We had a plan and it was a beautiful morning so we donned our gear and headed out on the scooters. First we made a quick stop to fill the tanks and then off to the Natchez Trace heading North. I always love starting an adventure on the Trace, it just sets the perfect tone for a peaceful, pleasant ride.
After 20 miles or so on the Trace we exited and continued North on small county roads. Some two lane and some no lane, lol. My favorite! We took a rest break in Altitude, MS. Not much in Altitude and even the Fire & Rescue was in need of some serious TLC.
As usual, Eric had mapped a fantastic route that took us through beautiful winding rural roads. My head was on a swivel looking at everything. Of course it is so spectacular with the spring blooms. I was pretty much in scooter nirvana 😏😜
Our first destination was lunch at Borroum's Drug Store and Soda Fountain in Corinth, MS. Touted as Mississippi's oldest operating drug store and soda fountain, it was a must stop since we were in Corinth! We found a great parking space in front of the County Courthouse.
And just across the street was Borroum's!
We ordered lunch, enjoyed our meal and took a look around. The onion rings were fabulous!!
Although we didn't partake, Borroum's is well known for it's old fashioned malts and milkshakes. Just look at those machines! Next time (yes, we've already decided there will be a next time) we'll share a burger, onion rings and a milkshake!
After lunch we mounted the scooters and headed to the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center which was our goal for the day.
Since we now live in the South we are determined to learn more about it's history and the Civil War is a big part of that history. This is an amazing Interpretive Center, very well done. The front of the building has this sculpture.
The path from the parking lot to the Interpretive Center was quite interesting in that embedded in the cement path were various detritus of war all found on this battlefield. The next few photos give you an example of the things we saw on the path, cast in bronze and scattered along the path. Certainly made the walk up to the main building interesting and slow!
When we entered the Interpretive Center we were warmly greeted by the NPS Ranger who gave us a run down on how to best enjoy the Center. We started with an 18 minute video that told us the story of the Battle at Corinth and how important Corinth was to both sides of the Civil War. Located in Corinth, MS were two of the most important railroads in the Confederacy. The Memphis & Charleston linked the Mississippi River to the Atlantic seaboard by way of Chattanooga. The second line, the north-south Mobile & Ohio, connected Columbus, KY with Mobile, AL. Their intersection made Corinth the most strategic transportation hub in the western Confederacy. Of course, the Union Army wanted to control this intersection because they could then cut off the supply line to the South.
After watching the introductory video we then toured the center, reading the exhibits and learning about the impact the battles here had on people. So much to take in! So many killed 😭 Such brutal conditions. Very sobering...
At the time Corinth had 3 hotels and the Corona College, a school for young women. All of these buildings were turned into hospitals to deal with the carnage.
We finished the inside exhibits and walked out the back of the Center to find a small cemetery with headstones engraved as "Unknown Confederate Soldier" as well as several monuments to Texan soldiers who died here in the battles.
There were also two cannons strategically placed behind bunkers that had been built specifically for that purpose.
Also behind the Center was a memorial fountain. Each of the large blocks represent a significant battle and are labeled as such. As you walk up the fountain the years are indicated telling when each battle occurred.
Whew! That was quite the eye opener! I don't really know that much about the Civil War other than what we were taught in school. Living here in the South, right on top of the most brutal battlefields, well, it's enlightening. It is kind of hard to process at once. Originally, we were going to head to Shiloh and another Civil War Interpretive Center. But, after Corinth, I'd had enough death and destruction, so we decided to head home.
Again, Eric had routed us on fantastic rural roads and we totally enjoyed our mosey home. Of course we made a few wrong turns and ended up on a couple of gravel roads, lol. That's okay, just good practice for the upcoming Scooter Cannonball Run 😉
To make our return to home perfect, we spent the last 10 miles on the Natchez Trace!
Oh boy! Yet another fun scooter adventure! So loving how easy and fun these little machines are. Stay tuned folks, we have another adventure just around the corner.
As always, thanks for following along, you're the best 🙋
Cheers, Cletha & Eric
