Hello All!!
I've decided that the best option for keeping friends and family posted on how AmeriCorps is going is by joining the blogging community! Bear with me while I work out the kinks and set this up... Also, I may have forgotten a few stops or museums in my retelling of the trip but let it be known that does not mean it wasn't memorable, it's only from seeing SO much in such a short time!

SO! As of now I have been in Vicksburg, MS for a full week and I have to admit that I'm enjoying living in the south! Who woulda thunk?! Dad and I left last Wednesday for our man-venture and we had an absolute blast. We started at around 6am and made our way to Cincinnati, OH to meet up with Dave and Marcia (mom and dad's college friends).
On the way we stopped at the World's Famous Fried Bologna restaurant! The sandwich came on a hamburger bun with an inch thick slab of bologna, onions, relish, and cheese. Dad said it would ahve gone great with a nice side of Tums, but I thought the Rolling Rocks washed everything down nicely.
Next on our itinerary that mom was kind enough to put together for us (we would have been lost without it...) we stopped at Jungle Jim's! This is a glorified grocery store outside of Cincinnati which is actually pretty awesome. They have the coolest bathroom that looks like a port-a-potty from the outside but opens up to a hallway and an actual bathroom!! It was like something out of a redneck version of Harry Potter!
After exploring Jungle Jim's we hit the road again and made it to Dave and Marcia's. After having a delicious dinner with them we all went down to ice cream at the famous Graeter's ice cream shop and boy did that live up to the hype!!
The next morning we hit the road for Nashville. On the way we stopped in Louisville to see what all the fuss was about and made our way to the Slugger Museum. Dad and I hit some baseballs in the batting cage and then took pictures with the world's largest baseball bat. We then went down and had lunch by the Ohio River and even checked out the hotel where mom visited because there was a "fish tank bar" where the top of the bar was a fish tank the whole way around. It was like using a fish tank as a table. Pretty sweet dude!

After Louisville we started for Nashville and stopped at the Jim Beam Distillery and took the tour there as well as the National Corvette Museum!! I tried to trade in Lola (my saab wagon) for something a little sportier but the 'vette wasn't in my color. When we finally made it down to Nashville, TN. We had dinner at a burger joint that mom said had "Meat and Three" (3 sides) which dad and I ordered only to discover they are famous for their burgers. Jimmy Buffet used to go there when he was a starving "artist" and wrote rave reviews. Regardless, the food was de-lish. We then went down to 5th and Broadway where there was live music pouring out of every bar! We stopped in Toot's for a drink and even though I'm no country fan, I could see myself enjoying the music scene there.

The following day we started out for Memphis, TN. I loved Memphis. We went to Sun Studios where Elvis and Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis got their start and we even got to hold the same microphone they used!! So cool!! Then we went to Graceland and took the tour over there which was very well done and maintained.

That evening we hit the town and Beale St was awesome!! We hung out in BB King's joint for a while and listened to some teenage kid shred on guitar and then wandered around trying food in different nooks and crannies of the area. We even stopped into the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks that live on the roof and take the elevator down to swim in the lobby's fountain. I'm still not sure how they hit the button in the elevator though...

After Memphis, we took Highway 61 South to Vicksburg! Although 61 is known for being the "blues highway" it turned out to be the cornfield and ghost town highway. Fun nonetheless. We arrived at Vicksburg on Saturday evening and made our way around downtown in about 3mins. Vicksburg is not a very large or prestigious city but is actually pretty enjoyable. We stopped in one of the many casinos and then listened to some blues outside the bar. We tried to tolerate the heat the best we could but finally decided to call it a night and return to the blessing of air-conditioning.
The next morning we grabbed some breakfast and then headed over to the Vicksburg Military Park and watched a film about the battle of vicksburg and then talked with some reenactment soldiers. The park is about 16miles around and we drove the majority and stopped at the old war ship "The Cairo" that had been restored after sinking during the war. The ranger there was a cute southern girl that I might just have to go back and learn some more about some old ship that I don't actually care about...

Then dad and I drove to Jackson for his flight and I was sorry to see him go because we had been having so much fun together. Between the sites and sounds to the endless puns and amazing jokes, this was definitely a trip for the ages.