Thursday, April 1 - Day 22
San Marcos, TX to Alexandria, LA
It was raining when I first woke up around 5:30 AM. Muttered some unprintable comments about the weather, rolled over, and went back to sleep for another two hours. When I finally crawled out of the sleeping bag it was still drizzling, but at least no downpour. Did my morning things and went over to the campground office to connect the laptop. They have just recently put in an extra jack so campers can connect comfortably. Uploaded and was pleased not to find another 65+ duplicate messages in my e-mail box.
This method of staying in touch - e-mail and a web page - is really great. And I highly recommend keeping a photo journal, because with the many sights one sees and impression one gets, it's impossible to remember them all. For example, on my route today I passed near Sam Houston Jones State Park, where I had stayed about two weeks ago. Couldn't conjure up a picture of the park in my mind.
Was on the road (TX 80 southbound) by 9:45 AM and headed for I-10. Initially the interstate wasn't bad. Despite the drizzle and clouds there were some nice views: a plethora of wildflowers along the way and a marked absence of billboards. This changed around San Felipe, and then came the stretch through Houston. UGLY! East of Houston the sun came out on-and-off, and made some of the last miles of I-10 in Texas a bit more attractive. The state line is at milage marker 878 - a long way from El Paso.
The sun came out in full force once I hit Lousiana. I-10 through Lake Charles is one huge one-lane construction site, not recommended for RVs. Jumped off at US 171 for Ragley, then US 90 to Reeves, and then took LA 113 north to Pitkin, and LA 463 and LA 121 to the Valentine Recreation Area. These Louisiana roads took me through some really scenic country with tall pine trees lining the road and views of many other trees with leaves showing that special Spring green. It's really too bad that Louisiana doesn't seem to make an effort to clean up the innumerable beer/soda cans and cups strewn along the roadside. Honestly, in part the roads look worse than the South Bronx steets did under Mayor Dinkins. Did you know that it takes 8 to 10 years for an aluminum can to disintegrate, 10 to 12 years for a cigarette butt?
Stopped for the night at the Kincaid NFS campground. About 40 sites with electricity and water, right by the lake. The sites are just a bit close together, but OK. $6.00 (after Golden Age Passport discount) for my site, which also has a picnic table and a grill.
Drove exactly 400 miles today, was on the road for 7 1/4 hours, and bought gasoline in Louisiana for 93.9 cents/gallon. Daytime temperature was in the lower eighties, low last night was a comfortable 62F.
Friday, April 2 - Day 23
Alexandria, LA to Trace State Park near Tupelo, MS
The shower at the Kincaid campground looked OK to me last night, so when I woke up at 6:00 AM this morning I went right over to try it out. It had been a warm night at 68F and rather muggy. The shower head was one of those we enjoyed before water conservation came in vogue. You know - a good full stream of water rather than the trickle they give us nowadays. Anyway, there were no hot/cold controls, just a button to push. Pushed the button and a rich stream of water, at just the perfect temperature, poured down on me. Heaven! Unfortunately, after about 30 seconds, the stream dried up. Quickly learned to soap and lather with one hand, while using the other to keep the button pushed.
Was on the road by 8:45 AM and headed up LA 28 to Alexandria, where I had to get on I-49 for a bridge and zig-zagged around a bit before finding LA 28 to take me to US 84 East. I'd like to say "thanks" here to DeLorme's Map 'n Go CD. This program is vastly superior to my Rand McNally's TripMaker Deluxe, although it has two major problems: you can't specify the duration of stops, and the itinerary print-out totally stinks. The superiority stems from two major advantages: (1) much more, and more accurate, information about campgrounds, and (2) the "strip maps" which print out each section of the trip with the section's destination at the top, regardless of compass direction. In other words, you don't have to turn the map upside down or sideways to figure out whether a right turn is a right turn, or actually a left turn because you are heading south.
US 84 took me to Natchez, a most fascinating collection of early 19th century mansions, manors, and homes - well preserved and worth an extended visit. Drove around for a while, but didn't take a tour -- only because this is a place I'll want to include in a trip with my wife, so that together we can explore at length. Very pleasing is that Natchez has avoided becoming an artsy-crafty tourist trap fringed by fast food outlets. There are interesting stores and souvenir shops, but they blend in tastefully.
Found my way to the Natchez Trace and headed north. The parkway is just that -- a two-lane drive through a well-maintained park. Every turn-out is worth a stop, especially if you're interested in history. The speed limit is a bit low at 50 MPH, but 55 MPH is acceptable and it's worthwhile to slow down and enjoy the fauna and flora. This time of the year is especailly beautiful, because the wildflowers are already in full bloom, the dogwoods are out, and the trees are just beginning to show leaves. Unfortunately, today was a cloudy day, so my photos didn't turn out the way I had hoped. The richness of the colors just didn't photograph well.
Jumped off at the town of Kosciusko to buy some supplies. Tried a supermarket right off the road and found the selection limited and way overpriced. Left and found myself a Wal-Mart. Bingo! My experiences on this trip has convinced me that Wal-Mart is the best place for travelers (who don't know the pros and cons of local supermarkets) to shop.
