I was invited to have breakfast this morning with my exceptionally friendly campground neighbors, Chris and Beth. Then I met and rode a bit with some nice cyclists on the last stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway this morning.
Arrived in lovely downtown Natchez just in time to watch the second half of the UM v MSU football game. I had intended to go further, but this is just such a great town and the gumbo and fried oysters tasted so good.... I was meeting great people at the bar and having such a good time -- and then Michigan went and lost the game. Dagnubbit!
This just happens to be the weekend of the annual hot air balloon festival, which is one of the two or three biggest celebrations of the year in Natchez. So here in downtown Natchez this weekend there are bands, street dancing, lots of fun loving people from Louisiana and Mississippi having a good time, etc. All the campgrounds and motels in Natchez are completely full, but the good people who operate the campground across the river here in Vidalia were willing to take my money ($22 for a rustic campsite!!)and squeeze me in for the night.
Shortly after I left the Natchez State Park this morning I took a short side trip over to see the Emerald Temple Mound, which was built and used by Native Americans between 1300 and 1600 AD. It includes the second tallest mound in North America.
Late this afternoon I entered Louisiana, the tenth and final state on the Mississippi River Trail. I have been warned repeatedly that Louisiana, in general, and New Orleans, in particular, is not very bicycle friendly. So I need to be especially careful on this last leg of my journey.
Tonight I am going to try to hitch a ride back and forth across the bridge (safer than riding my bicycle back across the bridge for sure) and take part in the evening's festivities in Natchez. Tomorrow I have a long ride before reaching anywhere I can spend the night. But it is supposed to be a wonderful ride with minimal traffic and lots of waterfowl and other wildlife.
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