Editor's note: Gilles Samson and his wife, Suzette, always wanted to travel around the United States. So after retiring from their jobs late last year, the two Canadians decided to combine their wanderlust with their love of golf. The Samsons will be driving their RV across the country and attending every PGA TOUR event in 2006. While on that journey, they'll be writing a diary for PGATOUR.com. This is their 39th installment.

From San Antonio, Texas to Madison, Miss. -- The weather has been ideal all week long. Except for a three-hour delay due to a long stretch of road construction at the border of Texas and Louisiana, it was an enjoyable drive with only one overnight stop in Lafayette. We had zipped through Mississippi earlier in the golf season and were thrilled to have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of Mississippi's captivating history and culture. Fall seems to be a particularly busy season with many festivals and pilgrimages taking place in most of the main cities. Coming home after an exciting playoff at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, we were disappointed to find out that our Internet and one of our personal computers were down. Needless to say, that this has complicated the writing of the 39th instalment of our diary. We hope that these technical problems will be behind us for our next diary.

Southern Farm Bureau Classic, Madison, Miss. -- D.J. Trahan won for the first time on the PGATOUR in a grand fashion. He led the tournament every day and birdied the 18th hole three times in the playoff to get the victory. As we have entered the time of the year when many players are concerned about their status for next season, it is now definitely behind D. J. as his win carries a two-year exemption on the TOUR. It was not easy by any means as he trailed Lee Janzen at one time and almost went in the water at the 17th hole, forcing him to lay up and come up with a magnificent third shot to 6 feet of the cup to save par. Having followed the last threesome, I also found that he seemed to struggle in many instances with his club selections. Whether it shows or not, these guys are under pressure specially when a first victory is at stake. He showed great confidence in the playoff as he went for the green at the 532-yard par 5, over water, in each of the three playoff holes. He will have plenty to remember. Congratulations!

Paul Azinger and Lee Janzen, two of the household names on the TOUR for the last 15 to 20 years, are in position to potentially lose their playing privileges for 2007. They are currently playing under a one-time, one-year exemption afforded to those among the top 50 in career money on the PGATOUR. A victory before the end of the year or a finish in the top 125 on the money list at the end of the 2006 season are the only two options left. Janzen gave himself a big boost over the weekend as he tied for third and rose to 168th on the money list. The task might be a little more challenging for Azinger as he tied for 43rd at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic. It would be nice to see them back on TOUR in 2007, but their battle reminds us that nothing is guaranteed in pro golf and that those who make it are the ones who perform.

Last week saw the passing of Byron Nelson at age 94. Mr. Nelson, already a true legend of golf, is leaving a legacy that will never be forgotten. His performance as a golfer and the many records that he has held or still holds, his personality as well as his direct contribution to the community have made him an icon on the golf scene. We attended the EDS Byron Nelson Championship in Irving, Texas, in May and witnessed the respect paid by the players to this great gentleman as they all went to shake his hand at the end of the round on Sunday. We were fortunate to be given a copy of his famous Fedora hat as a souvenir of our presence at the tournament. We will cherish this souvenir more so than ever.

Natchez Trace Parkway, Vicksburg and the city of Natchez -- Once tramped by bison, Native Americans and pioneers, this 450-mile scenic highway now links Natchez with Nashville, Tenn. -- no commercial traffic and no traffic lights -- quite a change and we really appreciated it. We traveled on the trace from Jackson to Vicksburg, Port Gibson and Natchez passing by forests of century old moss-draped oaks and cotton fields ready to be harvested. This route not only offers scenic beauty but many markers are leading to some of the earliest history of the old Southwest Territory.

Vicksburg -- First settled in 1698, Vicksburg's history evolves from its position on the Mississippi River and was the site of General Grant's successful 47-day siege in 1863 and the last Confederate stronghold on the river, giving the North the control of the Mississippi. We visited the Vicksburg National Military Park -- a 16-mile driving tour retelling the campaign's story and displaying works of sculpture dedicated to the bravery of the men who fought throughout this historic battle. We then went to the riverfront to take photos of the varied stories of Vicksburg's history beautifully illustrated through 19 murals on the waterfront wall, such as the Steamboat Era, the Great Bear Hunt with President "Teddy" Roosevelt, African American History and Old Historic Downtown. We also visited McRaven Home -- a "Time Capsule of the South" according to the Geographic magazine --, an authentic pre-Civil War home with every room lavishly furnished with antiques with 3-acre gardens used as a campsite and hospital by the Confederates during the Civil War.

Natchez -- The oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River, Natchez is perched on a bluff overlooking the river and is best known for its fine antebellum architecture of well-preserved country plantations, columned mansions and villas. Pilgrimage tours are a tradition in Natchez and we were there for the first day of their Fall Pilgrimage tour -- escorted tours through magnificent 18th and 19th century grand mansions, all furnished with exquisite antiques and many surrounded by historic gardens and parks. Tours are conducted by costumed volunteers depicting scenes and characters from Natchez history and allow visitors to be a part of the re-enactments. Using the map, we drove to most of the homes that were open to visitors for the occasion, including the Governor Holmes House (1794), the Linden House (1800), and the Stanton Hall (1857). After a stroll in historic downtown area, we stopped at the Gazebo where we could see over the river to the low flat lands of Louisiana where fortunes were made in cotton in antebellum days and where cotton still grows today. We then headed to "Natchez Little Theatre" to attend "Big River," the musical adaptation of Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The story of the journey of Huck helping his friend Jim, a runaway slave, to escape to freedom was a pleasant way to end our visit to Natchez and a nice closing to our many references of the Mississippi River in the course of our trip.

Texas' San Antonio Missions and Hill Country -- On Tuesday morning, we decided to visit the former Franciscan missions around San Antonio -- Espada, San Juan, San José and Concepciòn. These missions flourished between 1747-75. They were primarily dedicated to spreading the Catholic faith -- the basis of Spanish colonial society -- among frontier Indians. They served both the Church and the State. As an arm of the church, the missions were the vanguard of the spiritual conversion of the Indians. As an agent of the state, the missions helped push the empire northward. For the Indians the missions offered sanctuary from their enemies. After 70 years, the need for the missions diminished due to the effects of European diseases, acculturation, and intermarriage. In 1824, the missions were secularized -- their lands redistributed among their inhabitants and the churches transferred to the secular clergy. Today these missions represent an almost unbroken connection with the past, carrying the legacy of generations of American Indians and Hispanics, and they live on as active parishes.

By Tuesday afternoon, we had ventured in the countryside and reached Bandera en route to the Texas Hill Country. Bandera is a small authentic Western town surrounded by working and guest ranches often called "dude ranches". It is the home of one of the oldest Polish communities in the United States.

We traveled I-16 through Kerrville and Luckenbach before reaching Fredericksburg, center of the Hill Country. We did the walking tour of the city and learned that it was settled in 1846 by German and Czech immigrants. Upon arrival each settler received a town lot and 10 acres nearby. They quickly created a marketplace typical of the home country, a building that served as a church, school, community hall, fortress and public gathering space. Small homes, known as "Sunday Houses" promptly popped up around the edifice, giving the rural settlers a place to stay on weekends when they came to town to shop, attend church and participate in social activities -- quite the contrary of current city dwellers fleeing to the countryside every weekend. The streets of the city are the widest we have witnessed so far and give a distinct appearance to the city's European flavour and German architecture. We had dinner locally and headed back home with the feeling of having had another great day.

We will be heading to North Carolina in a few days for the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, another nice region to visit.

Suzette and Gilles Samson