The 21st day of our trip began when Tom’s alarm rang at 6:00am. My photographer wasted little time getting things packed and ready to roll; after all, we were 80 miles behind schedule. The weather was ideal on Thursday morning October 28, 2021; although the bright sunlight made it hard for Vicki to see the road at times during our eastward drive. We crossed the Mississippi River and headed into the Vicksburg National Military Park at 8:58am; we were two minutes early. I wasn’t surprised – I’ve learned to live with punctuality during my travels with Tom.
COVID restrictions kept the visitor center closed, which meant we were unable to obtain a map of the battlefield and were forced to drive blindly around the hilly terrain. A few minutes into our self-guided tour, we saw the first casualty from the Siege of Vicksburg – it was gray and armored, likely a Confederate soldier. But as the black vultures left the “soldier’s” side, the fallen “Rebel” turned out to be a dead nine-banded armadillo. I laughed to myself when I heard Tom say to his wife: “That’s probably the armadillo ‘Lee Harvey’ Fiscelli shot the other night at Bill and Kim’s farm. The wounded critter likely hobbled 350 miles to this spot before it finally died.”
Not too long after we saw one of Mother Nature’s speed bumps lying dead near the roadway, we arrived at a site that interested my camera guy. It was a 37-foot-tall granite monument that turned out to be the Michigan State Memorial that overlooked a section of the battlefield. Cannons were positioned near the memorial where the 8th Battery of Michigan light artillery fired upon the enemy’s position from May 25th to the end of the siege on July 4, 1863. As I stood on a section of the battlefield, it seemed as though I could hear the explosions of shell fire in the distance, as well as the nearby cries of death. On the opposite side of the trenched field, I saw a large monument that reminded me of William McKinley’s tomb in Canton, Ohio. After we made the short drive to the ornate monument, it turned out to be the 62-foot-tall Illinois Memorial that was dedicated at the site on October 26, 1906.
Tom carried me up the monument’s 47 granite steps, which was one step for each day of the siege, where I posed for a photo beneath its Georgia marble dome. The names of all 36,325 Illinois soldiers who participated in the campaign were listed inside the memorial, which I thought was cool. During the next half-hour, my companions drove around the Civil War battlefield as they searched for the USS Cairo Museum. Once my photographer used his head, as well as the GPS on his phone, we finally arrived at the salvaged remnants of the United States Army ironclad ship. Launched in 1861, the Cairo was one of the United States’ first ironclad ships used during the Civil War. In 1862, the ship struck a Confederate mine in the Yazoo River and sunk within 12 minutes. The Cairo laid undisturbed at the bottom of the river, covered in mud and silt and forgotten for nearly a century, until it was discovered in 1956. In the mid-1960s, the ironclad’s remains were carefully lifted out of the river and taken to a nearby shipyard where restoration work proceeded for over ten years. By 1977, the USS Cairo was moved to its permanent home at the Vicksburg National Military Park.
It was roughly 10:20am when we finished our makeshift tour of the Vicksburg National Military Park. But wouldn’t you know it, Tom had found a site on the other side of town that had a Presidential connection. There, along Washington Street, was a historical sign that marked the location of the Lum Mansion, which was used by General Ulysses S. Grant and his family in 1863 after the Siege of Vicksburg. When my photographer forced me to pose alongside the historical marker, I tried to envision the mansion, but that was difficult. All I could see was a parking lot and an antique shop, which was where Vicki headed immediately upon our arrival. The 26-room mansion, which was built in 1820, was destroyed shortly after the General and Mrs. Grant headed for Virginia. Even though Grant had promised William and Anne Lum their mansion would be protected, the evil-hearted General William Tecumseh Sherman ordered it demolished as a “military necessity”. It was no wonder Sherman was viewed by the South as the most hated Union officer, and that was because of his random acts of violence during the Civil War.
