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Published: April 24th 2017
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There are 15 pictures in this blog. Make sure you scroll to the end to see them all
We were in search of 2 more stamps in Natchez. Remember, I took them all at the bookstore, but I knew I had to visit the actual places.
We headed for Melrose Plantation. Our quest for the stamp for Friday was going to take us to two different places. Remember, I got all the stamps at the first bookstore, but knew we had to visit the sites. The first we went to was Melrose plantation. By antebellum standards this plantation was out in the country, but by today's standards it would be considered downtown. Built in the early 1800s it was the peak of southern prosperity. I think it had about five owners and was always well maintained. One of the last owners used it as a bed and breakfast. The National Park Service bought if for $5.2 million a few years and added another $2 million restoring it. Over the years it had been sold with all of the furnishings so the park service acquired quite an extensive collection. To me, this house, even though it's smaller, rivaled the mansions
of Newport in it's opulence. The park service re-created the wallpaper, the draperies, and the carpet and linoleum used throughout. Some of the cornices on the first floor are 24 karat gold.
Our guide was CC, another Alcorn university student. I believe he was a volunteer. His grandfather was one of the last slaves at this plantation. As a young boy he pulled the rope that moved the fan above the dining room table. It was kind neat hearing him tell his grandfather's stories. We asked him if he knew Ranger Barney from our experience the day before, and he said he is one of the best, he has quite a reputation for leading great tours, and often does them at Melrose. You can tour the grounds as much as you want for free, but the guided tour cost five dollars and they were probably about 10 people on it, and it was one of the best tours ever.
Maybe by now you realize how much we like to eat, so off to our chosen lunch site in downtown Natchez, Biscuits and Blues. I opted for the blue plate special which was ribs, and a choice of three
Dining room table
Beautiful China, blue with gold trim sides, mine were macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, and sautéed yellow squash, $11.95. The best was the biscuits, served with apricot butter, to die for. Even though it was not on the menu for the day, Ginny asked if they had any chicken and dumplings and she was happily served a healthy portion. Kim opted for what I would call a fried chicken salad with molasses vinaigrette dressing which she raved about.
We got lost trying to find the Natchez Trace, the 440 mile beautiful Parkway that goes from Natchez to Nashville, Tennessee. We turned around to get back on it, and we can't pass a Walmart so we stopped in to pick up one or two minor little things. The Natchez Trace is a beautiful road. One lane each direction, limited access, often not a lot to see, but you can pass some beautiful homes and farms along the way. At one of the exits was the Emerald Mound, another one of those Indian mounds I have found so fascinating. This mound covered eight acres. Kim and Ginny climbed to the top, I opted to stand below and wave at them and take pictures. They said the view
at the top was nothing more than waving grass and trees.
And we were surprised, there was another place to stop and get a stamp, one that I had not available at the bookstore, Mount Locust. By 1785, an increasing number of boatmen known as “Kaintucks” were floating boats down the Mississippi River to sell their goods at the markets in Natchez and New Orleans. Without an efficient way to navigate up the Mississippi River, the boatmen walked north on the Natchez Trace (the precursor to our modern day roadway) to make their way home. A day’s walk from Natchez brought the Kaintucks and their gold to Mount Locust, a farmhouse which turned into a crude inn for these travelers, offering them a bed and a meal. The park service purchased and recently restored this quaint little space. The Ranger there has met Ranger Barney.
Exhausted, we headed back over the river and through the woods to our campground and happy hour. One of our camping neighbors brought their two beagles with them on their weekend camping adventure. As cute as could be, these dogs barked so much, it was annoying. Even though they were six sites away,
Tete a tete
All fabrics are recreations on the original furniture I thought they were horrible. Speaking to neighbor campers they thought so too.
I met a very lovely couple, older than us, who have been full timing for 14 years now. Their home is a gorgeous 40 foot Allegro diesel and towed a beautiful white SUV. She does the driving. Having had several conversations with them both, it saddens me to realize that he's in the early stages of dementia, and I give them applause for trying to make their dream last as long as possible. They had both been to our next campground many times and was very gracious and wrote out directions for us.
No ticks on Friday for any humans or dogs.
Kat out
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