Mississippi into Louisianna

Leaving the museums on Friday, I was driving the short distance to an RV campground when my car suddenly died, on an interstate highway at 5PM.  I had enough momentum to get the car and camper off the road onto the shoulder.  Worked with my roadside assistance, got help from a DOT truck and a police officer, and eventually, the car and camper were towed to the RV campground.  Saturday morning the car was towed to the local Toyota dealer but they weren't able to diagnose and fix it til Wednesday AM.  A main fuse had blown.  The technician worried that there could be something more wrong, which caused the fuse to blow, but couldn't find anything else to fix.  Fortunately I had my cozy camper to stay in for those 5 nights and had stocked up on groceries.  Unfortunately it rained pretty much straight through.

My next door neighbors in the RV park were John and Amanda.  John is retired from the Army and a retired police officer.  He thinks of himself as a conservative, and with hesitation, voted for Trump.  Since then has regretted that vote.  We had some long and very interesting conversations.  His perspective on politics, the military, law enforcement, and life in our country today were rich and fascinating.  He said he had rarely spoken to an "activist" like me and appreciated my different perspective, too.  And Wednesday night, we all went to dinner and a movie -- "Just Mercy".  (Very worth seeing.)  John was shocked to realize the attitudes and institutions which are depicted in this movie have continued up to this day:  the corrupt sheriff continued to be voted back into office until he resigned in December 2019 -- last month.

Leaving Montgomery, I headed over to Timberlake Campground on Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi -- a 50 mile long reservoir.  My campsite was right on the water.

It was an overcast day.  Would be prettier with sun.

The next day I headed west to find the Natchez Trace Parkway, which runs along the route of a Native American trail from Tennessee down to Natchez MS.  It is a lovely parkway with no commercial vehicles, running through pine forests, with frequent historical markers.  And I drove through the Yockanookany Section -- another wonderful name.  The Chicasaw, Choctaw and Natchez people lived in this area.  

Overcast again.  But miles and miles of good road, nearly no traffic and woods all around.  

That night I drove across the Mississippi River!   Not on the east coast anymore!  Stayed at a Walmart in Vidalia, MS.

The next morning, the car wouldn't start -- dead again.  Got the camper towed to the Riverview RV Campground, right on the Mississippi in Vidalia.  Car towed to the local Toyota dealer.  I sure hope they figure out what's really wrong this time.  The Riverview RV Campground really does have a view of the river!  And a beautiful walkway that runs for a couple of miles along the bank, past a couple hotels, a convention center and the RV park.

My little camper on the banks of the Mississippi.

Riverwalk.

Here you can see that the Mississippi is flooding and has broken through the bank and washed away a section of walkway.  Apparently it has been over flood stage here for 8 months.  An older resident said the Mississippi would flood sometimes in the spring thaw or in a hurricane, but has been flooded thru the winter the last several years.  Climate change.

There are many huge barges going up and down the river all day and night.  This one was coming in to dock. 

Note the man in the orange vest at the front of the barge -- just for size.  

Sunset on the riverwalk.