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| My great niece Kellie and I at MSU |
Visiting Kellie at MSU in Starkville, MS, September 2015 - Enjoyed a weekend driving from Nashville/Franklin on the Natchez Trace Parkway to Starkville, MS, to visit with my great niece Kellie at Mississippi State University. Kellie is a third year student at MSU. She invited me to visit to see the campus and also to enjoy attending the LSU at MSU football game on Saturday night. Kellie's mom and dad also came from Haughton/Princeton, LA, for the weekend and game. I was the "lone" LSU fan so was happy the Tigers won a close hard fought game 21-19.
I arrived on Thursday. Friday Kellie took her parents and I walking and touring the campus and Davis Wade Stadium where the game would take place. I enjoyed the tour. MSU is a beautiful campus. Lots of excitement was building for the game on Saturday as most of the open space near the stadium was already preparing for setting up all the tents, etc. for Saturday's tailgaters. Saturday, we went to the campus about six hours before the game. We ate lunch in the student union building and hung out before heading over the see the "Bulldog Walk" when the football players walked to the stadium pregame. Since this was a late TV game, the game did not begin until 8:15 PM so the game ended just a few minutes before midnight. I really enjoyed the experience of a game at MSU including all the "cow bell" ringing - an "only at MSU" tradition. After the game, we got back to Kellie's apartment and finally made it to bed about 1:30 AM Sunday morning. I got up around 7 AM Sunday morning and began my drive home to Franklin, TN, around 8:30 AM.
Here are a few selected photos. See all the photos and a couple videos in Photo Gallery
September 2015 Visit to Kellie at MSU in Starkville, MS
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| Ate Lunch at Oby's |
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| Ate Lunch at Oby's |
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| Union Building |
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| Great Niece Kellie beginning our tour of the campus |
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| Flag at half staff for "September 11" |
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| Campus Chapel |
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| LSU Equipment Truck Arrived Friday |
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| Kellie on a map of Mississippi at the stadium |
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| State Emblem on Stadium |
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| Kellie with her mom, Sandra |
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| Mississippi State "Bulldog" |
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| Kellie with friend Kyle |
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| Joining the "madding" crowd waiting for the MSU players "Bulldog Walk" |
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| Lots of tailgating before the football game |
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| Sandra and Wayne on our way to our seats "way, way up" |
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| Can you find Kellie and Kyle in this picture? I can! |
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| The Golden Band from "LSU" Tigers came to the game |
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| Natchez Trace bridge over Tennessee River |
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| Another Tennessee River View |
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| I traveled on the Natchez Trace |
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| Home in Franklin in time to watch Titans defeat Tampa Bay 42-14 |
ALOHA TITANS! Win Number 1 is in the book - I arrived home just before 3 PM so had time to do some unpacking, put out my Tennessee Titans yard flag and settled in to watch the Tennessee Titans first 2015 regular season NFL game and our rookie QB Marcus Mariota's first NFL game. I was hopeful for a good turn around season and a win. Not only did the Titans' win, Marcus played a near perfect game setting records throwing four touchdown passes all in the first half of the game. No other rookie QB had ever done that all in the first half. It was a TEAM WIN with both the offense and defense playing lights out. A 42-14 victory while all the other three AFC South teams were losing. For this week, Titans stand alone at the top of the AFC South. What is so good is that there is every indicator that this was not a one time win and the future for the Titans led by Marcus Mariota looks bright. Go Titans!
Next Travel Plans for Me -
Carbondale, IL October 4-7- I will be driving to Carbondale, IL, staying in the Hampton Inn for three nights while I do some rail-fanning riding Amtrak's Illini/Saluki trains Monday to Matoon, IL, and back followed by riding Tuesday to Chicago Union Station and back.
2016 Travel Plans -
Costa Rica February 9-23 is definite and American Airlines flights are already booked. I will be visiting my friend Charlie Doggett who moved to Costa Rica in December 2014. He is already planning a few overnight side trips and I'm hoping to experience some of his normal daily life in his town, Atenas and nearby San Jose.
Via Rail and Amtrak Trip to Canada and Albany, NY, May 28 to June 15 - Traveling by Via Rail in Canada to Toronto, Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Returning to USA via Amtrak for visits to Albany, NY and New Orleans, LA.
You can click on any of the small photos in this blog to open a full size photo. Also, click on the "blog title" at the top to view this blog on the web.
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