are the pictures from today!
It seemed almost eerie as the mist surrounded the house, giving it an air of mystery.
The frozen Missouri river still flowed strong.
This is one of the columns found in the cave. The formations were amazing!
Fantastic Caverns is one of four drive - thru caves in the world. It is the only drive through cave in North America. Missouri has over 600 known caves, that's why it is known as the "cave state".
Here are the pictures from today!
Day Ten - Springfeld MO to Memphis TN
We left Springfield, Missouri in the midst of freezing rain and slight showers and headed to the heart of the Southland. The home of soul, the home of Elvis (no we didn't see him, and yes he is really dead, sorry.)
Before we left Springfield we stopped at the biggest Bass Pro Shop I have ever seen in my life. The inside was made to look as if you were a fish underwater, then you crossed a wooden bridge and looked at a hiker running from a bear with a panther on their tail. It was truly amazing. The store was the size of the whole Savannah mall. Impressive and highly recommended. Since we had decided to go low budget on this trip, we have made do with light meals. Breakfast at the hotels. Lunch was made up of Peanut Butter and honey sandwiches or camping meals similar to MRE's that you add water to. We decided to restock our supplies while we were there. Several days along the trip we heated water in a mug plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car and ate while we drove to save time. I recommend any of the Mountain House brand except the sweet and sour pork!
On our visiting Springfield we heard about a drive-thru size cave and decided to check it out. Fantastic Caverns proved to be worth the drive. Twenty minutes into the countryside and I wasn't sure it was worth it, but it was. Turns out it is one of four drive-thru caves in the world, and the only one in North America (for all you trivia buffs). As the guide drove our jeep deep into the hole, he told legends about the cave being used as a speakeasy during prohibition to holding vigilante groups into the 1960's. No names were mentioned, but they wore white hoods. I'll let you figure that one out. The history brought prickles up the back of your neck. My favorite part was when one visitor asked if there were bats in the cave. The smart witted guide said, "why sure, but she got off on the last tour".
We crossed the mighty Mississippi river just as the sun had set, grateful that the days were longer closer to the equator. We cruised Beale street, rolling down our windows to listen to the jazz as it played through the air. The neighborhood reminded us of downtown Savannah, with ghetto all around. The only difference was the music, the spirit of soul. The sound of guitars and drums wafted out of bars as we drove. Slow and smooth it played, unlike the big Cutlass Supreme's with 16" rims blasting out a tuneless thump as they cruised by. They say this is where Elvis got his start, listening to blues. The music in Memphis was an art, not fitting any mold but it's own, pulsing to the beat of neon lights.
Before we left Springfield we stopped at the biggest Bass Pro Shop I have ever seen in my life. The inside was made to look as if you were a fish underwater, then you crossed a wooden bridge and looked at a hiker running from a bear with a panther on their tail. It was truly amazing. The store was the size of the whole Savannah mall. Impressive and highly recommended. Since we had decided to go low budget on this trip, we have made do with light meals. Breakfast at the hotels. Lunch was made up of Peanut Butter and honey sandwiches or camping meals similar to MRE's that you add water to. We decided to restock our supplies while we were there. Several days along the trip we heated water in a mug plugged into the cigarette lighter in the car and ate while we drove to save time. I recommend any of the Mountain House brand except the sweet and sour pork!
On our visiting Springfield we heard about a drive-thru size cave and decided to check it out. Fantastic Caverns proved to be worth the drive. Twenty minutes into the countryside and I wasn't sure it was worth it, but it was. Turns out it is one of four drive-thru caves in the world, and the only one in North America (for all you trivia buffs). As the guide drove our jeep deep into the hole, he told legends about the cave being used as a speakeasy during prohibition to holding vigilante groups into the 1960's. No names were mentioned, but they wore white hoods. I'll let you figure that one out. The history brought prickles up the back of your neck. My favorite part was when one visitor asked if there were bats in the cave. The smart witted guide said, "why sure, but she got off on the last tour".
We crossed the mighty Mississippi river just as the sun had set, grateful that the days were longer closer to the equator. We cruised Beale street, rolling down our windows to listen to the jazz as it played through the air. The neighborhood reminded us of downtown Savannah, with ghetto all around. The only difference was the music, the spirit of soul. The sound of guitars and drums wafted out of bars as we drove. Slow and smooth it played, unlike the big Cutlass Supreme's with 16" rims blasting out a tuneless thump as they cruised by. They say this is where Elvis got his start, listening to blues. The music in Memphis was an art, not fitting any mold but it's own, pulsing to the beat of neon lights.
Day Nine - Springfield, MO to ...Springfield, MO
Yup, that's right, Springfield to Springfield. We decided to hole up for a day when Thomas woke up with something similar to food poisoning. After locating a great little health food store called "Mama Jean's" I found some great rememdies and hauled Declan back the hotel. We nursed Thomas back to health, caught up on laundry and coffee and rested.
After dark, when Thomas was feeling perkier we went down to Branson, Missouri. We drove through two and a half miles of Christmas lights. We rode the famous tower at Sheperd of the Hills and saw our first "little white church" since we had arrived in the south.
After dark, when Thomas was feeling perkier we went down to Branson, Missouri. We drove through two and a half miles of Christmas lights. We rode the famous tower at Sheperd of the Hills and saw our first "little white church" since we had arrived in the south.
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