(Click on map to enlarge)June 9, 2008
In less than a week, we will embark on our 2-week journey to discover more about our Cherokee roots. Along the way we will throw in a new baseball park (Busch II Stadium) and a trip to Elvis' Graceland.
Flight Plan
June 14, 2008
Ron, Donna and Jake flew to St. Louis on US Air using vouchers we received from our disasterous flight home from Orlando in November. Sam flew on United using our United Miles. Both flights were free and both went well.
Our hotel, the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, was perfect. We could see the ballpark from our window.
Ron, Donna and Jake flew to St. Louis on US Air using vouchers we received from our disasterous flight home from Orlando in November. Sam flew on United using our United Miles. Both flights were free and both went well.
Our hotel, the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, was perfect. We could see the ballpark from our window.
Father's Day at Busch Stadium II
June 15, 2008
From our hotel window we could see the grounds crew preparing the field for the game. We walked to the park and Jake, being under 15, got a Fredbird Bobblehead (the Cardinal's mascot).
The ballpark is beautiful and we had seats in the Bank of America section of the club level. This included an all-you-can-eat and drink buffet.
The game was a sloppy one but the Cardinals ended up winning it in the 10th inning. Yadier Molina was hurt on a play at homeplate. He was carted off the field and taken to the hospital. Final Score: Cardinals 7, Phillies 6.
Trail of Tears State Park - Jackson, MO
June 16, 2008
The drive to the Trail of Tears State Park took about an hour and forty minutes. The park is located on the site where nine of 13 groups of Cherokee Indians crossed the Mississippi River in harsh winter conditions in 1838-39. It is hard to imagine how the Cherokees in their wagons and on foot were able to cross the river.
After our visit, we drove to the airport and flew to Tulsa, Oklahoma. We drove to Tahlequah and stayed at the Holiday Inn.
Cherokee Heritage Center - Tahlequah, OK
June 17, 2008We spent most of the day at the Cherokee Heritage Center. In the museum we saw two exhibits: one on the Trail of Tears and the other on the history of the Cherokee Phoenix, the newspaper published by the Cherokees since 1828.
Next we took the tour of the Ancient Village, which showcases the way a traditional Cherokee community would have looked prior to European contact. We saw demonstrations of canoe building, basket weaving, stickball, bow and arrow construction, blow darts, and more.
George Murrell Home - Tahlequah, OK
June 18, 2008
In the morning we visited the George Murrell Home. Murrell was married to Minerva Ross, the niece of Cherokee Principal Chief John Ross, and the daughter of Lewis Ross. His home is an example of how some of the wealthier Cherokee families lived before the Civil War.
Walkingstick Mountain - Outside Stilwell, OK
June 18, 2008
I had heard about Walkingstick Mountain and did a Google Map search to find it. We knew it was a few miles north of Stilwell. We drove around and found what we knew had to be it so we turned around to get to a better spot to take pictures. As we were driving back, we saw the street sign -- WALKINGSTICK MTN RD. So we had to turn around again and drive up the road to take these photos.
Shiloh Cemetery -- Sallisaw, OK
June 18, 2008
We found Shiloh Cemetery.
The gravesites shown here are:
Mary Akin (my great grandmother), wife of William Polk Akin and mother of Alfred Akin
Nancy Whitsett (my great great grandmother), Mary Akin's mother
Susan C. Foreman, Nancy Whitsett's sister
Sue E. Akin (age 1), Alfred's sister
Whitsett Akin (age 3), Alfred's brother
Charley Whitsett, Mary Akin's brother
What an amazing day we had. First finding Walkingstick Mountain and then finding Shiloh Cemetery in Sallisaw. I had read about Shiloh Cemetery in a book published in 1970. The book said that the cemetery was in poor shape so I was not certain it even existed anymore. We got a map of Sallisaw at the Chamber of Commerce office and asked if anyone there knew of the cemetery. No one did. We drove out to Shiloh Road. Ron made a left turn (we could have gone right) and we drove for a couple of miles. Just as he was saying that maybe we should turn around we saw the sign, Shiloh Cemetery. I just couldn't believe it. Out of the 28 gravesites there, I knew of 25 of the people from my genealogy research.