Finished at the parking lot site of the Lum Home, we met up with Vicki at the Open Market antique shop, which likely sat on a portion of the historic home’s property. The store occupied an old, renovated Coca Cola Bottling Company building; the place was huge and filled with a lot of period pieces. As a matter of fact, it reminded me of some of the Presidential homes I’ve visited in the past. But since we were in Vicksburg, Tom had his sights set on one thing – relics from the Civil War battle in that town. After a half-hour search of the store, the three of us returned to the Jeep with a couple of bullets, some buttons, and a few other Civil War treasures that were discovered on someone’s property.
The Siege of Vicksburg ended on July 4, 1863, which was one day after the Union Army’s victory in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Historians have concluded that both battles were the turning points of the Civil War. Had the Confederate States of America defeated the Union in Vicksburg and Gettysburg, our country might be very different today. As a matter of fact, I envisioned a Confederate flag standing erect on the surface of the Moon had things gone south for the North.
It was nearly 11:30am when we began our eastern journey across the middle of Mississippi. As we headed for the State Capitol Building in Jackson, I laughed to myself when I heard Tom say out loud: “I’m 65 years old and had never been to Louisiana, Mississippi, or Alabama until 2019. Now, two years later, I’m back for a second time.”
Shortly after noon, Vicki had parked our ‘Family Truckster’ within a hundred yards of the Capitol Building; she waited in the vehicle while Tom and I walked the grounds. The Mississippi State Capitol was completed in 1903 and had replaced the old statehouse, which still stood a few blocks away. As I admired the 180-foot-tall dome of the Capitol, I was underwhelmed. To me, it was an average-looking state capitol building; not the worse I’ve seen and far from the best. Perhaps the highlight was the eight-foot-tall eagle that stood atop the dome. The bird was made of copper, gilded in gold leaf, and shone brilliantly against the overcast sky. But there was a twist with that eagle. In the United States, a majority of the state capitols that feature eagles, all have their bird facing towards Washington D.C. However, that wasn’t the case in Jackson, Mississippi. Their eagle faced south as a symbolic reminder for Mississippians to be proud of their heritage as part of the Confederate States of America. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but think to myself: “Nothing to be proud of Russ.”
A few moments after Tom and I had returned to the Jeep, the two of us realized the Mississippi State Capitol was our final scheduled site for the day. For the remainder of that Thursday, we were faced with mile-after-tedious-mile of expressway – all of which was needed so the three of us would be in a good position to be at the Convention Center in Knoxville, Tennessee by noon on Friday. My photographer’s original plan was for us to spend the night in Sweetwater, Tennessee; but the earliest we could possibly get there was eight o’clock that night. Since Tom didn’t want to listen to his wife complain about that late arrival time, he set his sights on the Holiday Inn located on the western side of Fort Payne, Alabama. That city was only three hours by car to Knoxville and we would easily get to the Convention Center before noon the following day.
By six o’clock, my companions had registered at the Holiday Inn in Fort Payne and they had their gear unloaded into our room shortly after. For dinner, Tom and Vicki purchased take-out food from New China; a nice Chinese restaurant located a mile or so from our hotel. After I had the pleasure of seeing and hearing my photographer stuff his face with sweet and sour chicken, the three of us watched the Green Bay Packers edge the Arizona Cardinals 24-21 on Thursday Night Football. When the lights were snuffed-out at 10:30pm, I was left alone with my thoughts while I stood alongside the television set. And for once, those thoughts weren’t focused on Presidents. As a matter of fact, there wasn’t anything remotely historical rolling around inside my hallow resin head. Instead, I thought about Judge Reinhold and the fact that we were scheduled to meet him at the ‘Fanboy Expo’ in Knoxville. And when I pictured Judge in my mind, all I could see was Brad Hamilton as he embraced Linda Barrett near the Hamilton’s pool in the movie ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. That’s right; it was the famous pool scene where actress Phoebe Cates carried out her unforgettable bikini drop. By all accounts, especially by Rolling Stone magazine, it was the most recognized pool scene in the history of cinema. So, I was wrong – there was some historical times running through my mind. Those historical times quickly transformed into fast times – at Ridgemont High.
