October 20th through November 2nd, 2024
We had a fairly short drive from Alabama to Mississippi, so we thought it was going to be a quick trip. But no, we had one of those drives where everything seems to go wrong. We'd had a trailer tire fixed before, and we hadn't been on the road even an hour before we saw the tire pressure dropping. We pulled over and Margot filled it up there and then filled it up again a bit later.
We found a tire shop where we could get someone to look at it. Google said it was open, but it was closed when we got there. We were going to contact our insurance company, but then thought we could make it to a different tire shop in Tuscaloosa (we called this one first). We made it there, and the valve stem wasn't seated correctly. It added some time to our trip, but at least it was fixed.
That meant we were setting up at our new location as the sun was setting. We learned that if we have a 65x30-foot site we have to stagger the coach and trailer on opposite corners. It took some Jenga-like maneuvering, but we got it figured out as the sun went down. And it was a gorgeous, perfect site.
We were right next to the boat ramp, too. We'd hoped for some good people watching there, but there weren't many people boating that late in the season. Margot went kayaking a few times, and Lacey went swimming. We really liked the location.
We were just outside of Jackson, Mississippi where they had good restaurants and museums. We went to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum to learn about that state's history after learning so much about Alabama's. It was a very good museum, and we ran out of time to see everything (it seems like we always do).
One of the best and most impressive national parks we've seen was Vicksburg National Military Park. The visitor center had a lot of information, but then we did the auto tour. It is a very long, large drive through the areas where the battles actually happened. Many states from both sides of the Civil War sent their soldiers to fight, and since then there have been nearly 1,400 monuments and markers placed throughout the park:
- 645 iron tablets and guideposts mark trench lines, battery, and infantry positions, and describe battle events
- 22 state memorials within park boundaries, 5 state memorials on former park property and one state memorial on Grant’s Canal
- 12 free-standing bronze statues
- 284 regimental monuments
- 239 regimental markers
- 95 Relief Portraits
- 62 Busts honoring key commanders from both sides
It was a lovely drive, and we took a lot of pictures. The Illinois Memorial was especially impressive, where each soldier's name was listed in a beautiful, domed structure.
We also got to see the USS Cairo Gunboat that was pulled out of the water and reconstructed in the park. There was even a museum to go through. This park was pretty amazing, and we'd go again. We really recommend this one.
We didn't know there were so many old roads and trails across the country that have been preserved, and it was awesome to find out we were staying right next to the Natchez Trace Parkway. It's a long road much like the Blue Ridge Parkway, but unlike Blue Ridge it is made of city roads and highways used by people to get from place to place. Blue Ridge is more of a destination.
We did a small hike in the woods called the Cypress Swamp that we really enjoyed. We had Lacey with us, and she loved it, too. We were on boardwalks and leaf-covered trails as we explored the area. It wasn't long enough, but we still had a great time.
We didn't get enough time in Mississippi, and we were not happy to be leaving. But we were headed back to places we've been before, starting with Louisiana, and then eventually to Arizona for the winter. Thanks, Mississippi, we'll be back!
