Ahhhhh, the retired life..... We don't have to wait for a weekend or schedule time off, we can just GO. Whenever we want (almost). So, this morning we decided to explore a bit more of our new home state, Mississippi. After our Candy Ass Adventure, Eric changed the oil in both bikes and put on a new front tire for me. Before departure, he checked tire pressures, oil levels and made sure our bikes were ready for another ride. Thanks Honey!!!
We managed to leave about 9 am even though I slept until 8. No coffee or computer stuff for me this morning. Nope, just get up, throw on LD Comforts and riding gear and head out. However, I knew our first destination was going to be a diner that serves brekkie ALL DAY LONG! Heaven for me as this is my most favorite meal to eat out. And, they give you a choice of hashbrowns or grits. Oh yes, hashbrown me please!
So, out the door we went. Perfect weather, clear skies and the temp was hovering around 75. Yes, just perfect. Especially since the first 30 or so miles were heading south on the Natchez Trace. If you follow me at all, you know how much I love to ride the Trace :-) No traffic, perfect weather, simply BLISS! Beastie Bike was purring like a kitten with new oil and front tire. Happy place!
From the Trace we headed east toward West Point, MS. (Hahahaha, that's funny, headed east to west point....) The roads we took to get there were very rural and pleasant. We found our destination, the Tin Lizzie Cafe without issue and pulled up to rock star parking. Another local eatery and our expectations were high.
Oh well, full tummy! West Point was just a stop along our way. Our destination was the Waverley Mansion about 10 miles down the road. You can check it out here Waverley Mansion. I absolutely love to tour old mansions and buildings and gardens and...... you get the picture :-)
We pulled up on the gravel parking area and stopped to take a few pics before entering the grounds.
Our day wasn't finished yet. We still had another target in mind - French Camp, MS. So, to that end, we cruised backroads toward French Camp from West Point. We made a comfort stop at Sturgis. Yes, you heard that correctly, Sturgis!
We left Sturgis and meandered our way along rural backroads to French Camp, MS. Now, we've ridden the Natchez Trace several times both north and south - the entire route (which is stunning by the way) and passed French Camp a number of times. I always said to Eric, let's go back there and check it out. So today was the day to do just that!
It's only about 80 miles south of us. I researched what it was and the history and all. And, was delighted to find out that you can actually go there and walk around and check it all out. Now, it is a Boarding School based on Christian foundations. While we didn't see any children, we did see a bunch of stuff and totally enjoyed our visit :-) French Camp
Only 80 miles to home, we made a quick stop here. I always love stopping at new pull-outs along the Trace.
So there you go, our little exploration trip for the day! It was super, fabulous, wonderful. The weather was perfect (okay, a bit hot at times) the roads fairly clear of traffic and easy riding (well, except for that zillion miles of fresh chip seal). I totally enjoyed our outing. It was so fun to explore new places and get a new perspective of where we live and what's around us.
Looking forward to more exploration and embracing Mississippi as our new home. If you're ever near Tupelo, we have a beautiful home and a room waiting for you! Oh BOY oh BOY oh BOY, we have a celebrity guest coming to visit next week. Stay tuned for a blog update!
Oh, here's a screen shot of our little adventure today!
Hugs and cheers,
Cletha
