Colbert Ferry to Tupelo

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Are we there yet?

As you can see, the Natchez Trace at mile marker 327 does not look all that different from the Natchez Trace at mile marker 352. And this, I started to fear yesterday and it became clear today, is the fatal flaw in the Natchez Trace Parkway. It is absolutely the same everywhere. You could call it mind-numbingly boring. There is mowed grass on the left, then thick trees that block your sight. There is mowed grass on the right, then thick trees that block your sight. Sometimes the grassy areas get wider, sometimes narrower, sometimes you can even see a cornfield, but that's about it. At least the road surface is great and there is very little traffic. But after only twenty miles today, I did what I had not done at all on this trip: I got out my iPod and listened to music for the rest of the day. What a relief, I do not know if I would have made it without it. Bo-o-oring.

The problem was the miserable night, during which it was so hot and humid that I kept floating off in a bath of my own sweat. It did not get any better until shortly before sunrise, so I finally fell asleep then and did not resume my ride until about 10am. At this time it was already almost unbearably hot out, and my legs felt like they were filled with lead. One of those days. I suppose the efforts of the last couple of weeks are starting to catch up with me. Time for a shorter ride today, and definitely time for another motel. In fact, I think I might stay in motels every night from now on because the heat and humidity down here are just a little too much for me, especially if I plan on riding 100 miles a day. I was bred to hunt reindeer through the snowy tundra dressed in nothing but a wolfskin, not to waste away in the humid subtropics. No way. Reindeer. Elk. Snow. Harrr.

So I decided to only ride as far as Tupelo today, relax in a motel, and get going early tomorrow morning to get done with the ride before it gets too hot. You have already seen what the ride looked like all day in the picture above. A couple of highlights follow.

Entering Mississippi

Seen to the right is the Bear Creek Mound, which, according to a nearby marker, was built by hunters, who occupied this site as early as 8000 B.C. It goes on to talk about how these hunters would only move through and were not yet farmers, but probably none of that is true. After all, the world did not even exist 8000 B.C., as any self-respecting creationist will tell you.

Even the waterways are manicured

Tupelo
Last stop today: Trace Inn, Tupelo, birthplace of no one less than The King himself. That's right. Elvis. Rock 'n' Roll! Well, Tupelo is not Graceland and mostly famous for being a very unlikely place to produce a superstar. I did not have much time or energy to explore the place anyway, and simply went into town for a meal and some groceries. You know you are in the South when you go to Pizza Hut for a nutritious meal, which is exactly what I did. The salad bar, you know?

Riding through the traffic of Tupelo made me feel a little better about having been on the boring Natchez Trace Parkway all day, though, because I was almost run over about every thirty seconds. Tupelo, Mississippi, is definitely not designed for or used to bicycles, that's for sure.

The last thing of note today is that I finally met the first person who spoke with such a thick southern accent that I could not understand a single word. Nothing, nada. And he looked the part, too, kind of like Billy Bob Thornton in Sling Blade. And I thought he was over-acting. Awesome.

Road Kill Tally
Nothing today. No road kill at all. That's the excitement of the Natchez Trace Parkway for you.

1. Raccoon: 84
2. Opossum: 52
3. Frog: 31
4. Skunk: 26
5. Snake: 22
6. Deer: 18
7. Squirrel: 18
8. Cat: 17
9. Turtle: 14
10. Groundhog: 13
11. Bunnywabbit: 10
12. Armadillo: 9
13. Mouse: 7
14. Fox: 3
15. Lizard: 3
16. Dog: 3
17. Mole: 2
18. Porcupine: 1
19. Chipmunk: 1

• Bird: 117