October 16, Day 125 - In Florence, AL

This morning we took the courtesy car to a local restaurant for breakfast. After that we drove to the rental car agency where Jay and Nanci picked up a car. From there, we drove to Shiloh National Military Park. The drive was through back country and gave us a real feel for rural Tennessee and Alabama. The trip to Shiloh was interesting and we learned a lot about the civil war. Over 25,000 men were killed in this battle alone. A very unsettling statistic that says so much about the magnitude of that war.

We stopped at a local BBQ joint for lunch. It was kind of a hole-in-the-wall, but there were quite a few cars parked outside and the food was very good. We got to see another homecoming parade as the Savannah high school crowds filled the streets and stopped traffic for miles.

We headed back to the boat so that Jay & Nanci could start the packing process. We needed to go do a little shopping, so we headed into Florence to find a Radio Shack (finally bought a digital converter box for the TV) and a drug store.

We had another Zing Zang happy hour and wandered over to visit with Sterling & Judy and Linda & Pete (from Where’s Linda). Later, Gerry provided some entertainment for us while fooling with the TV and trying to get it set up with the converter, then it was off to the marina bar where we had a drink and a sandwich for dinner.

Since we had an early morning wake up call to get the McCalister’s to the airport, we all went to bed early.

Here are a few shots of Shiloh. The pictures aren't too good as it was a dark, dismal day. In spite of that the grounds were beautiful. This is a monument at Pittsburg landing. It was the Union base for the battle.

Location of Grant's Last Line. He and his forces formed a defensive line along this ridge.

The Hornet's Nest

The location of the Sunken Road

This is signage indicating the center of the Union Line on the Sunken Road

The Bloody Pond. During the battle, soldiers of both sides came here to drink and bathe their wounds. Many men, and horses, died in the pond, their blood staining the water a dark red.