After nearly two years since our last road trip, we headed back out on the road! And let's face it, given the COVID numbers in Arkansas right now, nearly any place is better than there at the moment.
We pulled out of Conway in a new acquisition: a 2001 Chevy Express van. The kiddos have gotten too big for us all to fit comfortably in the Durango, so we upgraded to Vansen!
We grabbed a bite to eat on the way out of Conway and we were soon headed east on I-40. Unfortunately for our first day on the road, the wind was blowing heavily out of the northeast, meaning we were quite like a giant sail. Add in the traffic on the interstate approaching Memphis (remember, one of the bridges is out), and poor Jason was white-knuckling it for a while.
After looping around Memphis, we headed into northern Mississippi and I took over the wheel. Just outside Corinth a good line of storms fired up and again, we were at the whim of the wind. Once in Corinth, we made a turn north and saw our first brown sign for Shiloh National Battlefield.
Crossing back into Tennessee, we arrived at Shiloh after the visitor center and bookshop closed, but we were able to grab some maps and do our own little tour. Over two days in April 1862, over 23,000 died (more than all American wars combine up to that point) as the Union and Confederacy clashed at this outpost on the Tennessee River. There were not many visitors today and I was especially struck by the stillness as we exited the van and walked around. The National Cemetery is situated near the Visitor Center atop a hill overlooking the river.
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