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The 29th of October began, at least for the three of us, in Fort Payne, Alabama. About 90 minutes after Tom’s alarm went off, we were on the road to Knoxville, Tennessee. The weather was terrible; it rained during our entire journey through the northeastern section of Alabama and continued all the way into the southeastern part of the Volunteer State. However, by the time we rolled into downtown Knoxville, the sky had cleared, and the sun was out. Parking near the Knoxville Convention Center was almost non-existent; but we caught a break when Vicki found a spot along the road that was only a short walk from the expo.
Once the three of us were inside the enormous building, it didn’t take long before we saw how serious some of the visitors took events like the Fanboy Expo. Dozens of fans were dressed in elaborate costumes; they represented characters from the Star Wars movies, the Star Trek TV show, and several superhero films. At one point, I posed with a Star Wars Stormtrooper while my companions killed some time before some of the celebrity guests had arrived. I knew my photographer was still disappointed that Peter Criss, the original drummer for the band KISS, had cancelled his expo appearance due to COVID concerns. The ‘Catman’ was the only original member of Tom’s favorite band whom he hadn’t met in person; and thanks to an uptick in the darn virus, it wouldn’t happen on that Friday either.
There were dozens of celebrity guests scheduled to be at the expo to meet visitors and to sign autographs, including the show’s main attraction, William Shatner. With “The Cat” out of the picture, and since Tom didn’t care for Star Trek, my camera guy refocused his attention to an actor who had starred in one of his all-time favorite movies – the classic 1982 film ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’. That’s right – we were within minutes of meeting Judge Reinhold who had played high school senior Brad Hamilton in the film. I knew my cheap photographer wouldn’t pay the extra cash to let me pose for a photo with Reinhold, but I didn’t care. That’s because I was more interested in hearing what goofy questions Tom would ask him. And of course, he didn’t disappoint me.
Judge Reinhold arrived at his small booth at roughly 1:15pm; Tom was one of the first customers in line. I was positioned in the camera case that hung around his shoulder; Vicki had Tom’s camera so she could capture the moment. The two couldn’t shake hands because a sheet of plexiglass had been placed in front of the actor to help provide a barricade against COVID; but I saw Judge pose side-by-side with a cash-carrying customer who was just in front of us. When it was finally our turn, Tom handed the actor an 8×10 image of Reinhold and Cates pictured together in the famous pool scene from “Fast Times”; which he signed in silver Sharpie. As the signature dried, I heard my photographer pose the one question I had hoped he would ask: “Judge, when you and Phoebe Cates shot the most incredible pool-side bikini scene in movie history, did you mess up on purpose a few times just to reshoot that part over and over again?” Reinhold looked Tom in the eyes, smiled, and then he answered: “She was only 19 and very nervous doing that scene. I was a perfect gentleman, so we only had to shoot it one time.” Judge Reinhold was 25 years old when he starred in “Fast Times” and he had turned 64 in May, but the actor still looked like he did in the film; perhaps just a bit more mature. More importantly, at least to Tom and me, his voice hadn’t change one bit in the past 39 years. Out of nowhere, Reinhold added a final comment about the pool scene: “I bet when the owners sold their house, they got a lot more money for their place just because of that pool.” Tom replied: “You’re probably right. After all, it’s one of the most famous swimming pools in movie history.” My photographer said, “one of the most”, because he knew the hotel pool used during a scene in the movie ‘Vacation’, when Chevy Chase swam with Christie Brinkley, was pretty famous as well.
About 30 minutes after Tom and I met Judge Reinhold, the three of us left the ‘Fanboy Expo’ and headed for the Jeep. Since it was still early in the afternoon, my photographer figured we could get some miles under our belts before we bedded down for the night. Since were 562 miles from home, with no chance of making it back to St. Clair that evening, Tom calculated we could get past Lexington, Kentucky before nightfall. But then he threw a wrench into those freshly made plans; he had found a small diner in Lexington that was featured on Guy Fieri’s show ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’. Vicki and I were “all in” as we love stopping at the eateries featured on Guy’s shows.
Three hours after we left Knoxville, Vicki made it through the rain-soaked, rush-hour traffic of Lexington until we arrived at a place called the ‘Parkette Drive-In’; which was located a few miles east of downtown. The interior of the place looked cool; it reminded me of a classic diner out of the 1950s. Tom knew the place was famous for its fried chicken, but when the server mentioned that’s what Fieri had eaten when he taped the show in 2010, my photographer couldn’t wait to place his order. On the other hand, Vicki chose the patty melt and tater tots; she didn’t care if Guy had eaten those or not. When the food arrived at our table and Tom held the drumstick like he was Peter Criss at a KISS show, I could tell something was wrong. It turned out the chicken and tots weren’t very hot. I heard Tom tell his wife the chicken was moist and had a great flavor, but the meat was lukewarm at best; he was obviously disappointed in the food. As we prepared to leave the diner, I heard Tom say out loud in a sarcastic tone: “This place puts the ‘Dive’ into ‘Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!'”
During some of our trips, the three of us have enjoyed eating at places that were once featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’. As a matter of fact, the one in Lexington was the second diner we had visited on that trip alone. Most of the time, the food that Guy Fieri features on his show is very good and it usually takes my companions to “Flavortown”. While it’s likely the food at the Parkette Drive-In is usually great as well, it was definitely lackluster during our visit.
In the Jeep, Vicki was able to secure a reasonable price on a hotel room that was about 15 miles north of Lexington in the city of Georgetown, Kentucky. After the GPS led us on an unexpected tour through the countryside where we saw dozens of beautiful horses having dinner in their pastures, we arrived at the Super 8 motel around six o’clock. As my companions unpacked the Jeep, I heard my photographer say: “Well, this is the last time we’ll need to carry our stuff to a hotel room on this trip.” And he was right; our hotel was situated alongside I-75 and Georgetown was only six hours from home. Once the lights went out and I was left standing near the TV set in the darkness, I couldn’t get Guy Fieri out of my mind. I kept hearing him say over and over: “We’re riding the bus to Flavortown”; “This is out of bounds”; “This is gangsta”; “This is money”; “Shut the front door”; and my favorite – “You could put that on a flip flop”. In my mind, I think Tom would’ve rather eaten a flip flop than the food at the last place.
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The final day of our October 2021 trip began at 7:30am; even though my companions had no alarm set. In their minds, they had all day to get home. Once they had the Jeep packed for the last time and we were headed north along I-75, Tom made an announcement that had my head shaking. I heard my photographer tell Vicki that he wanted to break the trip in two; and wouldn’t you know it, Wapakoneta, Ohio was the halfway point of that day’s journey. In my mind, I knew Tom had an ulterior motive up his sleeve. After all, Wapakoneta was the hometown of NASA astronaut and first Moon walker Neil Armstrong. I laughed to myself when my photographer told his wife there appeared to be some cool antique shops in town. He also mentioned they could find a place to get lunch as well. For me and my one-tracked mind – I couldn’t wait to see Neil’s boyhood home again.
