September 22 - “Surprises”

We had a surprise blessing to start this leg of the journey. We had enough loyalty points to get a hotel room for free. The hotel desk clerk was the nicest. Even the breakfast lady was super-helpful. I’m impressed. So, thank you, Comfort Suites Monroe, Louisiana.

 

And we’re off. We drove away from the hotel around 8:30 and headed for Poverty Point National Monument.  Yes, that would be the first stamp for Chris’ National Parks book this trip. Good thing they had a stamp, too. Not much to this one.  We did get to do one hike. Up the only mountain in Louisiana. It was actually an Indian mound from a few thousand years ago. Not a bad hike.  Just short.

 

Next, we turned our attention toward a national battlefield near Tupelo, Mississippi. But we had a problem. We got sidetracked. See, we went through a place called Leland, Mississippi. Guess who was born there? Kermit the Frog. Had to do a little side trip to check out his museum. Gotta honor these huge celebrities when we get a chance, I guess.

 

On to Tupelo. Went through a town called Kilmichael.  Stay away, all you Michael’s out there.  We also saw a preponderance of massive crosses along the side of the road. Best guess as to their origin says that massive giants had them as charms on bracelets and the bracelets had a tendency to break, causing the crosses to cascade down upon the land and get stuck among the trees.

 

On the way to Tupelo we ended up on the Natchez Trail. We have been on that route before. It’s miles and miles of nothing but trees. No signs. No wildlife. No evidence of civilization at all. And the speed limit is 50. Always 50. Boring. Somewhat pretty, but boring.

 

We made it into Tupelo around 3:30 or so. And the big battlefield we were heading toward? It incorporated less than a city block right smack in the middle of town. One big monument and a few canons flanking it. Hum. We did find out that the visitor center was … back on the Natchez Trail about six miles further north. We had time, so we took off. And we did find it - just in time. The Ranger, although getting ready to close up for the evening, was a great help. Very talkative, but he eventually even gave us directions to our hotel.

 

Speaking of the hotel, we got a really unexpected treat. Last night was Manager’s Special Night. Free supper. Salisbury steak and mashed potatoes. That was a surprise we would never have anticipated. The food was pretty good, too.

 

Psalms 8:3-4 says, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?”

 

Father, thanks for the surprises. They have already made the trip really exciting. Amen.