1. May, 2016

SATURDAY 22-11-08 

Gosh that was a cold night. We woke at around 03:00 to find ourselves huddled up keeping each other warm before dropping off again. We woke about 07:00; I got up and flicked the heating on hoping the LPG would hold out. Rosina took a peek out of the bedroom window behind the ‘bed head’ and it was covered in a thin film of ice (oh for double glazing) I scraped a small area and saw what I thought might be a light dusting of snow but which turned out to be a heavy frost. 

After a quick shower and breakfast I popped out to take a couple of pictures and found our rather large camp fire from last night still alive but only just. I gathered together all the bits of wood which hadn’t burned through properly last night, blew on the embers, added a few pine cones and off she went again only much smaller this time. When we pulled away at about 08:20 it was still going and would offer our neighbour sleeping in a converted van to sit and keep warm when he got up, adding more of our remaining wood if he should choose. 

We headed northwards completing the last 90 miles of the Natchez Trace Parkway seeing nothing more exciting than some wild turkeys and a few birds of prey. I think the problem at this southern end is that the Parkway is far too close to civilisation which prevents the wildlife from breeding naturally and showing its face.  Mind you, in these parts, if they bred they’d probably be hunted and killed by the local ‘sportsmen’. I’ve never agreed with hunting as it’s too one sided. Give the wildlife AK47’s and a belt of ammo and then we’ll see a fair contest. 

Leaving the Parkway at Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis Presley was born, we made our way towards Memphis. The road-kill was increasing in size again moving from the two-a-penny Raccoons’ which are being wiped out at the roadside in every state, to deer which was a shame but not unexpected. 

From Memphis we made our way on the I30 to Texarkana, Texas, where we are spending the night at the very same Wal-Mart we used on the way out almost 3 months ago having crossed the whole of Arkansas this afternoon. 

LOCATION TONIGHT: Wal-Mart 4000 New Boston Road, Texarkana (GPS: N33.445258 W94.099439).

1. May, 2016

1. May, 2016

1. May, 2016

1. May, 2016

FRIDAY 21-11-08 

It was a fairly cool night and so I leapt out of bed at about 07:15 and put the heating on so that it was ready for when we got up for a shower. Normally the heating would be left on low all night but we were now quite low on LPG and I’m trying to make it last the next few nights. 

Once up, showered and fed Rosina made for the Wal-Mart store for some fresh bread whilst I popped around to the Tire & Lube department to get the tyre pressures checked. As usual there were problems and the young man suggested I pop a few doors down the road to get them done with the appropriate equipment. This we did, and again they wouldn’t take payment so I gave the guy who checked and adjusted them a tip. After topping up with fuel at a cheap $1.86 a gallon we joined the Natchez Trace Parkway to start a 260-mile journey over two days to cover the southern section. 

The steady drive down the Parkway was pleasant though not breathtaking, too often we were only a short distance from civilisation and at one point at Kosciusko, north of Jackson, the state capital, we were right next to a Wal-Mart store just through the trees. Today’s trip was devoid of wildlife apart from a couple of Condors and wild turkeys and the view was mostly of trees either side of the road. If we had a cent for every tree we’d seen since arriving in September we’d be multi-millionaires. 

Tonight is being spent at the Jeff Busby Campground along the trail. The literature suggested there is a gas station and store with Wi-Fi, but unfortunately when we arrived discovered the store and gas station went bust about a year ago, and so now all that’s left is the campground with no facilities other than the toilet block in the gas station for passing travellers. Tonight we had a roaring fire as this may be the last one we’ll be having. We cooked our food on the non stick aluminium skillet placed on the Fire Pit/Grill. After eating our meal indoors due to the very cold air; I popped back outside and laid the skillet on the open fire to let it heat through ready for scrubbing clean. Imagine my surprise when after a short period it just laid there and melted over the logs. I pulled it off, flipped it over and it repaid me by lying back and flattening about 70%, which still left me with a 30% bent skillet. Either I had purchased a sub-standard skillet or I had created a fire any steel smelter would be proud of. I banked the fire up in disgust and went back indoors as it was getting rather cold outside. 

At the moment we’ve got the generator running providing us with electric hot air central heating and some TV with the surplus power. It’s the usual rubbish but keeps The Chef entertained whilst I quickly type this. Tomorrow we’ll be covering the last 90 miles or so of the bottom half of the Natchez Trace Parkway. 

LOCATION TONIGHT: Jeff Busby campground, milepost 193.1, Natchez Trace Parkway, MS (GPS: N33.417135 W89.269560).