Friday 4-6 Rainy Day

It rained all day

We have started our third week on the road. 

We woke up to rain, the weather forecast had predicted rain but it wasn't suppose to be in until the afternoon. If we had known it was coming in earlier we probably would have checked into the State Park last night. That's ok, we hung around the Home Depot parking lot until the rain slowed down then we went to a laundromat called Suds and Bubbles to do laundry. A rainy day is perfect for doing laundry. The laundromat was old but well kept up. It was also expensive, a small front loader cost $3.25 to wash and a large front loader cost $4.75. The dryers were $.50 for eight minutes. We were there a little over an hour.

Our destination for the weekend was The Old Fort State Archaeological Park. A few days ago Larry knew the rain was on its way so he checked on the web and discovered the state parks were almost entirely booked, he made a reservation so we would be sure to have a spot. When we arrived the office was closed but there was a note indicating if you had a reservation you could go to your site and enjoy your stay. We found our site and setup the Minnie for the weekend.

The rain had stopped for a bit so we went for walk around the campground and to the park museum building. We walked around for a short time considering the weather forecast said the rain was going to start back up at 1:00 and it was already noon. While at the museum building we saw the waterfalls on Duck River. After taking a few pictures we headed back to the campground. 

The Old Fort Museum building

The waterfall on Duck River

Narrow one lane wooden bridge going to the campground

When we got back I did a little housework and swept out the Minnie. While I was doing this Larry went over and took a shower. When I finished I went over and took a shower. About 1:30 the rain came back, the weather forecast was real close. The rain continued the rest of the day. We spent the rest of the day and evening in the Minnie reading.  

Reading is fun

Thursday 4-5 Finishing the Natchez Trace Parkway

We're excited

We spent the night in Meriwether Lewis Campground, it is a free campground and there are no hookups. We knew it was going to be cold so before we went to bed last night we turned on the Wave 3 propane heater.  We woke to temperatures in the low 30's. It wasn't bad sleeping considering we had plenty of blankets. When I got up it was about 55 inside so I turned on the furnace for a few minutes to get the chill out of the air. For breakfast I baked crescent rolls, excellent for the cold weather.

Where camped at on The Natchez Trace Parkway

After breakfast we went on a 5 mile hike to Meriwether Lewis Monument. The hike was a beautiful hike through the trees, walking over creeks and through creeks and up and down hills. The trail started just across the road from where we camped. At the beginning of the hike we hiked down a hill and when we got to a creek we had to either cross it by rocks or walk through it. We hiked over 2 miles to the monument. As we were walking around the monument we noticed that it was in a graveyard and some graves had names and others had unknown. A little ways down the road from Meriwether Lewis Monument there was the remains of the Grinder House where Meriwether Lewis died, they are not sure if he committed suicide or if he was killed. The trail going back to the campground was just as pretty, along the way  some of the trail had switchbacks so it was easier. During the hike we disturbed four white-tail deer. They watched us for a little while and then they hopped away. We hiked along a very nice creek and at places we saw a few other creeks feed into it. As we were hiking we hiked part of the old Natchez Trace Trail. We stopped and rested at the picnic area by the creek. We had a super hike on the Natchez Trace Parkway.

A very small waterfall

Meriwether Lewis Monument

Old Building

The creek that runs by the picnic area

When we got back we were tried, we had hiked almost three hours. I was glad that I only wore a light jacket instead of two because I got warm during the hike. The temperature was in the low 40's but when you're hiking up hills you get warm. We rested a little bit and then I made soup for lunch. After lunch we sat around and read.

Larry checked the weather forecast for tomorrow and found out that rain was suppose to come in earlier than they anticipated so we decided to leave. We continued on the Natchez Trace Parkway until the end, which was 58 miles. We stopped a couple of times. The first stop was at Fall Hollow to take a picture of the waterfall. The other stop was Birdsong Hollow, where there is a Double Arch Bridge over the Tennessee HWY 96. While driving the rest of the way we saw more wild turkeys and four people riding horses along a creek. When we got to the end of the Natchez Trace Parkway there were no signs or anything to indicate it was over, it simply fed into other roads. seemed strange.

The two arch bridge

Fall Hollow fall

We drove to Manchester Tennessee and parked the Minnie for the night at a Home Depot. We had a super time driving the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

The Natchez Trace is an old trail that was started by Native Americans and buffalo. It goes through three states (Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee). Later traders would float down the Mississippi River from Nashville Tennessee to Natchez Mississippi to sell their wares. The current was too strong to travel back up the river so they would even sell the wood their boats was made of then they would hike the Natchez Trace back up to Nashville. The Trace became unused once powered riverboats came along and folks could use them to go upstream. As you drive the parkway you can stop and learn the history of the Natchez Trail. It's a very beautiful drive.    

Wednesday 4-4 Back on the Natchez Trace Parkway

The rain came in last night around 10:00 and was gone by midnight. It came down hard and steady and knocked branches off the trees. A couple of small branches hit the roof of the Minnie but didn't do any damage. By morning there were only a few puddles in the campground. We decided after a couple of nights at Tishomingo State Park it was time to move on.

