Our tour begins at Longwood, a spectacular and unusual plantation home in Natchez.
One reason Longwood is so interesting is because the interior was never completed due to the onset of the Civil War.
A tour guide discusses aspects of Longwood's unique architecture to the students.
Scott Wall (left) and Ed Eidt at Longwood. Mr. Eidt has been instrumental in the Natchez Preservation movement and is responsible for our visits to Longwood.
On the way from Natchez to Vicksburg along the Natchez Trace we stop for lunch at Coles Creek. Here students learn about the river continuum concept discussed in classroom lectures. T.R. Kidder (in red) shows students organisms residing on rocks in the stream.
T.R. Kidder searches for CPOM (Coarse Particulate Organic Matter) to show the students. In the meantime, Jenny Palcic searches for clay.
An important stopping point is the Vicksburg National Military Park. The battle of Vicksburg was important to both sides and the fall of the city was crucial to the Union plan to sever the Confederacy. In this picture Scott Wall is discussing how the landscape influenced the battle.
Charge! Scott discussing the Civil War at battery DeGolyer, Vicksburg Battlefield.
Group photograph, Illinois Monument, Vicksburg Battlefield.
On Friday night we stayed at the dorm at Poverty Point State historic Site. That evening, after a spaghetti dinner, Mr. Tommy Barham spoke to us about farming and issues related to agriculture in the Mississippi Valley.
On a windy, cold Saturday morning we took a walking tour of the Poverty Point site. Here the class is approaching the south side of Mound A, one of the largest Indian mounds in the United States.
On our way south from Poverty Point we stopped at this small African American church on Joes Bayou in Madison Parish. This stop gave us an opportunity to talk about the African American presence in the Mississippi Valley and the impact of out migration from the area in the early 20th century.
our next stop was Vidalia, Louisiana, and a meeting with Sidney Murray, former mayor and Tulane graduate. Sidney is discussing the Vidalia river front development project.
Sidney Murray at the Vidalia river front discussing the project with Jane Ehinger (L), and Christina Miranda (R, foreground) and Andy Winiarsky.
From Vidalia we went south to the Sidney A. Murray Hydroelectric station at Old River. Here Ralph Lockhoff shows the class the control room and discusses the scope of the facility.
Viewing the hydro plant from the level of the control room.
Sidney Murray Hydroelectric Station. This is a view from -42 feet (the bottom) upwards. At this point we are below the turbines (on the right) and our elevation is 77 feet below the bottom of the Mississippi River.
Next stop (on a busy day!) is the Auxiliary Control Structure at Old River. Here Russell ? of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers discusses the operations of the Auxiliary Structure with the class.
The machine room at the top of the Auxiliary Structure. Russell is telling us how the Corps of Engineers maintains a 70/30 water flow between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya river systems.
Saturday night at Rosewood Plantation. After a wonderful meal of chicken and sausage gumbo we took time to enjoy our long day.
Arlene Kidder (on right) shows us how to play Bouree, a Cajun card game.
On Sunday morning Robert Thevis took time to talk to the class about agricultural practices in south-central Louisiana. Mr. Thevis farms at Rosewood, and grows corn, soybeans, rice, and grain sorghum (milo). Since it was too wet to go into the fields we heard the talk in the warm comfort of Rosewood.
We finished the trip by crossing the Mississippi on the ferry to St. Francisville.