Day Three and Onward

Last night my inverter shut down due to RV battery depletion which led to my laptop crashing. After morning of rain decided to pull into Timberland Reservoir Park north of Jackson Mississippi and recharge. Did some battery maintenance after it stopped raining. Spent a quiet night but got coated in tar from a tree. The site picked for Internet access. $23/night.

On the way in stopped at Kroger Groceries for a few supplies including their coffee which is still the best ground coffee I’ve ever found. Spent the afternoon catching up online.

Day Four

Stopped at Kangeroo Gas to fill up at $2.10 on my way out. Took my time getting on the road but left when the internet failed? Why me? Also visited the Mississippi Craft Centre when my GPS took me there instead of to the gas station. Since the Trace is hard to miss decided to use the gadget only to track my speed. Out front was a turkey sculpture with wine bottles defining its tail and a 3-foot ant.

The drive today was distinguished only by the heat and some frustrating construction. No blocks to traffic on the trace otherwise. Found a campsite at Thomas Jefferson Busby Campground that required extensive leveling, then settled in to read my Trace Guidebook. Went for a walk and had supper. Two trucks with trailer homes pulled in behind me on my loop. One couple from Calabogie Ontario, the other from Sharbot Lake. Spent the evening reading Boyden’s The Orenda.

Prominent along the road today were Redbuds and Dogwoods almost over in Natchez. Noted that the only radio available around Jackson was Legends 102 Country unless you can stomach Gospel or Talk. “Baby’s Got Her Blue Jeans On”. Later Kicks 96.

Day Five

Today I drove North of Spring 200 miles to Merriwether Lewis Campground--named for the place where the Lewis and Clark explorer died in mysterious circumstances and is buried. Checked 7 campsites before finding one close to level.

This morning had to put away four leveling blocks before I pulled out at 7:00 AM. Stopped up the road to run my generator and make coffee and toast.

For breaks stopped at the infocentre at the Trace Main Office near Tupelo and after passing through Alabama into Tennessee at the Collinwood Welcome Centre. The latter I’d visited in 2011 on my way through still manned by a good old boy who today demonstrated his dulcimer while I admired the quilts on display while drinking a free coffee. This time round no second good old boy using one of the rockers. The place produces kiln-dried oak. A corn cob sheller on display.

Just after I passed through in 2011 a tornado touched down and followed the Trace for 10 miles somewhat south of Tupelo. The devastation is still palpable. Snow followed by an ice storm caused many windfalls along the Trace which staff will spend months cleaning up. First priority getting the wood off the roadway.

This Parkway was finally completed in 2005 after Busby saw to its start in 1936. An impressive amount of fill was used to raise the road above the surrounding swamps and farmland and to level out the many dips in the gently rolling landscape. The look-off last night was at the highest point in Mississippi, just over 600 ft.

Running my generator to charge my batteries and recharge my tablet. Tomorrow’s hop to Nashville is only 83 miles. I should get in in time to find a campsite. No hurry to head north to that cold! Time now for a walk.

The silence of a primitive campground is awing. I was brought up short in the middle of the night when I decided to make tea and had to remind myself that my electric kettle wasn’t going to work!

Day Six off the Trace

Drove up to the first pull-out to run my generator and make coffee beside a tiny waterfall down a steep embankment with picnic table and garbage can beside it. I didn’t assay the steep grade. Reaching milepost 400 meant 44 miles of the Trace remaining.

After seeing no traffic control signs or signals for 450 miles downtown Nashville with its aggressive pedestrians and drivers and uncoordinated lights is traumatizing. I arrived at KOA to find no room at the Inn and their internet down with a thunderstorm brewing. Two Rivers Campground just up the street is cramped but any port in a storm.