Our Mid-to-Deep South summer trip

[Spock]

Our family trip this summer will be to the south.

L'il Spock, and me and Mrs. Spock have been to all of the lower 48. The Spocklette is just missing Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Youngest Spock is missing those 3 plus 8 in the Northeast.

It really is turning more into a Charleston based trip than I had expected. The family (particurly Mrs. S) are fans of the "North and South" miniseries which was filmed partially at a plantation near Charleston. Youngest Spock is a fishing fanatic so he and I will do that-not sure if we will do inshore or off-shore yet.

The Spocklette's main request is a Ghost Tour of Charleston.

We plan on visiting Chickamauga battlefield. We may visit Shiloh, if time permits. Mrs S and I were there in 1996. For me, there is something undefinably special about Shiloh so we will see. it seems that of all civil war battles that Shiloh punches well above its weight in terms of poetry, fiction etc.

BBQ and seafood are defintely on the agenda.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I would recommend you get a guide out of Shem Creek and go fishing for red drum

[Spock]

I would recommend you get a guide out of Shem Creek and go fishing for red drum

I will keep it in mind-thanks

[Bob Juch]

Our family trip this summer will be to the south.

L'il Spock, and me and Mrs. Spock have been to all of the lower 48. The Spocklette is just missing Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Youngest Spock is missing those 3 plus 8 in the Northeast.

It really is turning more into a Charleston based trip than I had expected. The family (particurly Mrs. S) are fans of the "North and South" miniseries which was filmed partially at a plantation near Charleston. Youngest Spock is a fishing fanatic so he and I will do that-not sure if we will do inshore or off-shore yet.

The Spocklette's main request is a Ghost Tour of Charleston.

We plan on visiting Chickamauga battlefield. We may visit Shiloh, if time permits. Mrs S and I were there in 1996. For me, there is something undefinably special about Shiloh so we will see. it seems that of all civil war battles that Shiloh punches well above its weight in terms of poetry, fiction etc.

BBQ and seafood are defintely on the agenda.

My granddaughter Brittany and I did the Charleston Ghost Tour. We didn't think it was worth the cost. Go to Fort Sumter and the Aquarium; do the theater attached to the Aquarium.

My 3rd-great grandfather, Pearley Green Brown, fought and was wounded at Chickamauga; his name is on the back of the 18th Ohio monument. I've been over it several times. There's an exhibit of Civil War era firearms that you shouldn't miss.

[Spock]

Our family trip this summer will be to the south.

L'il Spock, and me and Mrs. Spock have been to all of the lower 48. The Spocklette is just missing Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi. Youngest Spock is missing those 3 plus 8 in the Northeast.

It really is turning more into a Charleston based trip than I had expected. The family (particurly Mrs. S) are fans of the "North and South" miniseries which was filmed partially at a plantation near Charleston. Youngest Spock is a fishing fanatic so he and I will do that-not sure if we will do inshore or off-shore yet.

The Spocklette's main request is a Ghost Tour of Charleston.

We plan on visiting Chickamauga battlefield. We may visit Shiloh, if time permits. Mrs S and I were there in 1996. For me, there is something undefinably special about Shiloh so we will see. it seems that of all civil war battles that Shiloh punches well above its weight in terms of poetry, fiction etc.

BBQ and seafood are defintely on the agenda.

My granddaughter Brittany and I did the Charleston Ghost Tour. We didn't think it was worth the cost. Go to Fort Sumter and the Aquarium; do the theater attached to the Aquarium.

My 3rd-great grandfather, Pearley Green Brown, fought and was wounded at Chickamauga; his name is on the back of the 18th Ohio monument. I've been over it several times. There's an exhibit of Civil War era firearms that you shouldn't miss.

Note-Check out 18th Ohio Monument-Thanks. The exhibit of Civil War era firearms will be of special interest to my 12YO. His wheelhouse is military firearms. He is in a phase of reading the "American Sniper/Black Hawk Down" genre. I try and throw some older stuff his way-"Guadalcanal Diary/Helmet for my Pillow" etc.

He id's all the weapons in war movies. The questions he asks are way too deep for me on that subject.

He is half Finnish bloodlines(and looks it-the other 2 not so much). Mom is of full Finnish blood from the "Finnish Triangle" in Minnesota. Whenever he complains about the cold I tell him-"Your Finnish-you guys killed a million Russians in the snow." (Yes, I know that is an exaggeration).

He had to write a historical fiction story this year. He set his in the "Winter War" among a small group of Finnish soldiers who mostly get killed. I suspect that he is one of the few 6th graders in many decades to write a story about the Winter War.

[Spock]

>>>My granddaughter Brittany and I did the Charleston Ghost Tour. We didn't think it was worth the cost. Go to Fort Sumter and the Aquarium; do the theater attached to the Aquarium.<<<<

Yes, it won't be worth the money-but that is the Spocklette's main request on the trip. We didn't do one in Gettysburg in 2010 and she still talks about that omission. We did one in San Antonio in 2012.

