April Roadtrip, Day 17...Tishomingo

 Day 17

April 17, 2023

    After a late night at Red's Lounge, it did feel good to sleep in a bit.  It was a fairly light day anyway.  Hwy 278 took me east from Clarksdale towards Tupelo.  That's where I picked up the Natchez Trace Parkway northbound.

      I'll take a drive like this over an interstate any day.

     As I drove north, the signs for "Road Closed Ahead" began to appear.  As luck would have it, the closure was immediately after my exit.  Bonus!

     A few miles off the exit is Tishomingo State Park, named after Chicasaw Chief Tishomingo.  He fought with Gen. Andrew Jackson during the War of 1812.  After the war, he retired to a farm.  He died while being forcibly removed from his land to be relocated in Oklahoma.  

      I paid my $2 at the gate and drove deep into the park.  There were two trails on tap for the day, both starting in the same parking area.  First up was a 4.1 mile trail through the woods and along Bear Creek.

     

   The last mile or so of the trail finally approaches Bear Creek.

     Eventually the trail leads back to the parking lot.  After a snack and some water, it was off to tackle the 2.1 mile, aptly named Outcropping Trail.  

    First you get to cross this swinging bridge.

    I loved how the reflection of the trees and sky created a blue stripe down the middle of the creek.

     The first leg of the trail is easy and follows Bear Creek.

      After a bit of a climb, the trail reaches the ridge line and the trail's namesake, the outcroppings.

          I left the park and took a pleasant drive to Corinth, my home for the night.  Like Atlanta, Corinth was a railroad town.  Founded in 1853, it sat at the crossroads of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad and the Memphis and Charleston Railroad.  

      The crossroads gave the town it's first name, Cross City. The name was eventually changed to Corinth, after the city in Greece also known for being a crossroad.

     The search for a non-chain meal was a real adventure.  So many places seemed to be closed on Mondays.  So, I checked into a surprisingly nice Econolodge and asked at the desk.   The friendly woman at the desk confirmed it.  Most local places are indeed closed on Mondays.  

       Thus, I wound up at the Cracker Barrel up the street since I could walk to that.  Not a bad meal at all, though my server was having a really rough first day.  It seemed mostly nerves though.