Sequoyah's Cabin - Sallisaw, OK
June 18, 2008
Sequoyah built a wood cabin, which is located inside this building, after moving to Sallisaw in 1829. The exhibits explain how he developed the Cherokee syllabary, which made the Cherokees the first Indian tribe to have a written form of language.
Alfred Akin's Allotment
June 18, 2008
Our last stop on Wednesday was the County Records Office. Donna Jamison, the records clerk, helped us find my grandfather's 3 different land allotments on a map. Two were in Sallisaw and the other one was in Vian, about 11 miles away. She told us that it was strange that he had not received one piece of property that was intact. The photos above are of what was one of his properties in Sallisaw. Each minor received 40 acres and Alfred was around 12 when the allotments took place. Alfred's properties ended up being sold.
Fort Smith and Little Rock, Arkansas
June 19, 2008
Thursday was a full day of driving. We drove from Tahlequah to Memphis (343 miles) Along the way we stopped at Fort Smith and the Clinton Library.
Fort Smith is outside of Sallisaw and played an important role in Cherokee history.
Thursday was a full day of driving. We drove from Tahlequah to Memphis (343 miles) Along the way we stopped at Fort Smith and the Clinton Library.
Fort Smith is outside of Sallisaw and played an important role in Cherokee history.
Clinton Presidential Library
Graceland - Memphis, TN
June 20, 2008
We had signed up for the 10:00 tour of Graceland. What an operation. We got on a shuttlebus to the house and waited in line. The tour guide at the door would let a few people in at a time. Instead of using actual tour guides for the rest of the tour, each person received an audiotour device and headphones. We toured the first floor, the basement, the Elvis trophy room, racquetball court, stables, and his grave. After Graceland, we saw the Elvis auto collection, his two airplanes, an exhibit on his Army days, and his jumpsuit collection. After each exhibit, we would end up in a gift shop. We had never seen so much Elvis stuff all in one place and people were buying it. It would be interesting to find out how many visitors they get a day. It has to be thousands.
Nashville, TN
June 20, 2008
We arrived in Nashville the night of the 20th and drove around downtown a bit. We saw the Ryman Theater, the Cumberland River, and the Music Square Area, where music publishers, recording studios and other music-related business are located. We then went to the Opry Land Mall to shop and to see the Grand Ole Opry.
We arrived in Nashville the night of the 20th and drove around downtown a bit. We saw the Ryman Theater, the Cumberland River, and the Music Square Area, where music publishers, recording studios and other music-related business are located. We then went to the Opry Land Mall to shop and to see the Grand Ole Opry.
Gatlinburg, TN
June 21, 2008
Ron took Sam to the airport for his flight home. After we drove from Nashville to Gatlinburg, TN, near the Great Smoky Mountains. We rented this cabin, named Easy Living, for three nights. Getting to Gatlinburg was a challenge. Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, all located on the Tennessee side of the Smokies, are extremely crowded with tourists. This is the vacation spot for people east of the Mississippi.
Cherokee, NC
KITUWAH MOUND
One of the oldest known Cherokee towns in the Appalachians.
June 22, 2008
We drove through the Smoky Mountain National Park to get to Cherokee, NC. There we visited the Museum of the Cherokee, the Kituwah Mound, and the Cherokee Casino. Cherokee, NC, is the home to the Eastern Band of Cherokees. This is a separate tribe from the Cherokee Nation, located in Oklahoma. This tribe is made up of Cherokees from North Carolina who were able to keep their land and did not have to move west along the Trail of Tears.
Gatlinburg, TN/Smoky Mountains
June 23, 2008
Today was our day to do the typical tourist activities. We played miniature golf twice: once at the Old McDonald's Farm course and once at Hillbilly Golf. The traffic, both human and automobile, was crazy.
To get away from the crowds, we drove back into the park. We drove the Roaring Fork Loop and then hiked up to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the park (6648 feet).
In the evening we walked around downtown Gatlinburg.
Today was our day to do the typical tourist activities. We played miniature golf twice: once at the Old McDonald's Farm course and once at Hillbilly Golf. The traffic, both human and automobile, was crazy.
To get away from the crowds, we drove back into the park. We drove the Roaring Fork Loop and then hiked up to Clingman's Dome, the highest point in the park (6648 feet).
In the evening we walked around downtown Gatlinburg.
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