The drive from Lake Village, AR to Jackson, MS was uneventful. Instead of taking the direct route I turned north as soon as I crossed the Mississippi River, going north along the river road (Hwy 1) for a few miles just to see what I could see. What I saw was a flat, very productive agricultural area. I assume this whole area is filled with silt from thousands of years of periodic flooding. There are lots of big fields, a few scattered homes, and once in awhile a small community. To me it looked like many of the small town areas in the Sacramento Valley. They look sleepy and slow, without much going on – but that is just the way it is in those kinds of little towns. At least they didn’t seem to be 75% on the way to being ghost towns, they are just small and slow.

I had hoped to turn around and go south on hwy 61 through old rural towns, but somehow missed most of that and ended up in Yazoo City, and then on a big interstate highway to Jackson. I gave up and decided to take the “normal” route. It was pretty, very green and lush with wide mowed strips of green “lawn” along the highway and dense forests beyond that.

After a hour or so of needing to take a “bio break” I finally come upon a rest stop, located in the center divide. It was a combination rest stop archeological l museum located at an ancient mound site. Apparently between about 1000 AD and 1300 AD the local inhabitants took up the process of building very large mounds, similar to those that I visited in Arkansas. They decided that this particular mound had a flat platform on top where a ceremonial building was located. A few people used that building (the priests?), while the community lived in the surrounding clearing. I suppose I should have been excited about the site, but it really just looked like a pile of dirt to me. According to the signs, there were many more mounds in this area until they were leveled during highway construction. They saved a couple of them by going around them with both directions of the freeway.

The best part of the site for me was a nice concrete footpath that went to the mounds, but then continued for a half mile or so into the wooded area beyond. Even though highway traffic was on both sides it was a nice stroll into a wooded area, a nice break from hours of sitting in the car.

My route took me right through the middle of the big city of Jackson. From my vantage point in the driver’s seat of my car, Jackson appears to be a vibrant, busy city. I went by the university, a very large hospital that was probably a teaching hospital associated with the university. My hotel room was located in a nearby town of Flowood. The only way I knew I was in a different town was the sign next to the road. Apparently the hotel is located near the airport since their promotional material promised that I would be able to hear the airport, but I didn’t.

Dinner was at a restaurant called The Iron Horse Grill, located on the far side of Jackson from my hotel. That gave me a chance to see a bit more of town and go through some very well-to-do looking parts of the city, with what I would call large mansions set well back from the street with broad lawns and fountains out front. The IHG is a restored Armour meat packing plant from the early 1900’s. From the many signs around it this is an apparently attempt to revitalize the old-town of Jackson, the part of Jackson that was instrumental in the creation of Jazz music. It was a fun venue, kind of funky old building. When I arrived their very large parking lot was packed and I feared that it would be difficult to find a seat for dinner, but the opposite was the case. The building is cut up into many smaller areas, some in separate rooms, some in balconies and a few on outside areas. All of the areas were being used, but none were crowded. Each had a very different “feel” about it because of the building and the decor.

As usual, I sat at the bar for dinner. A guy was playing a guitar and singing, but I got busy talking to the person sitting next to me and didn’t pay the musician much attention. My neighbor was a young man from India taking tech classes at the university. When I asked him how he liked it there, he said he was getting homesick, the city is fun and friendly – but WAY too hot and humid. We had a nice talk, just friendly chatting.

The humidity is starting to get to me. All of the things made of paper have become limp. My cloths never quite dry out. In the morning it is cool, so the humidity is barely noticeable but by mid-afternoon I find I feel drained. It is rather oppressive feeling, I am happy to get inside where there is air-conditioning. I am wondering what it will be like when I get further south, and the summer heat finally arrives. So far it has been mild spring weather and that is getting to me. It will undoubtedly become a challenge in a week or two (if not sooner).

I haven’t plotted my next path yet. My approach has settled down to measuring off about 150 miles on the map in the general direction of what I am headed. I am now headed for the gulf coast of Mississippi. Then I look around to see if anything looks appealing for that night’s stay. Once I get that settled in my mind, and perhaps make a reservation at a hotel I try to find the most interesting path, meaning the one that avoids big city’s when practical. It is daily process because I never know when I might deviate wildly from my intended path. Planning ahead just ends up with reservations that I can’t cancel and therefore pay for even though I don’t use the room. That is not an economical approach. I’ll stay someplace between here and the gulf tonight, and then go see my friend Lee on Saturday.