January 12, 2012

Reflecting on January . . .

Posted by louise C. under Out of the Suitcase | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Except for those of us who might be called snow bunnies, most folks don’t care for the month of January, which normally is a cold and dreary month.  January, however, yields many reasons for travel, and certainly reflecting on the past  . . . such as . . . .

The first presidential election was held in January 1789; subsequently four U.S. presidents were born in the month of January,  and four U.S. presidents died in the month of January; among them President Theodore Roosevelt.

January is also the month for kings: Nobel Peace Prize recipient and Baptist Minister, Martin Luther King, Jr. not only celebrated a birthday in January, but Congress set aside the third Monday in the month of January, in observance and to honor Dr. King, a prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. 

Note:  The Martin Luther King Memorial ,  located in the National Mall in Washington, D.C., was officially opened in August 2011, joining many other memorials to great leaders of our time, and as popular tourist attractions.  Because MLK Day is on a Monday and is considered a three-day holiday weekend for many, it is a perfect opportunity for many to travel to Washington, D.C.

 Henry VIII, was King of England for some 40 years before his death in January 1547, and Elvis Presley, known as the King of Rock n’ Roll, was born in Tupelo, Mississippi on January 8th.  Note: Although thousands of fans will visit Presley’s birthplace in January, many more will visit during Annual Fan Appreciation Day, taking place in August, which is the month Presley died.  Presley is also tied to Memphis, TN.

Eight states were admitted to the Union over a number of years in the month of January, while three states seceded from the Union (in the month of January) during the Civil War.

Two wars ended: The War of 1812-1814, when General Andrew Jackson defeated the British in the Battle of New Orleans, and the Vietnam peace agreement was signed, thus ending the Viet Nam war in 1973.  Note: Viet Nam has become a popular tourist destination.  The country which is one of many contrasts with its beautiful seashore and white sandy beaches, vying with the Mekong Delta and River;  Chu Chi Tunnels, an immense network of underground tunnels located near Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon);  and Sa Pa Terraces (near the border of China) and Phu Quoc, the former known for its thick bamboo woodlands and the latter for pristine tropical forests, as well as many other historic sites.  If Viet Nam is not on your  travel schedule, then you may opt for great food, lots of great music and a fun time in New Orleans.

Other significant January events include Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation; Ellis Island Immigrant Station formally opened; Gold is discovered in California; Henry Ford introduced the assembly line;  NBC’s, The Today Show premiered; First Super Bowl held in Los Angeles; Space Shuttle Challenger exploded; the great leader of India, Mohandas Gandhi is assassinated; and the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution, abolishing slavery, was submitted.

As we say hello and goodbye to the month of January, let’s think snow; after all, snow is good for tourism . . .and those snow bunny tourists!

 

April 11, 2011

A Road Trip along the Mississippi Blues Trail . . .

Posted by louise C. under The Road Less Traveled | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Elvis Presley childhood home - Tupelo, Mississippi, Flickr photo by divemasterking2000

There are more than 75 reasons for you to take a meandering road trip along the Mississippi Blues Trail.  It is here that you’ll find the ‘roots of the blues’ – music that reaches way down deep in your soul.  A famous blues artist, Willie Dixon, said it best, “Blues is the roots of all music, and you know you can’t have no fruits without first you have the roots.”

Trumpet Records, Jackson, Mississippi

Don’t just meander though: stop by any Mississippi welcome center and pick up your official Mississippi Blues Trail map.  This road map will not only show you how to get to B.B. King’s birthplace in Berclair, or head you in the direction of McComb, home of Bo Diddley, “acclaimed as the founder of rock ‘n’ roll;” it also provides tid bits of 77 blues artists, like Muddy Water’s who called Rolling Fork home, or Vicksburg’s Willie Dixon.  While some of these names may not be familiar to you, unless you are a-died-in-the-wool blues fan, the one name associated with music and blues in the State of Mississippi is known to people throughout the world: Elvis Presley, who revolutionized popular music by blending the blues he first heard as a youth in Tupelo.

Sign marker for Jimmie Rodgers Museum, Meridian, Mississippi

A giant in post-World War II Chicago blues, Chester Arthur Burnett, better known as Howlin’ Wolf, was known as a pioneer in electrifying the Delta blues … stop by (with an appointment) to visit the Howlin’ Wolf Museum in West point.  What a treasure trove: West Point was designated one of America’s top 100 small towns and features a historic downtown area with quaint shops and regionally acclaimed restaurants.  You won’t want to miss the 33rd annual Prairie Arts Festival (September 3), cited as one of the top 10 events in the South.

Delta Blues Museum, Clarksdale, Mississippi

How about heading to the Joint Juke Festival in Clarksdale, beginning April 22, where you can do some “Day Trippin’”, Antiques and Art shopping, Jookin, Bluesin and Dancin’, and eating: Try the Dutch Oven or Ground Zero Blues Club where they serve Southern soul food, or watch the chefs work their magic as you take a seat at the kitchen bar in the upscale dining establishment known as Lady at the Levee.  

No matter where you start, or end up, you’ll discover a musical legacy like no other, in Mississippi towns like:

  • Jackson, home of Trumpet Records and The Alamo Theatre
  • Vicksburg, where Willie Dixon, often called “the poet laureate of the blues,” hailed from
  • Hattiesburg, where rock n’ roll is rooted in the blues of Mississippi
  • Pelahatchie, home to Rubin Lacy, “one of the most talented and influential artists in Mississippi blues”
  • Raymond, where blues singer-song-writer’s, The McCoy Brothers, left their stamp on blues history with songs like “Corrine Corrina and When the Levee Breaks”

  • A typical marquee is a beacon in the night for one of seven B B King Blues Clubs

    Meridian, where Jimmie Rodgers, widely known as the “father of country music” was a major blues artist influence in the 1950s and ’60s

To learn more about the Mississippi Blues Trail, log on to www.msbluestrail.org

Comfort and affordability

No matter where your travels take you in Mississippi, you’ll want a good night’s sleep after a day of musical touring.

 

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