More Mississippi Magic

December 13-16, 2016
Clinton, Mississippi

With a couple extra days in the area we run errands and get some "stuff" done around home on Tuesday. It rains off and on all day, dropping the temps back into the 50's.

The drive on Natchez Trace to the east was so special, that Wednesday we turn to the west to see the section to Natchez, Mississippi.

We get a late start, but it's still chilly at barely 50 degrees when we head out. The day never gets over 52, 15 degrees colder than our first drive.

It's still beautiful.

There are a couple historic stops without trails or structures. Because there is no one else around, it is easy to look into the trees and imagine the events and structures described. 

The signage for Rocky Springs is very confusing - don't turn at the first sign for the "area", continue to the sign for the "site" - even Google maps isn't sure what we're looking for. But mis-turns take us to a historic crossroad that we wouldn't have seen. Only the tiny general store building remains. Love when that happens :-)

And now we're passing through.....

It is very cold in the shade and light breeze, but we spend a long time at the old church and cemetery. We see some of the old village site, but I wimp out before we see all of it. I think we only missed another safe and cistern.

The narrow road into Rocky Springs is beautiful.

Built in 1827, the Rocky Springs Methodist Church is maintained by the current congregation. Regular services and weddings are still held here. 

The doors remain unlocked every day.

This proud sentinel stands watch at the entrance to the old cemetery

Under overcast skies the place feels ancient. We whisper here.

Most graves are dated in 1858 and are in all shapes and sizes.

Including several of these very small markers I've never seen before. There are some large markers for children, so I don't think these are necessarily for them.

Little remains of the town site other than two safes and a few cisterns. At its peak in 1860 the population was 2,616.

Several signs along the trail with information about the geology of the area.

We warm up in the car and make a couple stops before we get to a spot that sounds really interesting - Sunken Trace. Over the decades some sections of the trace have worn down almost thirty feet. We drop into the trail and wander among the moss-covered trees, crunching through deep leaves, marveling at the impact of travelers on this path through the forest.

The Old Trace at Grindstone Ford

Mancum Mound, an ancient burial site for ancestors of several Mississippi and Louisiana tribes. 

Other than some hawks and herons and one deer, we see no wildlife. But these farm critters on the other side of the trace are sure cute!

Sunken Trace

Still pretty deep although sediment has built it up over the years since it was traveled.

This moss glowed along the banks.

"Two roads diverged in a yellow(ish) wood......."

With our late start and taking our time along the way, the sun is going down while we're still several miles from Natchez. We decide to turn around and return home, more than happy with all we've seen in this magical forest.

We love this parkway and want to come back and see the rest next time - we only covered about 25%.

Thursday morning we get up and on the road by 9:00 for a 200-mile drive south to Bay St Louis, Mississippi. We're on the gulf shore for a week, and when we pull into the Silver Slipper Casino RV Park I know we've picked the perfect spot.

Site 18 facing the gulf

And there's the water - right there!