Before leaving the park we walked down and took a shower. Then we got the Minnie ready to go. On the way out we dumped the tanks.

Before continuing our adventure of driving the Natchez Trace Parkway we did a little detour to a small Mississippi town called Iuka. We got to Iuka early and decided to walk around Mineral Park, it was named for its mineral springs. They have five different mineral springs but only three still work. People believed if they drank the water from the springs they would be cured of any illness they had. It was a very nice park but needed a little maintenance, especially where the springs were. We saw a couple of them by accident considering there were no signs. There is a trail that goes through the park. There is a nice playground with old swing benches and a skate board park. Across the street from the Mineral Park there is a good looking covered bridge, which is well maintained. After walking around we walked across the street to their old courthouse and Civil War Museum. We were disappointed because it is only open from 1:00 until 4:00. 

Covered bridge in Iuka

Larry standing in the entrance to the Mineral Springs Park

One of the mineral springs

Old swinging benches

Old Courthouse and Civil War Museum

After walking around Iuka we got back on the Natchez Trace Parkway. We started the day driving a few miles in Mississippi before moving on the Alabama for about 40 miles and finally we finished the day in Tennessee at Meriwether Lewis Campground. LIFE IS GOOD!!!!        

Tuesday 4-3 Tishomingo State Park

Camping and Hiking at Tishomingo State Park

We camped two nights at Tischomingo State Park, it is a beautiful park with hiking trails right off the Natchez Trace Parkway. It has restrooms with running water and showers. It is a CCC built park with different CCC sights to see. Some of the camping sites are very difficult to back in so you have be careful. The sites our surrounded by trees and some look over the lake. Most of the hiking trails were at the day area which was four miles from our campsite so we drove the motorcycle. The day area had a swimming pool, playground with teeter totters, monkey bars, swings and a swing for a wheelchair. There also was a beautiful swinging bridge that was built by the CCC. The trail we hiked started at the bridge and ended at the bridge. We started the hike by taking the swinging bridge over Bear Creek to the Bear Creek Trail, it was 2 miles long and very challenging at times. The trail took us through the forest, over the creeks via rocks or small bridges, over rocks and between boulders. As we hiked we saw amazing rock cliffs where you can climb or rappel if you have a permit. Some creeks had small waterfalls and other waterfalls came off of the rock cliffs. We had a super hike and met a couple with their dog.

Larry on the swinging bridge

A tree that grew over the trail

Rock cliffs

Back at the swinging bridge

After our hike we drove through the cabin area and the CCC Camp area. It always amazes us that after all these years there are so many CCC buildings and cabins that are still being used. The CCC did an outstanding job in building trails, cabins, pavilions, recreation buildings, bridges and roads that are still standing. They're gorgeous.

One of the CCC cabins at the CCC Camp

The waterfall from the CCC Pond

The old Pioneer Cabin

On the way back to our campsite we stopped by a Pioneer Cabin, which was built in the late 1800's and the CCC pond. We had a great time hiking and seeing different sights that the CCC built.

We had a super time at Tishomingo State Park.   

Camping at Tishomingo State Park

Monday 4-2 Visiting Tupelo Mississippi

Sightseeing in Tupelo Mississippi

After spending three nights at Choctaw Lake Campground it was time to move on. We drove sixteen miles to get back on the Natchez Trace Parkway. On the Trace we saw wild turkeys and a deer. Larry saw the deer and stopped because he didn't want to hit it. It stopped at the edge of the road, then it got scared and ran along the edge for a few feet before darting across the road, it was a lucky deer. When we stopped an eighteen wheeler decided to pass us, not sure why he was even on the road since commercial vehicles are not allowed on the Natchez Trace. We drove the parkway for about 70 miles before taking the exit to go to Tupelo Mississippi. 

When we got to Tupelo we did a little grocery shopping at Walmart. Afterwards I made sandwiches for lunch. While there we toured the Tupelo Automobile Museum. At the beginning of the tour there is a movie about Frank Spain who started the museum, it was very interesting. There were over 100 cars on display. The museum is housed in a 120,000 square foot building. There were lots of cars that Larry recognized. There were also cars that B.B. King and Elvis owned. The cars were displayed very nicely.

1957 Ford Skyliner

1983 Camarovett only one made

B.B. King's cars

A cool display of old gas station

   

Larry knew that Tupelo Mississippi is the Birthplace of Elvis Presley so that's where we went next. 

Elvis lived in Tupelo until he was thirteen, then the family moved to Memphis. We walked around the grounds and saw the two room house he lived in, the church he attended was also on the grounds along with signs about Elvis's life in Tupelo and after he left. It was a nice walk around the grounds.

