Thursday, October 27, 2011
We were up and departed from the Pickwick State Park Campground near Corinth, MS at about 8:30 am and headed back to the Natchez Trace Parkway to continue our journey south toward Tupelo, MS. We made a stop on the parkway at the Bear Creek Picnic area for brunch. Eggs, hash browns and pancakes are a little better than subsistence rations like the hardtack biscuits and salt pork that some of the frontiersman has to live on. You can tell we are suffering!
A short distance down the parkway we stopped at the Pharr Indian Mounds. A number of Indian burial and ceremonial mounds are located along the trace with accompanying information. Some of the mounds are reportedly as early as 800 to 1000 BC. Needless to say a lot of the information on them is conjecture, but it is very interesting.
We also stopped at the ruins of a Chippewa Indian Village and read about how they defended themselves and built dwellings for the summer and winter. There was also a stop at a sunken spring, where water was dripping into a sinkhole 10 to 15 feet deep, that was accessible from the surface and near the trace.
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| This is one of many burial mounds we saw. |
We also stopped at the ruins of a Chippewa Indian Village and read about how they defended themselves and built dwellings for the summer and winter. There was also a stop at a sunken spring, where water was dripping into a sinkhole 10 to 15 feet deep, that was accessible from the surface and near the trace.
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| Fred going down into the spring |
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| Barney deep into the cave |
We popped off the trace to get a cancellation stamp at Brice’s Crossroads Visitors Center. A very talkative and energetic 90 year old young lady named Ruth made us welcome, and made the cancellation stamp available. Then it was back to the trace.
The last stop was at the Natchez Trace Visitors Center near the exit for Tupelo, MS. There were a bunch of stamps which were acted upon immediately. There was a short, well done video that was narrated by someone who was obviously a local based on his accent. It was very good. The VC also had a good deal of historical information on the trace and the various Indians, frontiersmen, postal service and military uses. We exited the trace on route 6 got fuel and found a Wendy’s and headed to a state park for the night. This is the John Kyle State Park on Sardis Lake in Mississippi. We got a geezer discount, so the price wasn’t bad. After getting set up, we see there are Corps of Engineer campgrounds nearby, and we have liked those in previous stops, but this will work for one night.
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| Our campsites at John Kyle State Park Campground |
Check back for more from the Bedrock Bunch chisel.
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