Back on the Trace I stopped at the only campground on this part of the parkway, Jeff Busby campground. Crowded and limited facilities. I could have squeezed between a couple of huge class A's, but decided to move on. Missed the turn-off for a road that would lead to some off-Parkway CGs. Tried to make a U turn and got stuck off-road, with rear wheels quickly digging into the soft ground.
Now, back home in NJ, if you slide off the interstate into the center strip, the going rate for a tow truck to pull you out is $40.00, if the tow truck just happens to come by. If you call for a tow truck, you're looking at $80.00 plus. In Mississippi, within 2 minutes a local stopped and asked whether he could help. Realizing that his little Pontiac sedan wouldn't be able to pull me out of the ditch (even if he or I had a tow rope), this gentleman went into the woods to get branches and twigs to put under the rear wheels. All to no avail, and at my urging, he drove off - promising to stop at the nearest ranger station to get me help.
He wasn't gone more than five minutes when a pick-up stopped. The elderly gentleman in the passenger seat got out, asked whether I needed help, got a nylon tow strap out of the back, and told me to attach it to the van. When he realized that I had no idea how and where to attach it, he - in church-going clean shirt and jeans - dropped to the ground, rolled over on his back, wrapped the strap around the front axle, hooked it to the pick-up, and pulled me out.
We shook hands and I noticed a smell on his breath that wasn't exactly Listerine. I think he had prepared himself for the Good Friday night church service that his wife was driving him to, and for which he was dressed. With the other hand I extended a folded-up bill, and with a wink suggested that he have a few on me. At first he refused, but let himself be persuaded eventually. His parting comment: "You tell those people in New Jersey that folks in Mississippi are real friendly." I resolved, and ask all of you readers of my journal to join me - if you ever see a motorist from Mississippi in trouble, help.
It got dark in a hurry, and I made my way to the Trace State Park near Tupelo, MS. From the little I could make out in the dark, this is a first-rate place with water/electric hook-ups right by a lake. Lots of land, trails, deer, and a boat ramp. I think Jeane D. and family would approve. Best of all, bathhouse and laundry room. Spotlessly clean, brand-new equipment, well lit. $9.00 for the night.
Drove 405 miles today and was on the road for 10 hours. BTW, when I write "on the road" this meant time from leaving the previous day's campground to arriving at the destination CG.
Saturday, April 3 - Day 24
Trace State Park, MS to Barton Springs CG, Normandy Lake, TN
My camp site at beautiful Trace State Park was directly by the lake.
And when you camp by a lake, be prepared for fisherpersons to get up at the crack of dawn, crank up their outboard motors, and in a display of "mine is bigger than yours" revv up their engines and compete on the basis of who can make the most noise, or who can wake up the most people. Disgusting.
This happened to me this morning at about 5 AM (quiet hours ar supposedly in force until 7 AM) and I decided to get up and grab a shower in that beautifully clean bathhouse I had inspected last night. Well, some idiot (fisherperson?) had beaten me to it and had left an assortment of used Q-Tips, soap remnants, hair, and a rather nice looking sweatshirt. I took perverse pleasure in using the expensive-looking shirt to clean the shower stall of debris, wrapped the Q-Tips in the shirt, wiped the floor with the shirt, and left the package with the hope that the owner would eventually return for his shirt. So, sue me!
Was back on the road by 9 AM and took a little detour through the outskirts of Tupelo. Got a thorough car wash and bought gas at $1.049/gal. With all that 55 MPH driving yesterday, averaged 18.2 mpg.
It was still cloudy when I got back on the Trace, but still - a pleasant drive. Since I was heading in a northerly direction and also gaining some altitude, the budding new leaves stopped, as did eventually the dogwoods in bloom. Indeed, it started looking more like late Fall once I crossed into Alabama and then into Tennessee. The upper part of the Trace will probably not be at its most beautiful until mid-April.
Jumped off at the US 64 exit and headed for Lawrenceburg, an unattractive town that prides itself on being the birthplace of Senator Fred Thompson. Continued on US 64 to Pulaski and Fayetteville, TN. The road has potential for becoming scenic, there are good views of hills and valleys. However, it is under major construction - my estimate is at least for the next ten years. Fayetteville is a very well-kept town with some lovely homes along the main road. Switched to US 231 to Shelbyville, another attractive town with a lovely courthouse square at the center. None of the stores making up the square were boarded up, a sure sign that Wal-Mart hadn't gotten to Shelbyville yet. US 231 would be a very scenic road, except it has a very bad case of roadside litteritis.
Found (with some difficulty) TN 64 to Wartrace and then a local backroad to Normandy, TN. This is horse country, the famous Tennessee Walking Horse comes from this area. There are beautiful farms/estates along the way. The Barton Springs campground at Normandy Lake is pretty good - none of the 64 sites have hook-ups, not even water, but most have good lake views, all have picnic tables and grills, there is a dump station, and the shower works well. Cost per night is $11.00, $5.50 for Golden Age pass. This is a view of a small part of the lake:
