We started the day celebrating Tom’s birthday, breakfasting in the dining room and joining a walking tour of Vicksburg. We had toured the Vicksburg Battleground in the spring of 2023 so we decided to learn more about the history of the city itself.

Our tour guides played host/hostess by inviting the group into their unique home: two cottages joined together as one home. Bertram Davis is a direct descendant of Jefferson Davis and has a few artifacts displayed in the home as well as a genealogy poster. 

Walking back up Main Street, we stopped in to Christ Episcopal Church to view Tiffany stained glass windows and learn more about the lack of damage during the 47 days of continuous bombing by the Union troops during the Civil War. When Vicksburg surrendered on July 4, 1863, people began to return to their homes to rebuild their lives. July 4th celebrations were not performed here for decades.

Our last stop was touring the Martha Vick home, completely restored to its original decor by the owner’s father in the 1980s. She and her husband live in the home, in separate quarters that were not original to the house but did incorporate the former outside kitchen into the addition. It was a beautiful day to take a walk through history.

Tom’s birthday celebration continued back on the ship with a tour of the ship’s bridge (yes, time has moved on from the early 70s!), a birthday cake in our room along with another bottle of champagne. Kathy had organized a tour of the Bridge (pilot house) for Tom and Michael. Tom’s days in the Navy did not prepare him for the technological changes in navigation. Steering with a joy stick—incredible! Back to the restaurant for dinner of lobster tails and chateaubriand and yet another birthday cake; this one chocolate. Yikes!