Louisiana Road Trip 2011, Part 4: Vicksburg to Natchez

Mosaic tile in Illinois monument, Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Mosaic tile seal in Illinois monument, Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

Illinois monument, Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi

This morning I went to the Vicksburg National Military Park.  Carol and I visited it earlier this month, but had only a brief time to whip through it. The park impressed me so much, I made it a part of this road trip's itinerary.

Visitors can hire a guide at $40 for two hours. I was willing to invest in this, but hoped to find one or more people who also wanted a guide so we could share the cost. Luckily, I was successful, hooking up with a Michigan couple en route to their winter playground in Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Watched the 20-minute documentary in the visitor center first, which gave an overview of the Vicksburg campaign. Having a guide really was a help: One, because a guide shares colorful factoids that you wouldn't learn otherwise. Two, you can ask questions as you go along.

So why is the park so impressive? It's the whole battlefield right there. You can see where the regiments camped, the trenches, a tunnel, the forts, the gullies, the ridges. Even though the modern terrain is cleanly landscaped and marked with monuments, the hellishness of the soldiers' lives during the long siege and its battles breaks through from the past to the present.

 

Credit: Sean MacLachlan

Speaking of past to present and the Civil War, I was looking at my   blog stats today and revisited a post from my week in Harar. On that day, I'd posted a link to Sean, a travel (and other) writer who is kinda-sorta from Columbia, Missouri, and who was in Harar the same time I was. I noticed he's got a new blog called Civil War Horror, and damned if he hasn't written a novel set during on the Civil War: A Fine Likeness. 

Holy Trinity Park, Taos, New Mexico

After leaving the military park, I found a forgettable lunch in downtown Vicksburg, then took a circuitous route out of town (read: lost) and made my way toward Natchez. Before I stumbled onto the correct highway, I serendipitously passed a monument of love from a husband to his wife at Margaret's Grocery.  Parodoxically, the day was so sunshiney fine that I couldn't get a decent photo to come out.  But the artistry reminds me of the work I loved at a pocket park in Taos.

On the Natchez Trace Parkway

We got onto the Natchez Trace Parkway late this morning to see what it was all about. It is a "unit" of the National Park Service, described thusly:

The Natchez Trace Parkway is a 444-mile drive through exceptional scenery and 10,000 years of North American history.  Used by American Indians, "Kaintucks", settlers, and future presidents, the Old Trace played an important role in American history. Today, visitors can enjoy not only a scenic drive but also hiking, biking, horseback riding, and camping.

Sidebar: What is a "unit"? 

First stop: An information center close to Hwy 51. Super friendly NPS staffer; she recommended a restaurant for lunch and even photocopied the info to take with us.

Second stop: Said lunch at Mama Hamil's, a feast of southern cooking, all via buffet. The ribs were smoky and juicy. Creamed corn just like my mama used to make.

This gigantic place in Madison, MS, is so famous, it doesn't even have a sign. It does have a delivery van in front of the entrance door. But you know you've come to the right place because of all the cars. At first I thought we had the wrong place, that it was a church, because there was an outline of a cross above the entrance. But then I realized this was a Christmas decoration. And then I thought, some people might consider Mama Hamil's their place of worship. I didn't think it was that heavenly, but it was good. Along the lines of Missouri's Lambert's Cafe, the "home of the throwed rolls." But not nearly as much fried stuff as Lambert's. A place you go to once, maybe, to see what all the fuss is about.

Third stop: Mississippi Crafts Center. Lofty, contemporary place. Some nice things for sale. My brain made a desultory attempt at convincing me to spend a stupid amount of money on a scarf. No sale. Maddeningly poor signage to (not) get you back onto the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

Fourth stop: Ross Barnett Reservoir overlook. Gigantic reservoir created from Pearl River. We saw many herons along the banks of the reservoir, both great and white.








 
Fifth stop: Cypress Swamp trail. For me, the highlight of our Trace drive. Still, primeval, darkly beautiful. The person who wrote the thoughtful guide signs has a serene, spare style.





While I walked the pleasant trail, I remembered a seminar presented by a parks and recreation professor awhile back. He talked about the Declaration of Independence's "pursuit of happiness" and that parks and recreation programs help us in that pursuit.  

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Music

Carol wasn't interested, but I wanted to hear some music. Specifically, blues. So about 10:00, I went to Martin's for its Monday night open jam while Carol relaxed in the hotel room. While nothing blew me away, the music was good. Glad I went.