The last night on the road was an "interesting" one. We found a chain of motels that accepted cats and since the first night was okay, we booked the same for the second night. Everything was fine until 2:30 a.m. when the toilet overflowed, flooding the bathroom. Their solution: we could move to another room! Dig Rosie out from behind the bed, dress, pack up, make several trips up and down stairs, undress, go back to sleep? I don't think so!
We packed up and left.
Our sightseeing stop for the day was Chattanooga, Tennessee, to see "Passages," a memorial to the Cherokee Indians forced out of their lands in 1838.
A result of "gold fever" and desire for expansion westward, the US government declared that Native Americans east of the Mississippi needed to be removed, forced out of their homes, farms, and lands, in spite of treaties that had previously made the Cherokee and their lands an independent nation. The Indian Removal Act was signed by President Andrew Jackson, whom the Cherokees had known only as a friend, in 1830.
The sad exodus from their homelands became known as "The Trail of Tears." The Cherokee were rounded up in the summer of 1838 and loaded onto boats that traveled the Tennessee, Ohio, Mississippi and Arkansas Rivers, then held in prison camps while they waited to begin the 2,200 mile walk west into Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
Four thousand of the 15,000 men and women, babies and the elderly, died from hunger, exposure, and exhaustion before they reached their destination, Indian Territory in Oklahoma.
The top of the memorial
The memorial itself was rather disappointing. Apparently it had been altered (for safety?) as the photos on the Internet showed water cascading down the steps and the walkway, with people walking through and even sitting on the steps, symbolizing the flowing tears of the Cherokee.
Cherokee
"May this statue serve to honor the countless generations of Native Americans who for thousands of years lived in this place."
We can only hope so!
And a couple funny signs from the road ...
In case you can't see it, the sign says "Daily Bread Food Pantry, open Thursday and Saturday."
And finally ... HOME!
And here is my newest friend.
Rosie wouldn't eat or drink for four days, but she is on the mend now and venturing out from under the couch at night. It won't be long before she is queen of the house, I'm sure!
Posted with Blogsy
Good to know you have arrived safely. Goodness me that wasn't the best thing to happen in the middle of the nigh with the loo...I would have moved on too..
ReplyDeleteHad no idea regarding the Indians, sad.
Your trip was anything but boring!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a really interesting trip, how sad for the native Americans now that is one memorial I would like to visit, may be one day....Glad you are safe and sound in your new home.
ReplyDeleteYes, glad to know you arrived safely. Poor Rosie. I know how cats can be and I'm sure too she will be reigning soon, lol.
ReplyDeleteMany municipal water features had to be altered due to waterborne pathogens, particularly the ones where people walked, sat, or played in the water. But I can see wet steps as a lawsuit waiting to happen, too. Glad your journey south was so "uneventful"! The toilet in the middle of the night? Oh gosh. But the bank sign has had me snickering for quite a while today already. I suppose I could get the name by itself. Fifth Third cound be the intersection or something. It's the graphic that goes with the sign. Having seen it, I would want to call the bank Five Thirds . . . or being the terrible nerd that I am, I would HAVE to change the improper fraction to a mixed number and call it the One and Two Thirds Bank! When do your online classes start?
ReplyDeleteI am certain that eventually even the Headwaters of the Mississippi will be a no go since the rocks are slippery. I bet it was an impressive monument with water flowing down the steps...too bad it had to be changed...too bad the Trail of Tears had to happen in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it safely to your new home. What a shame that they had to change the monument too. It is a very sad, very shameful part of our history.
ReplyDeleteCynthia nice to hear you are at home. It was so long journey for European standards. I hate your new friend.
ReplyDeleteThat was such a long journey and I hope you have recovered by now. Hope you will be very happy in your new home.
ReplyDeleteGood that you have arrived safely at our new home, without too eventful or drama
ReplyDeleteladen trip.
Bloody overflowing toilet - not very amusing - I trust a refund with interest.
So you ventured into Tennessee??
Should be returned to it's original inhabitants - the Cherokees.
Actually friends in Atlanta, Ga told me to read some of the history of
the Indians - the Cherokee was VERY interesting!!!!
Looking forward to reading on the settling in process.
The cat and that green enlarged gecko lizard
will become friends. I am sure that down in the rice-lands
of SC, the green gecko like lizard outnumbers household cats.
Cheers
Colin
As far as aboriginals go we still have a lot to learn. Canadian policies still do enormous harm.
ReplyDeleteIt is a sad story about the odyssey of the Indians. The memorial isn't located very nice between the high modern office buildings.
ReplyDeleteHope your cat will settle very soon, must have been an unknown frightening experience for her.
One of the worst among many sad stories of native American history. On a positive note does your new friend sell insurance???
ReplyDeleteThat monument would have been beautiful with the water flowing over the steps. Glad you're finally home and Rosie can get settled in. Cats are just not travelers are they? I like your new friend.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad about yge Indians a d rven the memorial being step and sat on. Isn't it supposed to be somewhat "sacred"? I mean respected as a memory of them at least?
ReplyDeleteYour new friend seem to have waited for your arrival.