MISSISSIPPI
We didn’t make it.
I pulled into the Walmart Retreat in Vidalia (still in Louisiana). One reviewer who was travelling in a van said it was small and he had a problem finding a level spot away from the store. Yet another reviewer, she said between Vidalia and the Walmart across the river in Natchez “pick this one, much nicer and quieter.” I pulled in and saw Vidalia would do fine. That early evening I realized how I had never seen any muffler shops anywhere in Louisiana. It’s probably because no one needs their services. You blow out your muffler in Louisiana, who cares? They just keep on driving the thing. That was the only non-quiet aspect of this Walmart overnight stay. Well there were the cars blasting the rap-crap noise but that was pretty much everywhere lately.
Beans woke me up a six in the morning for whatever reason I didn’t know. I gave up and got up. I ate half a bagel then popped over to the Murphy’s gas station to fill up. I figured a long drive was waiting us with no towns along the way. I ate a small bit of yogurt with a small orange and we went across the Mississippi River into Natchez. What a lovely old town rich with history Natchez was. I was on a mission. I wanted to go to their city hall for out front in the lawn was buried Tripod, “The city’s kitty”. This three legged cat took up residence in city hall and was well loved by the staff and the residents who came in to do business. Tripod passed away in October of 1983. Donations poured in for a proper burial and gravestone. Two local monument makers wound up donating the stone. Local legend had it when all the donations were tallied up they exceeded the money the city itself had in its coffers at that time.
We didn’t linger in Natchez for thunderstorms were bearing down upon us from the south. We took off to the northeast making it only as far as Brookhaven. I wanted to rest. There was no hurry anyways to go nowhere.
At the Brookhaven Walmart Motor Inn we had a nice spot around the side where the trucks pulled in to unload goods. Behind us were some dense woods so it was a quiet spot.