We repacked the Jeep, plus new the bike rack and Mike's new e-bike and headed back towards New Mexico. We tried to pack the Jeep so there was access to just the essentials for each night, but it always felt like we were dragging way more into the hotel than we wanted to. We decided to drive shorter days and take longer to get there because, well, why not.
We headed out of Florida on I-10 across to our first stop in Mobile, AL. We basically checked-in to the hotel and slept as this was an 8 1/2 hour driving day. On a beautiful morning on our way out of Mobile though, we stopped and toured the USS Alabama battleship and the USS Drum submarine along with some other interesting exhibits. The size of these floating behemoths are amazing when you walk the maze of decks and living quarters. It was an enjoyable tour.
We also experienced our first of two Buc-ee's stops on this trip. We had heard a lot about this travel station stop through the southwest, and the experience did not disappoint. We picked up some of their famous brisket and it was actually quite yummy. Don't miss one if its on your route.
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| Buc-ee |
I had read that it was enjoyable to drive the Natchez Trace Parkway in Mississippi. The 444 mile parkway starts near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Natchez and travels up through Nashville, Tennessee. Our route would only take us on a few hundred miles from the southernmost terminus, but we wanted to experience it for at least a short while. Natchez, MS is also a prominent setting in books by the author Greg Isles. I always thought of Natchez as frozen in time, for good or bad, and similar to stepping into a time capsule.
We were a bit cautious as to where we stayed and parked the Jeep with most of our worldly possessions stuffed in the back. We found a hotel on the other side of the Mississippi Riverfront in Vidalia that was convenient to explore the area.
We only had one overnight in Natchez. We arrived to a eerily empty hotel. It is possible that Stephen King may have considered it for The Shining at one point before he settled on a different location. We traipsed all our stuff into the hotel and were famished. After trying to pry some restaurant recommendations from the unhelpful desk clerk, we headed out into the Natchez historic district.
As with many small towns post-Covid, the vibrancy of the historic area had been diminished a bit. A few local restaurants were open, but not many. We lucked in to a unique area called "under the hill". As the name implied, the small row of historic buildings were nestled down along the bank of the Mississippi in the shadow of the bridge. We happened upon the Magnolia Grill there and had a lovely meal with a Cajun influence. The next morning we walked along the Riverfront before heading out to tour along the Trace.
Before getting on the road, we happened upon signs for The Melrose House. One of 13 National Historic Landmarks in Natchez, Melrose is one of the best preserved and most significant historic sites in the entire South. A ranger led tour provided the history of Natchez, the family who owned the home and the importance of the home in the community. The original furnishing and contents were a treat to see. These homes and their history have a tragic past that cannot be ignored. We choose to be educated by this history and reflect and respect those that lived through that time.
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| Had to ask what Kaintucks were... |
I had read about a possible lunch stop at the Old Country Store in Lorman, MS, just a few miles off the parkway. To say that we stepped back in time is an understatement. The building had started as a General Store in 1875. Several permutations later it was something in between a flea market and a cafeteria. Arthur Davis runs this establishment and is known for his fried chicken recipe. The food was good, the atmosphere was unique and friendly. This was truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Just our kind of stop.
We skirted through the edge of Louisiana with a quick overnight in Marshall, TX on our way to Amarillo, TX. If you ever travel the old Route 66 or AKA Highway 40 through Texas you have probably passed the Cadillac Ranch and The Big Texan Steakhouse. Home of the Free 72 oz. steak. All you have to do is eat the shrimp cocktail, salad, baked potato, roll and all 72 oz. of meat in an hour to get it for free. It's a thing. Many people attempt it and some actually accomplish it each year.
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| Texas, enough said. |
We got a table in the upper balcony overlooking the "challenge table" complete with time clock. Our meal was good but not as good as it could have been as no one attempted the challenge while we were there. It was a touristy spectacle, but worth a stop on the tour back to Albuquerque.
The last two hours of our 6 hour drive to Albuquerque was delayed with a one hour traffic jam just outside of Clines Corners, NM. We sat amongst the tractor-trailers which provided shade from the New Mexico sun. We go so bored that we actually started watching a Netflix show, technology can be good. We never saw any evidence of the cause of the traffic jam as we brought this part of our journey to an end.
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| Taken out the back window of the Jeep |
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| Welcome to New Mexico |
