Temp at departure: 82 degrees

Wow! I'm sitting in a motel room staring out the window at the bridge crossing the mighty Mississippi River, with the State of Mississippi behind me. It suprises me the how fast we've passed through the state, although it shouldn't. The distance to travel across the part of the state that the Trans-Am trail covers isn't more than a days ride, albeit a long day. If not for our excursion to Shiloh Military Park, we'd have covered the state yesterday.

We left Holly Springs, MS around 8:15 A.M.(yes, we seem to be consistent, if nothing else). Heading in a west-southwest direction, we made our way across more hill country, using gravel roads. The hills were covered with an amazing amount of kudzu, literally giving them a green rolling look.

 

Mid-morning we came to a bridge that was being repaired and needed to detour around a few miles, taking us offourintended route. Luckily our unintended route took us past Fredonia Methodist Church.

The sign in the front said that the church was established in 1816, with the present church built in 1842.

It seems like a very western locale to be starting a church by 1816. The church has to be one of the first in the area.

Mississippi is an interesting state. Road signs seem to be erected fairly much in a random fashion. For instance, approaching a curve this morning, we passed a sign proclaiming "Slow---50 mph curve ahead", only to be followed by another sign, not 50 feet later, saying the speed limit was 45 mph. Several times we've passed either "Road Closed" or "Bridge Out" signs, only for the road to be open or the bridge to be in or completly non-existent.

But perhaps the greatest example of funny signage was the one to the left. I think it speaks for itself.

By the way, this was not the only sign like this that we saw.

Mid morning, we moved out of the the hills and down into the Mississippi River flood plain. The trail took us through the town Crenshaw.

As we were leaving town, the fields of rice began to appear. The Trail took us to the top of a levee that ran for several miles along the edge of the fields.

As we approached the river, swampy areas, with Cypress trees, appeared. It has been a great change of scenery!

Tomorrow we will cover a large part of Arkansas. See you down the trail.

Money spent: $95

Daily mileage: 112.2

Total mileage: 843.46

June 9