February 1-5 (We’re goin’ to Jackson)

After New Orleans, we started the (very cold) trek heading north to Mississippi. We made a brief stop in Baton Rouge, and spent a day at a local park enjoying a rare warm, sunny day. We also went to watch The Life of Pi in 3D, and we thought it was really well done. We both read the book (thanks to Tyler!) on the first part of our journey, and it was by chance that it came out in theatres while we were still travelling.

After Baton Rouge, we drove up to Natchez, Mississippi so we could get on the Natchez Trace Parkway. The Trace is a historical trail that runs approximately 440 miles (from Natchez to Nashville). We learned that it was used first by Native Americans, and later for people who were carrying their goods by boat down the Mississippi to New Orleans. Once they arrived at their destination, they would have to sell their boat because they couldn’t row it back up the river, and then they would have to hike all the way back home (roughly 20 miles a day). We visited the Mount Locust Inn, which would have historically been the first home they would have encountered along the way. There’s a lot of incredible history there, and we met a nice couple who volunteer there during the winter and in exchange are given a small bit of land to park their camper on.

On our first night on the Natchez Trace Parkway, we found a free campsite that we were able to stay at. It was nice to have a little break from parking lots, and there was absolutely nothing near us except for a wide sky full of stars, a little creek nearby that was perfect for writing music, and we built a fire so we could cook some supper. It was really beautiful there, nicer than a lot of campsites we’d paid to stay at, and we really enjoyed our stay. Another travelling couple staying there told us there is another one close to Nashville, so we’ll get a second night on the incredible Trace!

The next day, we headed to Jackson! We figured we’ve been singing about it for so long (June and Johnny’s great song) that we had to check it out. Unfortunately we didn’t have a lot of time, so we drove around and took some pictures of the capitol buildings there. We were pulled over by a cop – we don’t think they get a lot of visitors in bright yellow campers – and after he realized we were just travelling around he gave us some tips of what to see.

After Jackson, we ventured up to what is one of the most anticipated portions of our adventure: Clarksdale, Mississippi! Now, a lot of people might not recognize that name very easily, but for most blues enthusiasts The Crossroads will, and that’s where you’ll find it!

Stay tuned for our music-packed stories in Clarksdale!

Baton Rouge

The last remaining inn on the Trace

This was so hard to do – imagine running from spot to spot to make this work!

Writing by the creek