It's Alright Mama

One of the great old roads that crisscross America is Natchez Trace. It goes from Natchez, Mississippi 440 miles up to Nashville Tennessee. It was used by the Chickasaw Indians, the Kaintucks (boatmen from Kentucky) and Union forces during the Civil War. I've been wanting to drive it and I finally got the chance to motor down about 150 miles of it. The speed limit is 50 mph and the road is nice and smooth which made it a pleasure to drive  (unlike Louisiana which vies with Oklahoma for the worst roads in the nation – personal opinion only) . It was nicely wooded, very serene with many historical and scenic places you could pull off and contemplate but after about 50 miles of it, I must admit – ho hum. Ok, been there, done that. I only drove it in Mississippi and Alabama, maybe it is different in Tennessee.

Along the way, I stopped in Tupelo, Mississippi – birthplace of Mr. Elvis Presley. Several years earlier, I had stopped at Graceland, where Elvis died. I thought it would be nice to see where it all began. In 1971, the East Heights Garden Club started a project to improve and renovate the shotgun house. You start doing the Elvis experience in the gift shop where you can buy tickets to tour the inside of the house. The ladies selling the tickets were women of a certain age with their 1950's southern lady beehive hairstyles. I almost succumbed to buying an Elvis wall clock – they were cutouts of Elvis singing. The clock part was stationary, but the pendulum part were his legs which rocked back and forth. Way cool. The movie about his time in Tupelo was out of order so I didn't get to see it.

Outside, on a circular walkway around the house were plaques commemorating each year of Elvis' life from his birth until his death. Only the first thirteen plaques for his first thirteen years had anything written on them. Elvis moved to Memphis when he was thirteen, so I guess after he left Tupelo, nothing much happened.

Vernon Presley built this house for $180.  It was eventually repossessed because he could not pay back the loan.

Elvis at 13

There was also a chapel where you could go in and listen to recordings of  Elvis singing gospel music.  I listened for a bit from outside, but decided I did not need to go in.

I wonder if attendance at places like this drop off as the people who grew up with Elvis no longer can make the pilgrimage or if Elvis will live forever for generations to come. 

I camped at Tombigbee State Park which had a lovely lake

Walkway to Infinity?

I moved up to Tishomingo State Park in Mississippi. I think if I could spit, I would be able to hit Alabama - it was that close to the border. It is up in the northeastern part of Mississippi. I have a list that somebody put together of the best state parks in each state and Tishomingo is supposed to be the best state park in Mississippi. I don't know what criteria “they” are using to pick the best state park, but Tishomingo was a pretty good state park. The campsites surround a lake, there were only a couple of other campers and there are a lot of hiking trails. I spent a few days in the park, just hanging out, doing nothing but hiking and decompressing.

View out my side door of my campsite - see my picnic table way down by the lake?

Haven't had any pictures of rocks lately

There was a swinging bridge across a river built by the CCC

Miko does not like swinging bridges that move when you step on them - she slunk across 

The Friends of Tishomingo Park have an Easter Egg hunt every year.  They have already started decorating the park.  There were Easter bunny cutouts all over the park.   These people are going all out here.

Entrance to the park - Miko is saying WTH?

The park mailbox