[SpacemanSpiff]

>>>My granddaughter Brittany and I did the Charleston Ghost Tour. We didn't think it was worth the cost. Go to Fort Sumter and the Aquarium; do the theater attached to the Aquarium.<<<<

Yes, it won't be worth the money-but that is the Spocklette's main request on the trip. We didn't do one in Gettysburg in 2010 and she still talks about that omission. We did one in San Antonio in 2012.

We've gone on a ghost tour in Charleston (as well as in Savannah). As with so many of these tours, it depends on the tour guide, how well they tell the story, etc. Personally, I preferred the Savannah one, but maybe because that was in a tram so we covered more area.

Shiloh and Chickamauga are definite musts for a Civil War buff. Our Scout troop used to go to each place once a year (one in spring, one in fall) for the hiking trails laid out there. I trust that Shiloh has updated their 60's-era film that had several of the troops jumping over a split-rail fence in full uniform -- and Chuck Taylor sneakers.

You don't say if you'll be visiting anything in Alabama, or just passing through, and it sounds like you have a packed trip. And, although my late mother hailed from there, if you're pressed for time, I'd not worry about touring Chattanooga (which is kind of an adjuct to Chickamauga). Your time would best be spent elsewhere.

[Spock]

Per Alabama-we will be crossing the Northern part of the state. That is one of the larger geographic areas that I have not been to in the lower 48-I have crossed down in the Mobile area. As you mention Alabama-just had a thought to check out Huntsville and see if there is any NASA stuff there to see.

We had originally planned to stop in Chicago(but time does not permit) to stop at the Field Museum of Natural History to see the Tsavo Lions. The kids and I love the movie "The Ghost and the Darkness." We have been trying to fit a short Chicago jaunt in after Basketball season for several years, but it has never quite worked. Pretty solid about doing it next spring.

[SpacemanSpiff]

Per Alabama-we will be crossing the Northern part of the state. That is one of the larger geographic areas that I have not been to in the lower 48-I have crossed down in the Mobile area. As you mention Alabama-just had a thought to check out Huntsville and see if there is any NASA stuff there to see.

I'd highly recommend the US Space and Rocket Center.

It can be an all-day sucker, or you can just stop in long enough to enjoy the gift shop or some pictures of the outside of the only vertically-displayed Saturn V. Or you can lay a flower (or a banana) on the grave of one of the US's first space pioneers, Miss Baker.

There are also tours to Marshall Spaceflight and Redstone Arsenal, but those would take a lot more time than you likely have.

[Bob Juch]

Per Alabama-we will be crossing the Northern part of the state. That is one of the larger geographic areas that I have not been to in the lower 48-I have crossed down in the Mobile area. As you mention Alabama-just had a thought to check out Huntsville and see if there is any NASA stuff there to see.

I'd highly recommend the US Space and Rocket Center.

It can be an all-day sucker, or you can just stop in long enough to enjoy the gift shop or some pictures of the outside of the only vertically-displayed Saturn V. Or you can lay a flower (or a banana) on the grave of one of the US's first space pioneers, Miss Baker.

There are also tours to Marshall Spaceflight and Redstone Arsenal, but those would take a lot more time than you likely have.

There are no longer tours of Marshall and Redstone. They've redone the US Space and Rocket Center since I was there.

[BackInTex]

There are no longer tours of Marshall and Redstone. They've redone the US Space and Rocket Center since I was there.

What could you have possibly done that was so bad that they had to re-do the center and cancel giving the tours?

[Spock]

Per Alabama-we will be crossing the Northern part of the state. That is one of the larger geographic areas that I have not been to in the lower 48-I have crossed down in the Mobile area. As you mention Alabama-just had a thought to check out Huntsville and see if there is any NASA stuff there to see.

I'd highly recommend the US Space and Rocket Center.

It can be an all-day sucker, or you can just stop in long enough to enjoy the gift shop or some pictures of the outside of the only vertically-displayed Saturn V. Or you can lay a flower (or a banana) on the grave of one of the US's first space pioneers, Miss Baker.

There are also tours to Marshall Spaceflight and Redstone Arsenal, but those would take a lot more time than you likely have.

We have kicked around sending the 2 youngest to "Space Camp."

Last year, when we were really serious-I found that Exploring Engineering camp for incoming 8th graders. So the girl did that last year and youngest will do it next year.

As far as future "Academic" camps we are kind of focused on stuff through the South Dakota School of Mines. I posted here previously that one of their camps is "Mining Engineering" where they learn about explosives.

[SpacemanSpiff]

As far as future "Academic" camps we are kind of focused on stuff through the South Dakota School of Mines. I posted here previously that one of their camps is "Mining Engineering" where they learn about explosives.

That ought to get their attention! Hopefully they won't bring home any samples, though.

[Bob Juch]

There are no longer tours of Marshall and Redstone. They've redone the US Space and Rocket Center since I was there.

What could you have possibly done that was so bad that they had to re-do the center and cancel giving the tours?

It was when my granddaughter Leanna went to Space Camp there.