Change of Plans

We did not carry out our original plans for Spring 2017 or our Fall 2017 plans.

This week I traveled down to Wilson's Creek National Battlefield for the 156th anniversary of the battle, which took place on August 10, 1861.

It rained heavily throughout the ceremony commemorating the event, but it was very interesting none the less. Afterward, I toured the museum and took in a very well done 30 minute film depicting the battle. Then I drove through the battle field, stopping at all the venues along the way. It was a good trip. I finished and got back to the hotel about 3pm. In hind sight, I should have visited the Springfield National Cemetery where most of the losses from the battle are interned.

I was so impressed with my visit that I became a member of both the Civil War Trust and the Wilson's Creek Foundation. I was also encouraged to visit the other three National Battlefields here in the West that I have not visited before: Chickamauga/Chattanooga, Vicksburg and Shiloh. These, as well as the Gettysburg and Antietam battlefields, were established in the  1890's. With the exception of Antietam, the model for the battlefields established in the 1890's was to attempt to include as much of the actual battlefield in the National Park as possible. Wilson's Creek Battlefield followed this model. Today, it encompasses about 2,011 acres, which constitutes about 85% of the original battlefield.

The battle of Wilson's Creek was a very early battle in the Civil War and dubbed the "Bull Run of the West". It was the first major battle fought west of the Mississippi River and resulted in a Southern victory. While the battle only lasted about six hours and resulted in "only" six hundred soldiers killed (2,549 combined causalities), the Nation was shocked at the losses. President Lincoln proclaimed a National Day of remembrance and prayer. The battle was also notable for being the first of the war in which a Union General (Union Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon) was killed in combat. While I have not read extensively on the course of the battle, from what I heard at the battlefield, the battle was not well executed by either the Union or Southern forces. It seems the Union force was out numbered intitially by two-to-one. So what did Lyon and Sigel (the Union commanding generals) decide to do, they split their forces. When Sigel encountered the Southern force, he was out numbered by four to one. His force was routed and he withdrew. Lyon, once he realized he was also going to be defeated, withdrew toward Springfield. Fortunately for Lyon, the Southern forces were too exhausted and low on supplies to pursue.

Honor Guard

Fencing at Ray House

Atop Bloody Hill aka Oak Ridge

Sigel's Final Position

Pulaski Arkansas Battery

Atop Bloody Hill

Plans

Our Spring 2017 travel plans started to be developed during our 2016 transatlantic crossing. We enjoyed that crossing so much that we booked the same cruise for 2017. Same cruise line, same cruise ship and even the same cabin. There are some differences in the itinerary.

The 2017 port of origin (Barbados instead of Fort Lauderdale) and the destination port (Monte Carlo instead of Barcelona). As with the 2016 cruise, the 2017 crossing is a 14-day cruise but has fewer on-the-water days (10 versus 12 in 2016) and two additional ports of call. The 2016 cruise stopped in Funchal before terminating in Barcelona. The 2017 cruise stops in Funchal but also stops in Barcelona and Marseilles before terminating in Monte Carlo.

The remainder of the travel plans have developed over the spring and summer. As with our cruise this year, we did not want to cross the Atlantic and then just come home. This year, after ending our crossing cruise, we went on another cruise terminating in Athens. We were originally going to disembark in Istanbul, but the cruise line wimped out and changed that to Athens. While we enjoyed Athens a lot, we were disappointed in not getting to Istanbul. So, next year, after finishing our crossing, we will embark on a river cruise from Budapest to Munich. Then we will fly to Istanbul and spend a few days in Istanbul before heading home.

We only have a couple of transfers yet to figure out. Here is the itinerary thus far.

Drive from StL to Houston a few days before flying out of Houston
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - Flight from Houston to Fort Lauderdale
Wednesday, April 12, 2017 - Spend night at the Homewood Suites Hilton MiamiAirport
Thursday, April 13, 2017 - Flight from Miami to Bridgetown, Barbados
Thursday, April 13, 2017 - Two nights at Hilton Barbados Resort, Bridgetown. Barbados
Saturday, April 15, 2017 - Embark on cruise ship in Barbados
Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Disembark from the cruise ship in Monte Carlo
Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Pick up rental car in Monte Carlo
Saturday, April 29, 2017 - Spend night at the Le Saint Paul in  St. Paul de Vence – France
Sunday, April 30, 2017 - Return rental car to Nice Airport
Sunday, April 30, 2017 - Spend night at the Novotel Nice Airport hotel
Monday, May 1, 2017 - Flight from Nice to Budapest, Hungry
Monday, May 1, 2017 - Two nights at the Hilton Budapest
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 - Embark on the river cruise in Budapest
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - Disembark from the river cruise in Passau, Germany and ride to Salzburg
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - Two nights at the Radisson Blu Hotel Altstadt, Salzburg, Austria
Friday, May 12, 2017 - Two nights at the Hilton Munich Park, Munich, Germany
Sunday, May 14, 2017 - Flight from Munich to Istanbul. Turkey
Sunday, May 14, 2017 - Four nights at the Four Seasons Hotel Sultanahmet, Istanbul, Turkey

Thursday, May 18, 2017 - Flight from Istanbul to Houston

Driving home to StL a few days after arrival in Houston