Roughly around 11:30am, we rolled into Wapakoneta; from an opening in the camera case, I saw the Armstrong Air & Space Museum as we sped past. I wasn’t sure, but I thought I heard Vicki say: “Don’t even think about it.” A few minutes after I had stopped laughing to myself, we were parked in front of the Auglaize Antique Mall. As soon as the three of us walked into the enormous store, I knew Tom would walk out with something in hand. I just had that feeling. After about 45 minutes of treasure hunting, my photographer didn’t disappoint me. He found something that seemed to be calling his name. As a matter of fact, I could’ve sworn I heard: “Tom, tu dois m’acheter et me ramener à la maison”. That’s right – he found an old record album recorded by Soeur Sourire; which was French for “Sister Smile”. I couldn’t believe my resin painted eyes; that was the Singing Nun’s album. It had been exactly two weeks since I had first heard the song “Dominique” in the parking lot of T.J. Maxx in Midland, Texas. Now, in the basement of an antique mall in Wapakoneta, Ohio, that song was going home with us. When my photographer and I reunited with Vicki near the cash register, I noticed the huge smile on her face when Tom showed her the album. It was actually a forced smile of total disbelief! When Vicki asked “Why?”; I heard my photographer answer with just two words: “It’s karma!”
My companions had placed their antique finds in the Jeep before we set out on foot to find lunch. After a short walk, we found the perfect spot – a place called The Side Rail that was only two blocks from the antique store. We were seated near a bunch of Ohio State fans; and if that wasn’t enough to upset one’s stomach, my photographer ordered the Peanut Butter and Jelly Burger. As I watched him tear into the large cheeseburger, which looked quite good, I discovered what the burger was topped with. It featured cheese, bacon, peanut butter, red raspberry jalapeno jam, and arugula. Egg was also offered, but Tom pulled a “Guy Fieri” and opted out of the hen’s fruit. When Tom and Vic were finished, they both agreed that The Side Rail should be featured on ‘Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives’.
My companion’s stomachs were full when we boarded the Jeep and headed for the “Yellow Brick Road” that would take us to “Oz”. In other words, I-75 north to Michigan. But as we wound our way around the back streets of Wapakoneta, Tom gave his wife one last chance to experience some history. “If you’d like, we’re only a couple of blocks from Neil Armstrong’s boyhood home. If you play your cards right, we could stop.” I gave the patient woman a lot of credit; she was very polite when she answered: “No thanks – I don’t gamble.” So much for that idea, even when “Clark” countered with: “It’s living history, Ellen. But (sigh) if you’d rather get back…to Michigan.”
During most of the 200-mile drive to St. Clair, the three of us listened to the Michigan Wolverines – Michigan State Spartans football game that was broadcast over the radio waves. Going into the contest, both teams were undefeated – the team from Ann Arbor was ranked sixth, while the green and white from East Lansing sat in the number eight spot. When the final whistle blew, however, the Spartans came away with a 37-33 upset victory over their intra-state rivals. And how did that happen? The “zebras” who officiated the game should’ve been carrying white canes with red tips. There was no doubt, at least according to the verbal descriptions by broadcasters Jim Brandstatter and Dan Dierdorf, the officials had a terrible game, and their decisions played a huge difference in the final outcome. But like my photographer always says, especially after a team he’s rooting for loses: “Game officials, whether it’s college, NFL, or Major League Baseball umpires, are never held accountable for their continuous bad calls.”
It was a few minutes past five o’clock when we arrived home – our 23-day “Griswold Family Vacation” was over. While the three of us made a ton of new memories on the trip, we also had our share of nightmares forged as well. I will never forget, and I know my companions would likely never forget either, the impact we felt when Cody from Texas rear-ended our ‘Family Truckster’ in New Mexico.
That was it for 2021; I was placed back inside Tom’s historical display case for safekeeping where I’ll await our next adventure. And what did my photographer have up his sleeve for 2022? Let’s just say the three of us planned on heading out on tour in early February. And that isn’t going to be just an ordinary tour, either. We’ll be headed for Wisconsin on the Winter Dance Party tour. And let me tell you, I can’t wait to meet Buddy, Ritchie, and The Big Bopper on the Day the Music Died.
In the meantime, don’t forget to check out our show ‘Hail to the Chief’ at bluewaterhealthyliving.com. And as always, please share this blog and the link to our show on social media with your friends. Tom and I sincerely appreciate your help in sharing out stories.
Hail To The Chief: With Tom Watson: An Introduction – Blue Water Healthy Living