Elvis's house in Tupelo

The church he attended while in Tupelo

Standing with Elvis when he was thirteen and grown-up

After doing our little bit of sightseeing we headed back to the Natchez Trace Parkway. We took the parkway all the way to Tishomingo State Park which was mile at marker 304.5, this leaves 139.5 miles left of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

At the office to Tishomingo State Park the lady gave us a map of the park and we drove around to find a site. Then we went back to the entrance and paid for two nights.  

We barbecued hamburgers for dinner and then walked around the campground.   

Sunday 4-1 Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Happy Easter. I hope everyone had a great Easter. We woke up to another gorgeous day with sunshine, the temperature was a little warmer than yesterday. For breakfast I baked the rest of the cinnamon rolls I made last night.

Choctaw Lake Campground is such a beautiful place we decided we would stay another day. After breakfast we went for another hike. While I thought we would just do a short hike we ended up hiking six miles. We started on the Lake Side Trail going the opposite way from yesterday. We hiked about a mile to the dam where we picked up the Splashing Dog Trail. This trail was two miles one way through the forest. We went up and down hills gradually and through the forest, at places the forest was dense with trees that looked like you were in the med-evil times. It wasn't scary just majestic and beautiful. We hiked along creeks and over them by bridges, or jumping where they weren't too wide. We were glad we waited until today to hike this trail because it gave it time to dry out some but at places we still had to walk around mushy areas. We hiked by a marshy area where we saw a huge beaver den. We crossed a couple of roads. After two miles Splashing Dog Trail merged with Beaver Lodge Trail, we hiked this trail back towards the lake. At the end of Beaver Lodge Trail we ended up on the other side of the lake in a parking lot where we sat on a concrete block to rest, we had hiked over four miles and had another two to go. The rest of the hike was the Lake Side Trail. The trails we hiked were part of a huge loop trail that goes for 22 miles. As we were hiking the Lake Side Trail back to the Minnie we met up with a hiker that was hiking the entire 22 miles, he had been hiking it for over a day and has hiked about half of it. We had seen him earlier sleeping in a hammock in the gazebo. We wished him luck on his hike. By the time we got back to the Minnie we were tired but we had an outstanding hike.

The hiking trails

Beaver den

 Dogwood trees in bloom

For lunch we had barbeque chicken wraps. We spent the rest of the day sitting in our chairs reading and enjoying this super spring day. The birds were chirping and we have a gorgeous dogwood in bloom.

When it was time for dinner I made pancakes. After dinner we went on a walk to the entrance to pay for another night. The hosts told us we could pay on the way out but we preferred to pay in advance. On the way back to the site we walked a nature trail that was called Cabin Lake Trail, it was about a mile long. It was a very easy trail that went around the lake and had signs along the way telling you what the different trees are in the forest and a little about each tree. It was a nice walk. We ended up walking a mile and a half. By the end of the day we had walked nine miles according to my Garmin, which keeps track of my steps, distance, calories, time and date. We had an outstanding Easter.           

Saturday 3-31 Fantastic Day

No matter what you do have fun

We woke up to a nice cool day with the temperature in the low 50s.

After breakfast we went on a hike, ended up hiking a bit over 5 miles. We started out by hiking the Lake Trail, it is a three mile trail that goes around the lake. Due to construction on the dam only 2 miles of the trail is open. Today they were pouring concrete using a pump truck, they were having to use a crane to help hold up the pump's arm while it was pouring the concrete. The road to get to the dam is narrow so they could only get one concrete truck down it at a time. Due to the narrow road the truck driver had to back in to where they were working. We hiked the lake trail back about a half mile where we picked up the Headwaters Trail. This trail was challenging, it went up and down hills as it wound through the forest. We crossed over creeks via bridges and at times we had to leap over them. A big rain storm come through a couple days ago so at places the trail was a little soft and had water standing on it. They had a controlled burn a week ago and where they burned the underbrush off, it's starting to get green again. We were glad that the trail was marked with orange markings on the trees. The trail was about 2.5 miles long. The last trail we took was the Cabin Lake Trail which was very short and took us back to the campground. As we were walking back to the Minnie we saw turtles sunning on a log in the lake. When I got close to take a picture a couple of them crawled into the lake. The hike was very peaceful and the temperature was perfect. By the time we got back to the Minnie we were tired so we rested in our chairs until it was time for lunch. We barbecued hamburgers for lunch.

Choctaw Lake

Boardwalk across the lake

Creek along the Headwaters Trail

Turtles sunning on a log

After lunch Larry read outside and I took a nap for a couple of hours. Last night I stayed up until 2:00 finishing reading a book.

During the rain storm the other morning Larry found that we had a small leak. After my nap he went on the roof of the Minnie. About 4 or 5 years ago he had fixed a leak where the cable for the TV antenna enters the roof by applying a patch over it and he figures that's where the leak is again. He removed the old patch and cleaned the area. Then he built a new patch using some plastic sheeting and Eterna Bond tape. He also checked the seams that he had covered with Eterna Bond tape years ago, they still look fine.

When he had finished this little project it was time for dinner. I heated up leftover sausages. After dinner I baked some cinnamon rolls for dessert. We had a fantastic day.