Jackson, Mississippi

I'm such a nerd for places I've never been before. I got way more excited than I should have from driving over the Tallahatchie River, and I'm fascinated by the red dirt here. Even the roads are red!

It's good that I'm enjoying the roads, since I spent almost my entire day alone with them. There were long stretches where I didn't see another car, forget about houses, restaurants, or gas stations. Just when I was beginning to worry that I would have an empty tank before I saw a filling station, I came upon a Walmart surrounded by a few gasoline and fast food chains, collectively known as Louisville, Mississippi.

Most of the day was spent in BFE, though. Literally. I drove through a town called Egypt somewhere in East Mississippi. Although, to be fair, town may be too strong a word. There were no structures nearby to signify a city of any sort, just a faded sign at the side of the road, surrounded by trees.

My day was dominated by driving, but in addition to Main Street, Louisville, I did make a few planned stops. I started out heading to Tupelo, for Elvis' birthplace. I arrived around 12:30 and they didn't open until 1, so I wasn't able to go inside the tiny house or shop the gift store. I did wander around and take a few snapshots, but there wasn't enough to keep me there until business hours.

I also stopped at Veteran's Memorial Park in Tupelo, and then it took me 3 hours to reach Jackson, where I popped in briefly for a Whataburger and got back on the road. My next destination was New Port M.B. Church in Ebenezer, a small red brick building hidden far back on a rough country road, which has the grave of Elmore James in its cemetery. It sounds a bit odd to go 50 miles (each direction) out of your way to take a picture of a headstone, but much of my weekend will be just that. Unfortunately, most of the blues legends have passed, so the Delta Blues Trail includes many a side trip to their final resting places.

I'm now back in Jackson for the night, at the most depressing Hilton I've ever stayed in. I'm not sure how many miles I racked up today, but it's definitely in the hundreds. I'm wiped out, but still enjoying the best mood I've been in since... well, since my last trip out of town.

Tomorrow's trip will involve about equal miles and many more stops, so I have a pile of directions to look up before I can hit the road. It will be another exhausting day, and I really can't wait.